TORONTO -- Jan Carinci has painted his last house and signed away his worries about the low salaries Canadians usually receive for playing football in their own league.
The 22-year-old Torontonian, who has played wide receiver for the University of Maryland the past four years, Friday signed a long-term contract described by his agent as the most lucrative paid a Canadian rookie in the CFL since 1970.
Carinci, regarded as one of the best football prospects in Canada after he graduated from Agincourt Collegiate in Toronto four years ago, showed up for a late evening news conference with flecks of white paint in his hair.
The money he earned back in Maryland this week as a house painter was still very much on his mind.
'I certainly won't have to worry about having to paint houses anymore or about having paint in my hair,' he said. 'I can't say what the figures in the deal are, but I will say it's very, very healthy.'
Carinci was one of four rookies signed by the Argos, including University of Arizona cornerback Marcellus Greene, his teammate defensive back Drew Hardville, and non-import offensive lineman Dan Ferrone from Simon Fraser University.
Carinci's agent, former Montreal Alouettes' general manager J.I. Albrecht, said his client's contract was the best since non-import defensive end Jim Corrigall signed a multi-year agreement with the Argos in 1970 after completing a brilliant college career at Kent State University.
'I know he has the best contract a Canadian rookie has signed since Corrigall. It's not just multi-year either, it's multi-multi-year,' Albrecht said after a late-evening news conference.
Carinci, who was the Argonauts' top protected pick in the CFL's 1981 draft, snared 59 passes for 705 yards in his four-year tenure at Maryland, and in his junior year of 1979 led all Terrapin receivers with 30 receptions. Last year his performance was affected by an injury early in the season.
'I have always sort of figured on playing for the Argos. It has been my first choice since I played highschool ball,' he said.
Greene, 6-feet and 185 pounds, was named Arizona's most valuable defensive player last season after recording 54 solo tackles and 25 assists to cap a career that included two selections to the Pac-10 Conference second-team all-stars.
The 23-year-old back runs the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds and last season returned 26 punts for 208 yards and an 8.0-yard average to rank fourth in the Pac-10 and 10th in the U.S. in that category. The Argos said Greene had signed a multi-year agreement but no financial details were disclosed.
Hardville, a defensive back and native of Racine, Wisc., had 47 solo tackles and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.0 seconds.
Dan Ferrone, an offensive guard from Simon Fraser University was the Argos' second protected pick in the draft this year. Ferrone, the anchor of the Clansmen's offensive line, left the team after six games last season after a dispute with head coach Rod Woodward.
