'Velcro hands'

He's caught close to 1,000 footballs for 12,586 yards during his career.

He's been selected to three all-star teams, won a championship and is considered a no-brainer for the hall of fame.

And yet, relatively few people in the United States know about this highly decorated football star.

But Ben Cahoon, slotback for the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes and all-time leading non-import receiver, is one of the most-recognized names in the league. And while his statistics, accolades and mind-boggling catches (check him out on YouTube) have made him one of the most-popular

players in the Great White North, he cares most about his family and remaining a faithful Mormon.

Cahoon, who attends the Kirkland Ward in the Montreal Quebec Mount Royal Stake during the season and the Cedar Hills Sixth Ward in the Cedar Hills Utah West Stake during the offseason, doesn't stand on a soapbox and preach about his devotion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But when asked, he'll discuss it with teammates, friends and even strangers.

Being as high-profile as he is, though, has made his faith a target of the Canadian football press, whether it's a recent article in the National Post about how he hates playing on Sunday, or a Calgary Herald story about how religious CFL players keep the faith in a barbaric sport.

"I approach each game with a prayer and ask (God) with help in my performance and with safety and protection," said the returned missionary from the Pennsylvania Philadelphia mission, who adds that serving the Lord for two years helped transform his career. "I've always felt it'd be hard to ask for divine help with football if I hadn't served a mission. If I wasn't there when my Heavenly Father needed me, how could I ask him for help when I needed him?"

The 2009 CFL leader in receptions has also helped elevate the status of the youngling church in Quebec. One year, his coach asked him when the team should hold practices on Sundays so that Cahoon could attend his meetings. He says he's been proud to bring some visibility to the church in a Canadian province with 10,226 members out of a population of 7,598,000.

There was an article written in the Montreal Gazette about Cahoon during the early part of his career. It was a large, front-page article in the sports section that highlighted Cahoon and his faith. The paper was also doing a promotion at an Alouettes home game, so thousands of fans got to read about Mormonism while watching their favorite player in Molson Stadium.