Very soon, a member of the Ford family will wear the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ No. 21 for the first time since Oct. 24, 1976.
That afternoon at Taylor Field, Alan Ford — in the midst of his 179th consecutive CFL game — was part of a halftime ceremony on George Reed Day.
A group of Roughriders veterans, Ford included, presented the iconic fullback with a grandfather clock to commemorate his recent retirement.
It is fitting, then, that defensive back Jaxon Ford will sport his grandfather’s trademark No. 21 when Coors Light Training Camp begins on May 11 in Saskatoon.
Jaxon has switched from No. 17, which he wore for two seasons after being selected in the second round (11th overall) of the 2023 CFL Draft.
The number swap is part of digital domino effect that also impacts quarterback Tommy Stevens (now No. 17) and safety Nelson Lokombo (who has switched from 21 to 25).
Stevens, who signed with Saskatchewan as a free agent on Feb. 11, was a catalyst for the chain of events that led to a Ford reclaiming No. 21.
“Tommy texted me and said, ‘Nice to meet you … excited to work with you,’ ” Jaxon recalls. “They gave him 16 and he wasn’t flying with 16 too much. He didn’t want to go with any of the 20s, either. He couldn’t get on-board with that as a quarterback, which makes sense.”
Mind you, Ron Lancaster wore No. 23 …
“That’s true,” Jaxon continues, “but Tommy said that 17 was an OK number for him. He knew that I was kind of trying to switch with Nelson to get my grandpa’s number, so we had a little communication back and forth with Nelson, trying to get him to switch to his college number of 25.
“I knew it was available, so eventually he gave in, so all parties were happy there.”
For the record, Stevens wore No. 15 during his three seasons with the Calgary Stampeders. Ford was No. 21 with the University of Regina Rams. Lokombo was the University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ No. 25 until being drafted second overall by the Roughriders in 2021.
“The whole thing with Nelson was that all his family had already bought Number 21 jerseys, so I was OK with 17 there,” Jaxon says.
“But as soon as the opportunity came, I knew that I had to hop on that for sure.”
There was, as it turned out, little time to spare.
The move was made just one day before all teams had to register players’ numbers with CFL headquarters.
“I had no idea that there was a deadline,” Jaxon says with a laugh. “It was just the perfect coincidence.”
And the perfect number!
The next step was to inform Alan Ford and his wife, Sally, of the numerical change.
“I went over to their house,” Jaxon says. “When I told my grandpa, you could just see the joy and the happiness and the emotions. It’s pretty powerful.
“My grandma was just so happy. She’s great.”
A few weeks after the notification, Alan Ford still beams when the issue of Jaxon’s new number is raised.
“I think it’s more that we did so many things together during the football side of his life,” the 81-year-old Ford says. “That’s sort of the rubber stamp on it at the end.
“He was thinking about Number 21 before I was.”
Alan Ford played for the Roughriders from 1965 to 1976, earning the nickname Mr. Versatility due to his proficiency at various positions.
He was inducted into the SaskTel Plaza of Honour in 1992, during his 11-year tenure as the Roughriders’ General Manager.
As the GM, he played an integral role in Saskatchewan winning the second Grey Cup in franchise history (in 1989). He had caught a touchdown pass from Lancaster in the landmark Grey Cup win of 1966.
A decade later, Alan Ford played in his final CFL game — on Oct. 24, 1976 against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Barely a week after George Reed Day, Ford retired from football due to a neck injury he had sustained in Week 2 of the 1976 season.
Nearly 50 years later, Jaxon would like to emulate his proud grandfather by contributing to a championship charge.
The number switch creates the right vibe.
When a Ford last wore No. 21, back in 1976, the Roughriders finished first in the West and reached the Grey Cup Game.
“I love that,” Jaxon concludes with a smile. “Just get another Ford in 21. That’s all you’ve got to do.”
