Gavin Prout’s National Lacrosse League career spanned 12 seasons (nine with the Colorado Mammoth) but his lacrosse commitment was a lifetime endeavor. When the Mammoth raise Prout’s No. 9 to the rafters on Sunday evening, it will provide further validation to a career well spent.
“Having a jersey being retired is extremely special,” Prout explained. “It’s something that makes the Colorado Mammoth one of the classiest organizations I’ve been a part of.”
With such an accomplished career, Prout had no choice but to look back at the memories created during those nine seasons.
Prout’s first memory as a Mammoth player was the journey to Denver, choosing a new team after the New York Saints had folded as a franchise.
“Coming to Denver was a positive experience and something I was looking forward to,” Prout recalled. “There were three of us: Gee Nash, Nick Carlson and myself. We had our pick of where to play as unrestricted free agents. All three of us chose Denver. The Mammoth organization was the best for our individual needs and a great atmosphere. It was really enlightening to see how professional players should be treated.”
Colorado faced back-to-back playoff exits in the Division finals before winning the NLL Championship during the 2006 season. To date, it remains the only NLL Championship for the Mammoth and was the only one of Prout’s career.
“That makes it very special,” Prout explained. “We went 10-6 and didn’t dominate the regular season. Coming in as underdogs we really played together and came together as a unit. It came down to the team gelling at the right time.”
The memories became more bittersweet later in his career when the team experienced a rollercoaster of finishes in the standings and injuries began to take their toll. Prout spend two seasons away with Edmonton in 2010 and the early part of 2011 before returning to the Mammoth to finish out his career.
“Age is the main factor,” Prout said of his decision to retire. “You never want to give things up. People love the underdog but even though your brain says yes your body tells you no. At 36-years-old it takes about twice the time to recover.”
A rotator cuff injury affected his ability to shoot and pass late in his career and a knee injury slowed him down prior to calling it quits. Now at age 37, Prout looks back and retains a positive perspective on a playing career well spent.
“You don’t go into a lacrosse career planning to have your jersey retired,” He said. “You take things game by game, year by year. You hope to win a championship and have a decent record. I’m very honored to have something like this done for me.”
It will make for yet another memorable moment when Prout steps back onto the carpet of HealthONE Field at Pepsi Center this weekend. Tickets for Sunday night’s game can be purchased by visiting ColoradoMammoth.com.
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Photos courtesy of Colorado Mammoth. For more Colorado Mammoth news visit ColoradoMammoth.com
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