Some 21,132 days after Alan Ford’s CFL debut with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, his proud grandson will follow suit.
Jaxon Ford is to play his first regular-season game on Sunday, when the Edmonton Elks oppose the Roughriders at Commonwealth Stadium (5 p.m., TSN, CKRM).
Edmonton was the site of Alan Ford’s breakout game — and his third appearance in a Roughriders uniform.
On Aug. 13, 1965, the 22-year-old rookie rushed 12 times for 105 yards to help Saskatchewan win 34-15 at old Clarke Stadium.
A good omen, perhaps?
“I don’t think I’ll be rushing, but …,” Jaxon Ford said with a chuckle after the Roughriders practised at Mosaic Stadium on Friday.
Alan Ford — a member of the SaskTel Plaza of Honour (inducted in 1992), Regina Sports Hall of Fame (2003) and Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame (2010) — played his first regular-season game on Aug. 2, 1965, against the host Calgary Stampeders.
Four days later, when a rematch was held at Taylor Field, Ford got his first taste of regular duty after Roughriders running back Ed Buchanan suffered a broken right ankle early in the third quarter.
Most memorable was Ford’s 24-yard reception from Ron Lancaster on a third-down gamble in a game the Roughriders won, 20-18.
A week later, Ford shared the ball-carrying with fullback George Reed (who rushed for 73 yards and one touchdown) as the Roughriders won convincingly in Edmonton.
Ford ignited a two-play, 85-yard TD drive by taking off on a 43-yard run. Lancaster then found Hugh Campbell for a 42-yard score.
Coincidentally, both Lancaster and Campbell were future Edmonton Head Coaches. It was Campbell, in his capacity as the General Manager, who hired Lancaster as Edmonton’s Head Coach in 1991.
When Lancaster began his CFL head-coaching career, with the Roughriders of 1979, one of his assistants was … (wait for it) … Alan Ford!
Ford subsequently served as the Roughriders’ GM from 1989 to 1999. He was a key part of the franchise’s first two Grey Cup-winning teams — as a player (1966) and GM (1989).
Now the Roughriders’ second Ford generation is about to begin.
“It means everything,” said Jaxon Ford, a former University of Regina Rams defensive back and the Roughriders’ second-round selection (11th overall) in the 2023 CFL Draft.
“I want to continue the Ford legacy. I don’t want to surpass his career, but I want to meet the expectation of a Ford player, for sure.”
What are Craig Dickenson’s expectations of Ford?
“He’s going to do a lot,” the Roughriders’ Head Coach said. “He’s going to have to be a core-four special-teamer for us and he’s also going to have to give us great depth and flexibility at the free safety position.
“He’s going to be a busy guy.”
And a grateful one, when you consider how long he has aspired to play in the CFL.
“Since as far back as I can remember — seven, eight, nine years old,” noted Ford, who turns 23 on Aug. 24.
“Now that it’s finally here, I’m super-thrilled and super-excited.
“This has been a lot of hard work for me and my family, so it’s truly an honour to be here.”
MORE HONOURS …
Roughriders kicker Brett Lauther was recognized as the recipient of an honorary degree in applied studies from Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Moose Jaw Campus, when spring convocation was held on Thursday.
“It’s pretty special,” Lauther said on Friday, “and it’s pretty cool to get something like that.”
Pretty humbled is another description.
“I feel like I don’t deserve it at all,” he said, modestly. “I’m just trying to be a good person and a good role model.
“It’s really just a testament to the people around me. I wouldn’t be here without them — a lot of people in this province and back home.
“There’s too many people to name, but I’m just dedicating it to them.”
Lauther, who is from Truro, N.S., earned a business degree from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.
A full-time Roughrider since 2018, Lauther has excelled on the field and in the community. That is in adherence to Sask Polytech’s philosophy regarding honorary degrees, the first of which was presented 20 years ago.
“This long-standing tradition recognizes remarkable individuals for their distinguished achievements and for modelling the institution’s vision and values,” read a portion of a story that was posted Thursday on saskpolytech.ca.
Lauther is a Roughriders team representative with the CFL Players’ Association. The CFLPA and Sask Polytech have combined their resources to help members of the players’ association and their spouses access courses and programs offered by the School of Continuing Education.
“It’s just a really good group of people,” Lauther said of Sask Polytech’s employees.
Spring convocation ran concurrently to the Roughriders’ practice on Thursday, so Lauther was unable to attend the ceremony.
However, he made a video that was shown to the graduates. Plans are in place for him to receive the degree in person later this month.
SHORT SNORTS
- Dickenson’s thoughts on the season opener: “I’m excited. The first game is always fun, because you’re almost like the fans in some ways. You want to see what your guys can do. I have a pretty good idea of what we can do, but until we actually do it against another team’s starters, we don’t know for sure. But I’m very optimistic and very excited to get the season started.”
- The Roughriders’ injury list includes six players who have been labelled as “out” for Edmonton game. That sextet consists of receivers Kian Schaffer-Baker (hip) and Brayden Lenius (lower back), defensive back Godfrey Onyeka (chest), punter Kaare Vedvik (hip), offensive lineman Philip Blake (chest) and linebacker Derrick Moncrief (shoulder).
- Jerald Hawkins, who had been ticketed to start at left offensive tackle, headed home to Louisiana last week to tend to a family issue. “We’re all in support of him taking care of it,” Dickenson said. “He’s going to be back as soon as he can. We don’t know when that will be, but we certainly hope it’s soon, because we really like the guy and we really feel he has fit in well with this team.”
