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WINNIPEG -- He wasnt pushed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and thinks he could still play but, at nearly 35 years of age, veteran CFL all-star receiver Terrence Edwards says his body has been giving him messages that the time is right to retire. "My body has been starting to tell me that my career has been coming to an end," the soft-spoken Georgia native said Tuesday from his home in Atlanta. He wanted to dispel any suggestions he was being pushed, after musing earlier this year that he might return for a season or two and said he was keeping another promise, to retire from football in a Bomber uniform. "It was my decision, it wasnt a decision that was made by the club forcing me to retire. . I just thought it was the best time for me right now to move on from playing professional football." The Bombers praised him as one of their greats and his numbers back that up. He sits fourth on the all-time team list for receiving yards at 7,200, produced five 1,000-yard-plus seasons and 24 100-yard-plus games, second only to Milt Stegall in that regard among Bombers receivers. He was a league all-star twice and a divisional all-star three times. "Terrence will retire today as one of the best receivers in the history of this franchise," said general manager Kyle Walters in a statement. "He was a leader of the clubs offence for many years and players like him simply do not come along every day. He was a special player in our league, and we thank him for everything he has done for our organization." As a Bomber, he never failed to gain at least 500 receiving yards and pushed his CFL career totals to 508 catches for 7,637 yards and 47 touchdowns by the end of 2013. And that includes last season, when his playing time was limited by injuries. He also mentioned Tuesday what went on last year in the Bomber locker-room but wouldnt go into any details. It was not a happy place to be, as the team struggled and finished tied for their worst season in the 18-game CFL at 3-15. It cost the teams president, general manager and coach their jobs. But injuries were certainly a factor in his decision, agreed Edwards. "Getting freak injuries throughout the whole year last year. And thats one thing I always told myself, that if I had a major injury Id retire and I did have a major injury last year." He had off-season surgery to repair an injured foot that was the most serious problem he faced in 2013, although he also missed a couple of games due to an injured shoulder. Also nagging at him, he confessed, is the fact that none were contact injuries. He says he wants to be able to run around with his two young sons without having to take pain killers. "That was also in my decision-making process." When Edwards entered the CFL he was known as the younger brother of running back Robert Edwards, a first-round NFL draft pick who played for the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins before moving to the CFL, first with Montreal then with the Toronto Argonauts. Terrence Edwards also had a very brief try in the NFL in 2003 with the Atlanta Falcons but it was in the CFL that he made his mark. After two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes, his debut in a Bomber uniform in 2007 saw him record 1,280 yards and nine touchdowns. There is no question he will be missed. "Terrence Edwards has been a consummate professional for the Winnipeg Football Club throughout the past seven years, and I would personally like to thank him for representing our club with class, hard work, and a burning desire to be successful," said Bomber president Wade Miller. "He may be hanging them up but he will always remain a member of the Blue Bomber family." Edwards says he has plans for life after football but declined to go into any detail. He also suggested he wouldnt mind coaching at some point. He enjoys playing recreational basketball and will continue to do that. "But right now I just want to relax, and step away from it for a little while . . . I think I just want to be a fan now and watch the games." Cheap Shoes Outlet Stores .ca. Kerry, I hope you address Ron MacLeans comment during the second intermission of Game 4 in Montreal-Tampa series. Basically, he suggested that the NHL should not have used a referee from Quebec, following the Game 3 disputed non-goal, because the referee could be biased towards Montreal. Cheap Shoes Online Free Delivery .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes hope they now have the leadership tandem in place to turn the franchise around. http://www.cheapshoes.us.org/ .com) - Hassan Whiteside scored 20 points with nine rebounds in the Miami Heats 83-75 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday. Authentic Shoes For Cheap . Doug Fister allowed two runs over seven innings and Washington hit three solo homers in a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night. Authentic Shoes Wholesale . "It was a little weird looking over and seeing all the green uniforms," he said of his first game against the Boston Celtics.Its not fair to ask Troy Smith to become the next Anthony Calvillo. Its barely fair to ask a Ricky Ray or Travis Lulay - veteran pivots with Grey Cups and Most Outstanding Player awards to their name - to assume the role of face of the league and greatest active player. So its really not fair for a quarterback with four career starts in the CFL under his belt - albeit promising ones - to be put under that spotlight. But, as the de facto replacement for Calvillo in Montreal, fairly or not that could be the measuring stick for Smith. A more realistic expectation, and one Smith has a shot at living up to, is a solid quarterback that gives the team a chance to win week in and week out. After relieving Josh Neiswander (no longer with the team) midway through a late season game, Smith never looked back in guiding the Alouettes into the playoffs and briefly flirting with second place in the division and a home playoff date. His numbers in his short stint as starter were encouraging. While his completion percentage was just a shade over 50 percent, he threw nine touchdowns to just five interceptions and averaged nearly 300 passing yards per contest. And while his stat line from Montreals lone playoff game (14-26, 142 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) was far from impressive, the poise and leadership he displayed - factoring in nerves, inexperience, and all the rhetoric attached to a rookie making his first postseason appearance - was heartening for Alouettes fans. But that composure really isnt all that surprising for a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback with tangible NFL experience. Following a strong four-year career at Ohio State, two years as a starter, Smith was awarded the 2007 Heisman Trophy and then embarked on a four-year NFL career, finishing with 1,734 passing yards and 11 combined touchdowns. If youre apt to use the term pedigree to predict future success, a quarterback like Smith would surely fit the bill. And now for the best news of all in relations to Smiths chances of succeeding as a CFL quarterback: Montreals stacked receiving corps. Injuries to Jamel Richardson, proven long ago to be a bona fide stud receiver, opened the door for S.J. Green to elevate his status from very good to great last season; while Duron Carter demonstrated hes very much Pro Football Hall of Famer Chris Carters son in his CFL debut season. Health permitting, Smith will be throwing to receivers with a combined eight 1,000 yard receiving seasons, and four double-digit touchdowns seasons. And Carter almost added to that total in just 12 games last year (enjoy him while you can; the 23-year-old will be making plays in the NFL next season). With those three thoroughbreds in tow, former NFL star and notorious headline stealer Chad Johnson should be battling for fourth on the import receiving depth chart at best. Its of couurse hard to predict how Smith will do this season and in future years, other than to say hell be hard-pressed to make Als fans forget Calvillo anytime soon.dddddddddddd. There have been several quarterbacks of the future the past number of seasons in the CFL, few of them (less than nine!) have panned out. But Smith has everything youd seem to want to at least take your shot with him. And thats likely what the Alouettes will do. Notes Calvillo Retires 2013 marked the end of an era as Anthony Calvillo, perhaps the greatest CFL quarterback of all time, retired after 20 seasons. The majority of Calvillos career was spent in Montreal, as were the majority of his 79,816 career passing yards (a professional record) and his 455 career touchdown passes (a CFL record). Calvillo also won three Grey Cups and three Most Outstanding Player awards with the Alouettes. Expansion Draft The Alouettes lost three young players to the Ottawa Redblacks in Decembers expansion draft, none more valuable than versatile FB Patrick Lavoie, who was making a name for himself in the two years he spent with Montreal. The Als also lost DT Moton Hopkins and LB Jordan Verdone. Free Agency Montreal was once again quiet on the free agent market, deciding against bidding on any of the top names available. Free agency will be known more for when the team lost some talent, highlighted by LB Shea Emrys departure to Toronto, but GM Jim Popp did make sure to lock up some important pieces, highlighted by the re-signing of LT Josh Bourke. Return man Larry Taylor was also traded for during this period. Higgins Hired Up until Tom Higgins was hired to coach the team, it was unknown if Montreal would hire a coach or just let Popp continue on in the interim role. The Higgins hiring was strange also because GM Popp appeared to not be a part of the interviewing process for Higgins. Quatre-Vingt Cinq Despite an already solid receiving corps, the Alouettes added some more sizzle by signing former NFLer/headline-maker Chad Johnson to a contract in April. The transaction may be as much a publicity stunt as it is a solid football move but Johnson showed up to Montreal in good shape, in high spirits, and looking like he still has some football left to play. Offensive Line Losses Montreal lost two mainstays of their offensive line in the off-season when Andrew Woodruff and Scott Flory announced their retirements. CFL Draft The team helped to replenish their offensive line in the first round of the draft by selecting David Foucault from Montreal. The rest of the draft saw Montreal select Queens DB Andrew Lue 10th overall, Guelph DL Jeffrey Finley 22nd overall, York DL James Tuck 31st overall, Manitoba WR Andrew Smith 35th overall, Manitoba K/P Nick Boyd 43rd overall, Sherbrooke FB Jean-Christophe Beaulieu 49th overall, and Calgary WR Mackenzie Sarro 58th overall. ' ' '