Toronto, ON (Best E Casino) - Toronto Argonauts quarterback Damon Allen announced his retirement on Wednesday after 23 seasons in the Canadian Football League.

Allen is professional football's all-time leading passer with 72,831 yards, more than 11,000 yards ahead of NFL all-time passing leader Dan Marino. Allen's 11,914 rushing yards place him third on the CFL's the all-time rushing list and just 329 yards behind his brother, Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen's career rushing total.

The 44-year-old Damon Allen is one of the most accomplished players in CFL history, holding all-time regular season records for passing touchdowns (394), pass attempts (9,138), pass completions (5,158) and longest pass completion at 109 yards.

In addition, Allen ends his career with four Grey Cup championships, two Grey Cup MVPs and one CFL Most Outstanding Player Award. Allen played for six different teams over his career, including Edmonton, Ottawa, Hamilton, Memphis, B.C. and Toronto.

"The game of football has given me every emotion a person can feel," Allen said. "It has been a dream ride. I have given football my mind, body and soul. When it is all said and done, I have met some incredible people. I want to thank the fans across the Canadian Football League for supporting me, the players in the CFL for challenging me to be the best, and the incredible coaches in our league that continue to teach the game."

Allen also produced an impressive collegiate career at Cal State Fullerton, setting seven single-season records in his senior year with the Titans. He was named a First-Team Pacific Coast Athletic Association All-Star and was a First-Team All-Conference selection in 1984, leading the team to back-to-back PCAA championships. Allen broke a 26-year old NCAA record with only three interceptions in over 300 attempts, finishing 16th in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1984.