His talent suggested stardom. His medical charts suggested something else. And that made Chris Canty an interesting fourth-round pick by Dallas in 2005.
And, right now, it also seems to have been a wise pick. The former University of Virginia defensive end has become a fulltime starter and key player on the Cowboys’ defense.
He and fellow second-year end Marcus Spears could become a difficult tandem for offenses. Canty, who added 15 pounds and now weighs 300, recorded four sacks in two starts as a rookie.
“Chris has played pretty well,” Dallas coach Bill Parcells said. “I’ve told both he and Spears that they’re out of the holding-their-own pattern. They need to be more dominant players. Chris has that capability. He has good size and strength. He’s a smart player. I expect quite a lot from him.”
Canty missed much of his 2004 season in college because of torn ligaments in his knee. Then, while working out in Arizona in preparation for the draft, he was an innocent bystander outside a nightclub when he was hit in the left eye by a thrown bottle. He suffered a detached retina.
“To go through so many different things,” Canty told Dallas reporters this summer, “it’s amazing to still be hanging in there.”
