Logan Ferland and Rolan Milligan Jr., two primary players on a close-knit Saskatchewan Roughriders team, grew up 4,000 kilometres apart.
They play on opposite sides of the football — Ferland on the offensive line and Milligan Jr. in the defensive backfield — and, when it comes to the scale, have an impact that differs by about 100 pounds.
Despite the disparate dimensions, backgrounds and responsibilities, they have just as much (if not more) in common.
Both fourth-year Roughriders stalwarts are respected for their talents, versatility, reliability and exemplary leadership qualities.
And, on Thursday, they were both named CFL West Division award winners for the first time.
Which brings us to another common trait: Humility.
“I think we have a lot of guys who were deserving of awards that you won’t see up here,” the Melfort-born Ferland said from the podium in Mosaic Stadium’s media room after discovering that he has been chosen as the West’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman.
“Just as a team, we’ve built that kind of message that you have to be ready, no matter who’s in there, and we’ve really built that mentality here.”
Ferland, for example, has received significant playing time as the starting centre and right guard this season. For the purposes of All-CFL divisional voting, he made the West team as a guard.
Left guard is the only one of the five offensive line positions at which Ferland has not spent some time this season.
Milligan Jr., who is from Lake Wales, Fla., finished the 2024 regular season as the league’s leading interceptor (with eight). With 20 special teams tackles, he placed third in the CFL.
All of that was a prelude to Thursday morning’s awards announcements from CFL headquarters.
“It was a good moment for everybody to share today’s news,” said the Roughriders’ Corey Mace, who was himself honoured as the West’s Coach of the Year.
Mace, Ferland and Milligan Jr. will be present when the CFL Awards are presented on Nov. 14 in Vancouver, during Grey Cup week.
Each member of that trio hopes the entire team will be in B.C. for the festivities, having secured a berth in the championship game on the strength of a bond that was established in Day 1 of training camp.
“It’s a family,” said Milligan Jr., 30. “It’s more than just football. It’s more than just watching film and going to practice.
“We’re just trying to feed off each other and trying to pick each other up when some of us are down or whatever the case may be.
“We know we need everybody to be able to do what we want to do, whether it’s individual goals or whether it’s winning the Grey Cup.”
A former Grey Cup champion — fellow Regina Thunder alumnus Dan Clark — helped to instill in Ferland many of the qualities that are evident when the team convenes every day.
“He was a big inspiration, coming from junior,” said Ferland, 27. “He was kind of that guy, ever since I played for the Thunder, who I really recognized as a true leader.
“I saw what he did inside and outside of this building. Everything was associated around a team emphasis and being together as a family and just creating that special bond between the group.
“You get a lot of different personalities and a lot of different types of people from around the world coming in here to play, so it’s really about finding that balance within the group and being able to create a family atmosphere out of that. That’s really what I learned from Dan.”
Like Clark, Ferland was an all-star in the Prairie Football Conference before proceeding to the professional ranks. Ferland was a Canadian Junior Football League All-Canadian in 2018 and, one year later, was decorated as the PFC’s outstanding offensive lineman.
Those awards, to this day, represent much more than simply a plaque on the wall or a name on a trophy.
“For me, it was about self-confidence,” Ferland said. “I do tend to have imposter syndrome quite a bit. You see yourself and you think, ‘Man, I don’t think I deserve this,’ but it really helps to establish that (confidence) without getting too much of an ego from it as well.
“It’s a matter of really staying humble with it and getting back to work and understanding why you’re there. It’s because of the guys around you.
“It’s not only your work ethic, but the work ethic that the guys provide you. Everyone’s making you better.
“That D-line you’re going against every day, that extra work you’re getting in with the D-line after practice, the O-line that you’re going into meetings with, the coaching staff holding each other accountable — that all adds to that individual award in the end.”
Milligan derives added satisfaction from winning a divisional award after rebounding from a 2023 season that, for him, ended in the fourth game due to a toe injury that required surgery.
This year, Milligan enjoyed a torrid start — as he did last season — and carried the momentum throughout the 2024 campaign.
His efforts were acknowledged by the receipt of half the team’s individual awards. Last week, he was named the Roughriders’ Most Outstanding Player, Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player.
“I always just reflect back to last year and being hurt and going through that process in my mind of how the whole off-season went,” Milligan Jr. said.
“It was about getting back to being able to play, getting into the season, and feeling like myself again.”
Milligan Jr., who had two interceptions in four games last year, operated at the same pace during the 2024 regular season. He had eight interceptions over 16 contests while also contributing to a top-flight run defence.
That was all in line with what he had projected, applying a conversation he had with former Roughriders Defensive Backs Coach Marcus Klund.
“Coach Klund had us come up with three different goals for ourselves individually,” recalled Milligan Jr., who also speaks admiringly of Klund’s successor, Joshua Bell. “My first one was defensive player of the year and my second one was five-plus interceptions.
“Once my season was cut short, I had the same goals in mind. It was just a matter of getting back to being able to play first and then picking up where I left off.”
