Argos Lock Up Canadian Pair Just In Time For CFL Free Agency Deadline

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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The motto of the proud people of Haiti is ‘strength through unity’. LB Raymond Fontaine and WR Obed Cétoute, both of Haitian descent, have both shown a tremendous amount of both in trying to help their Haitian friends and family in the devastated country rebuilding after the earthquake. Now both have avoided free agency and re-signed with the only CFL team they have known, the Argonauts. Fontaine and Cétoute were the Argos’ only remaining Canadians approaching free agency and have signed contracts through the 2011 season.

Cétoute is entering his fourth season with the Argonauts after missing all of last season while recovering from surgery on his heel. Born in Montreal, his family immigrated to Canada from Haiti. A product of Central Michigan University, the veteran receiver has played 23 regular season games for the Double Blue and has career receiving numbers of 31 catches for 461 yards and three touchdowns. Obed was originally taken with the 31st pick overall (4th round) in the 2007 CFL Canadian Draft and was named the Argonauts’ Outstanding Rookie that season.

Fontaine is entering his fifth year with the Argonauts. The Kentucky product, who grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, is a perennial team leader in special teams tackles and has played in 62 regular season games. The Argos originally drafted him in the second round, 11th overall, in the 2006 CFL Canadian Draft and he has played linebacker and defensive end for the Boatmen. Fontaine, whose parents are both Haitian, was also named the Argonauts’ Outstanding Rookie.

Obed Cétoute #16
Wide Receiver
6’4”, 215 lbs.
Central Michigan
Born: January 7, 1983
Montreal, Quebec
4th Year Argos / 4th Year CFL
Non-Import
Acquired: Extended his contract with Toronto on February 12, 2010.

2009: Missed all of training camp due to off-season surgery…Week 1, Added to injured list (heel) for first regular season game at Hamilton and remained on IR through Week 7… Week 8, Added to 9-game injured list (heel).

2008: Dressed in 8 regular season games, starting 1…Listed on 46-man non-dressed roster three times and listed on the IR seven times with a ankle, hamstring and achilles injuries… Week 1, Dressed at SB in first regular season game against Winnipeg and recorded 1 catch for 13 yards… Week 2, Dressed at SB in loss against Hamilton and had 2 receptions for 13 yards… Week 3, Dressed as backup receiver and played special teams in loss at Edmonton…Recorded 2 catches for 14 yards…Week 7, Dressed as a backup receiver and caught 2 passes for 29 yards in loss at Hamilton…Week 8, Started at SB and caught 2 passes for 25 yards in loss vs Montreal… Week 9, On 46-man active roster but did not dress in Labour Day win at Hamilton… Week 10, Added to IR with ankle injury in loss at Montreal and remained there until Week 14 when he was added to 46-man active…Week 15-16, Moved to 46-man active roster but did not dress…Weeks 17-18, Added to IR with achilles injury.

2007: Named Argos’ nominee as Outstanding Rookie by Toronto Chapter of the FRC…Dressed in 16 games, starting 4 at WR in his rookie campaign with Toronto…Dressed as WR in both pre-season games versus Montreal…Week 2, made his CFL debut as a receiver and special teams player (07/07/07)…Week 3, made his first career reception (12/07/07) in win versus Calgary… Week 4, made his first career start and recorded his first touchdown (21/07/07) versus Calgary… Week 5, caught the Argos’ first touchdown of the game on a pass from Rocky Butler (34 yds) at Montreal…Week 9, made a highlight-reel catch for the Argos’ first touchdown in Labour Day win over Hamilton…Week 18, had a career-high 67 yards on 3 catches (03/11/07) in win at Saskatchewan…2007 Playoffs Made his playoff debut (18/11/07) starting at WR, making 3 catches for 69 yards in East Final versus Winnipeg.

College: 2006 Played in 10 games and finished the season with 36 receptions, 529 yards and five touchdowns…2005 Caught at least one pass in nine of the 11 games in which he played… Finished the season with 27 receptions for 364 yards and two touchdowns…Made a career-high eight catches for 91 yards at Western Michigan (11/12)…2004 Played in five games and caught 13 passes for 166 yards…2003 Redshirted.

Personal: Obed is the son of Yolande Cétoute. Nicknamed “O”, he enjoys swimming, reading and playing basketball. He is fluent in French and the Haitian dialect of Creole. Obed spent the off-season participating in The Argos Foundation’s Youth Mentorship Program and Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program. In addition to football, Obed plays water polo and credits scoring three goals in a championship game as one of his most memorable sports moments. A versatile athlete, he was also All-Province in football in 2000 and 2001 at Vanier College High School, and earned letters in basketball, football, water polo, and soccer.

Raymond Fontaine #51

Linebacker
6’4”, 230 lbs.
Kentucky
Born: September 1, 1980
Ottawa, Ontario
5th Year Argos / 5th Year CFL
Non-Import
Acquired: Extended his contract with Toronto on February 12, 2010.

2009: Dressed in 13 games at backup linebacker and played special teams for the Argonauts… Week 1, Dressed at backup LB and played ST in CFL regular season opener at Hamilton…Week 2, Dressed at backup LB, making 1 DT, and played ST in loss vs. Saskatchewan…Week 3, Dressed at backup LB and played ST, recording no stats, in loss at Calgary… Week 4, Dressed at backup LB and played ST, recording no stats, in win at Winnipeg…Week 5, Dressed at backup LB and played ST, recording no stats, in loss vs. Winnipeg… Week 6, Dressed at backup LB and played ST, recording 1 ST tackle, in loss at Montreal…Week 7, Dressed at backup LB and had his best game of the season on ST tying for team lead with 3 ST tackles in loss vs. BC…Week 8, Dressed at backup LB and played ST, recording 1 ST tackle, in loss vs. Calgary…Week 9, Dressed at backup LB and played ST, registering no stats, in loss at Hamilton…Week 10, Dressed at backup LB and played ST but recorded no stats in win vs. Hamilton…Week 11-14, Added to IR with a quad injury…Week 15, On 46-man active roster but did not dress in loss vs. Edmonton… Week 16, Dressed at backup LB and played ST, recording 2 ST tackles, in loss vs. Hamilton… Week 17, Dressed at backup LB and played ST, recording 1 ST tackle, in loss at Edmonton. Week 18 Dressed at backup LB and played ST, recording 2 ST tackles.

2008: Extended his contract with Toronto on January 9…Dressed in 15 games as a backup DE and special teams player… Dressed at backup DE and played ST Weeks 1 to 9 including the Labour Day classic…Week 10, Added to IR with a shoulder injury in loss at Montreal…Week 11, Returned to lineup and dressed at backup DE and played ST until Week 13…Week 14, Added to IR with rib injury…Week 15, On 46-man active roster but did not dress in loss at Winnipeg… Week 16, Returned to lineup as a backup DE and played ST for final weeks of season.

2007: Dressed in 16 games for the Argos, primarily as a backup DE and ST player after being transferred from the LB position in training camp…Missed 2 games due to shoulder injury… Finished 2nd on the team in ST tackles with 18…Week 8, dressed as backup DE and played ST but also entered the game for one play at MLB in place of Mike O’Shea at Winnipeg…Week 17, had a career game on ST, blocking his first career punt (27/10/07) punt and forcing a fumble on a punt return, leading to two Argos touchdowns in win over Winnipeg…Earned CFL Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time in his career… Week 18, rotated in late along the defensive line, recording 1 PKD in win at Saskatchewan…2007 Playoffs Dressed as backup DE and played ST in East Final versus Winnipeg.

2006: Signed with Toronto on May 17, 2006…Named the Argos’ Rookie of the Year by the Toronto chapter of the FRC…Played in all 18 games for Toronto, dressing as a backup LB and special teams player…Finished as the team leader, second in the CFL, in ST tackles (23)…Week 1, dressed as backup LB in CFL debut (17/06/06) and played ST in win over Hamilton…Week 6, rotated in during short yardage and goal line situations, recording his first DT…Week 11, played a great game on ST, recording 2 ST tackles and one fumble recovery…Week 13, led all players with 3 special teams tackles in Calgary…Week 18, played a strong game on ST recording 2 tackles vs Montreal…2006 Playoffs Dressed as backup LB in first-ever post-season game (05/11/06), an East Semi-Final win over Winnipeg…Dressed as backup LB and played ST, recording 3 ST in East Championship versus Montreal.

2005: Drafted by Toronto in the second round (11th Overall) in the 2005 CFL Canadian Draft. The pick was originally acquired from Calgary in exchange for the negotiation rights to RB Ronney Jenkins.

College: 2005 Played in 11 games with Kentucky, recording 19 total tackles, two for a loss and also added two blocked kicks…2004 Played in 11 games starting three at linebacker…recorded 33 defensive tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss and 1 QB Sack…2003 Played in 11 games, started in 6 as a junior…recorded 33 defensive tackles…recorded a career high 6 tackles at Louisville and Ohio…2002 Played in 12 games…saw spot duty at defensive end…made 9 defensive tackles…earned a varsity letter…2001 Redshirted. Junior Football Played eight years for the Myers Raiders in Ottawa (same club as Jesse Palmer and Pat Woodcock).

Personal: Raymond has degrees in Marketing Communications and Agricultural Economics, as well as a minor in Business Management. He is fluent in French, English, Spanish and Creole (his parents were both born in Haiti), and considers himself a movie buff listing Scarface, Snatch and The Usual Suspects as his favourite films. He enjoys spending time with his 5-year old son Matheo and 1-year old daughter Viviana.

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