Virginia Beach, Virginia native Chandler Fenner saw limited playing time as a pro football player in both the United States and Canada, but he’s in a very special club that features very few other members.
Fenner is one of the few pro football players who won both the NFL league championship (the Super Bowl) and the CFL league title (the Grey Cup). He was on the Seattle Seahawks’ roster when they beat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 48, as well as a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ CFL roster that won the 107th Grey Cup in 2019.
Fenner, who was born and raised in the state of Virginia, attended Frank W. Cox High School which is located in Virginia Beach. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 189 pounds during his pro football career, Fenner played college ball for the Holy Cross Crusaders (located in Worcester Country, Massachusetts).
He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012. And though he was on Seattle’s Super Bowl 48 roster, Fenner played games for the New York Giants in the 2014 season.
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Looking Back On Fenner’s NFL Career
As previously noted, Fenner signed with the Chiefs following the 2012 NFL Draft. The Holy Cross product narrowly missed the 53-man roster and was released shortly before the start of the regular season.
Late in the 2012 season (Russell Wilson’s rookie year in Seattle), the Seahawks added Fenner to the practice squad. He was part of a Seattle roster that included “The Legion of Boom” — three all-time great defensive backs in Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas.
Fenner didn’t actually see any playing time in Seattle during his stint there. But he got to watch Seattle dominate MVP Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos offense (the highest-scoring ever with 606 regular season points) 43-8 in the big game.
With that, the Virginia Beach native was now a proud owner of a Super Bowl championship ring. A few months after the big game, the Seahawks released Fenner from their roster.
But when one door closes, another opens. The Giants signed Fenner late in the 2014 offseason, and he managed to make the final roster. That year, he appeared in 11 games and recorded seven tackles.
Following an 0-2 start in 2014, the Giants rallied for three straight victories. But a seven-game losing streak followed, and the G-Men finished with a disappointing 6-10 record on the year. This prompted general manager Jerry Reese to retool the defense.
Fenner was released shortly before the start of the 2015 season. 2014 free agent pickup Walter Thurmond III (Fenner’s teammate with the Super Bowl 48 champion Seahawks), signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency.
New York also opted not to re-sign corner Zack Bowman (signed with the Miami Dolphins) nor three-time Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle (signed with the Chicago Bears). Less than a year after his release from the Giants, Fenner would embark on a career in the CFL.
Moving North Of The Border
During the 2016 season, the BC Lions signed the Super Bowl champion to their roster. Fenner joined a BC team in the midst of a surprise playoff season that saw them finish 12-6 en route to a West Final appearance, where they fell to the Calgary Stampeders.
That year, Fenner appeared in eight games and recorded a forced fumble. He started all 18 games for the Lions in the 2017 campaign, recording one sack and an interception.
The Lions finished last in the West Division that year and made several changes. Fenner wasn’t brought back, instead signing with the Grey Cup hopeful Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Needless to say, it turned out to be a great move for both sides.
Fenner appeared in 15 games for Winnipeg in 2018, notching two sacks. He suited up for 17 games the following year and recorded a career-high two interceptions with a forced fumble.
In what stands as his last CFL season to date, Fenner got to celebrate a Grey Cup victory with Winnipeg in 2019. They dominated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta to clinch the franchise’s first Grey Cup in 29 years.
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