Tre Ford

Tre Ford (born March 30, 1998) is a Canadian football quarterback for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was named a Hec Crighton Trophy winner in 2021 as U Sports football's most outstanding player and won the Lois and Doug Mitchell Award as U Sports top male university athlete.

Tre Ford
No. 2     Edmonton Elks
Ford with the Elks in 2023
Born: (1998-03-30) March 30, 1998
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Career information
StatusActive
CFL statusNational
Position(s)QB
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight185 lb (84 kg)
UniversityWaterloo
High schoolA. N. Myer Secondary
(Niagara Falls)
CFL Draft2022 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Drafted byEdmonton Elks
NFL draft2022 / Undrafted
Career history
As player
2022–presentEdmonton Elks
Career highlights and awards
HonoursFirst Team All-Canadian (2021)
Second Team All-Canadian (2019)
Career stats
Passing completions193
Passing attempts296
Completion percentage65.2
TD–INT14-11
Passing yards2,530

High school career

Ford played quarterback at A. N. Myer Secondary School where he led the Marauders to a Junior Metrobowl championship and three consecutive OFSAA championships.[1]

University career

After being recruited by several U Sports football programs to play at a different position, Ford decided to commit to the Waterloo Warriors after head coach Chris Bertoia confirmed that the team wanted him to continue playing quarterback.[2] In his first season in 2017, he split playing time with the incumbent starting quarterback, Lucas McConnell, and played in seven games where he completed 48 passes out of 72 attempts for 673 yards for six touchdowns and five interceptions.[2] However, he also had 717 rushing yards, which was the 12th highest in the country, and four rushing touchdowns, which resulted in him being named the U Sports Rookie of the Year.[3] After finishing winless in the two seasons previous, Ford helped the Warriors finish with a 4–4 record and a seventh place finish in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference.[2]

In 2018, Ford became the team's starting quarterback where he played in eight regular season games and passed for 2,822 yards, 27 touchdowns, and two interceptions with 74.1 completion percentage, which was the highest in OUA history.[4] The team again finished with a 4–4 record, but qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2003.[5] In the 45–34 OUA quarter-final loss to the Guelph Gryphons, he completed 23 passes out of 32 attempts for 295 yards and three touchdowns and had 11 carries for 150 rushing yards and two touchdowns.[4] At the end of the season, Ford was named the OUA Most Valuable Player.[4]

Ford continued his strong play in the 2019 season as he again started in all eight regular season games where he passed for 2,158 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.[6] He also rushed for 634 yards and six touchdowns as the Warriors finished with another 4–4 record.[6] In the playoffs, Ford led the Warriors to the team's first post-season victory since 1999 as the Warriors defeated the Ottawa Gee-Gees by a score of 44–21.[7] However, the Warriors fell to the Mustangs in the OUA Semi-Final 30–24 after Ford had 226 yards passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions (including one that was returned for a touchdown) along with 72 rushing yards.[8] For his outstanding season, Ford was named a U Sports Second Team All-Canadian.[9]

With the 2020 U Sports football season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Ford elected to defer his CFL Draft eligibility by one year to 2022 and returned to play for the Warriors in 2021.[10] In just six regular season games, he completed 118 passes out of 186 attempts for 1,465 yards with 10 passing touchdowns and four interceptions and led the OUA in passing yards.[11] He was also fourth in the country in rushing yards per game as he had 59 carries for 629 yards and three touchdowns.[6][12] At the end of the season, he became the first Warriors player to win the Hec Crighton Trophy as the most outstanding football player in U Sports and was named a U Sports First Team All-Canadian.[12] He was also the first Waterloo player to win the Lois and Doug Mitchell Award as U Sports top male university athlete for the 2021–22 season.[13]

Despite having one more year of playing eligibility, Ford stated that his intention was to play professionally in 2022.[14]

Following the completion of the 2022 CFL season Ford started working towards an MBA at Laurentian University. He is also a member of the university’s track team.

U Sports statistics
  Passing   Rushing
Year Team GD Att Comp Pct Yards TD Int Att Yards Avg Long TD
2017 WAT 6 563766.153144 625488.8314
2018 WAT 9 29421773.83,093302 857719.1394
2019 WAT 10 29420469.42,6091810 978308.6618
2020 WAT Season cancelled due to Covid-19 Season cancelled due to Covid-19
2021 WAT 7 21913963.51,770126 6666710.1443
U Sports totals 32 86359769.28,0036422 3102,8169.16119

[15]

Professional career

Pre-draft process

Ford was ranked as the fourth best player in the Canadian Football League's Amateur Scouting Bureau final rankings for players eligible in the 2022 CFL Draft, and first by players in U Sports.[16] Due to his strong testing numbers at the University of Buffalo pro day where his 40-yard dash time of 4.45 was the best of any 2022 NFL Draft-eligible quarterback, there was also speculation that Ford would be signed by a National Football League team.[17] While he was undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft and was not signed by an NFL team, he received mini-camp invites from the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants.[18]

Edmonton Elks

Ford was then drafted in the first round (8th overall) by the Edmonton Elks in the 2022 CFL Draft.[19] On May 11, 2022, it was announced that Ford had signed with the Elks.[20] With the Elks struggling to start the season (0-3), head coach Chris Jones announced that Ford would replace veteran Nick Arbuckle for the team's fourth game of the season against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[21] Ford managed to lead the Elks to a narrow win, completing 15 of 26 passes for 159 yards with one touchdown and one interception.[22] He also carried the ball six times gaining 61 yards on the ground.[23] In his second career start Ford suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter and was forced to leave the game.[24] The following day it was announced that he would miss multiple weeks with a collarbone injury.[25] In mid-September Edmonton Elks head coach Chris Jones confirmed that Tre Ford would return to the active lineup for the team's Week 15 matchup, with Taylor Cornelius remaining as the starter.[26] Following the season Ford had a workout with the Las Vegas Raiders (NFL) in December 2022,[27] and the New England Patriots in January 2023.[28]

Ford began the 2023 season as the third string quarterback on the roster, behind Cornelius and Jarret Doege. Despite the team starting the season 0-6 head coach Chris Jones reiterated that he was not willing to give Ford the start at quarterback.[29] In Week 10 with the Elks sitting at 0-9 Ford was finally given the opportunity to start. Edmonton held a 22-0 lead in the second quarter, but ultimately fell to the Blue Bombers 38-29.[30] The following week, Ford led the Elks' to their first win of the season.[31] In Week 12, Ford led Edmonton to a victory over the Redblacks, snapping a 22-game home losing streak.[32] He finished the 2023 season with a 4-6 record as a starter as Edmonton missed the playoffs for a third consecutive year.

CFL statistics
Year Team Games Passing Rushing
GPGSCmpAttPctYdsY/ATDIntRtgAttYdsAvgTD
2022EDM 103406958.04616.72557.7191497.80
2023EDM 161015322767.42,0699.1126102.8666229.43
CFL totals 2613 19329665.22,5308.5141192.3 857719.13

Personal life

Ford married his long-time fiancé, Anika Nadeau, on June 13, 2022. Ford and his wife welcomed their first child, Anaïs Ford, in December 2022. Ford has a twin brother, Tyrell Ford, who plays defensive back and also played for the Waterloo Warriors.[1] He began playing football when he was six years old when his father, Robert, introduced him to the sport and also served as his coach.[1][33]

References
  1. "Niagara Falls native Tre Ford continues to impress". The Niagara Independent. May 25, 2021.
  2. McGuire, Adam (November 30, 2021). "In appreciation of Tre Ford: MVP, quarterback, and trailblazer". U Sports.
  3. "Tre Ford retroactively awarded U Sports Rookie of the Year". Waterloo Warriors. June 20, 2018.
  4. "Waterloo's Ford is MVP, Jack Hinsperger is OUA's top football rookie". Waterloo Region Record. November 8, 2018.
  5. "U Sports football standings". U Sports. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  6. "Men's football statistics". U Sports. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  7. Desaulniers, Darren (October 26, 2019). "Gee-Gees lose momentum, and then the game, to Warriors". Ottawa Sun.
  8. "Warriors see season end in narrow semifinal loss". Waterloo Warriors. November 2, 2019.
  9. "Western QB Merchant highlights 2019 award winners and all-Canadians". U Sports. November 21, 2019.
  10. "Twin brothers from Niagara Falls taking another shot at Vanier Cup". St. Catharines Standard. December 7, 2020.
  11. "Hec of a Player! Tre Ford claims 2021 Hec Crighton Trophy as U Sports Most Outstanding Player". Waterloo Warriors. December 2, 2021.
  12. "Waterloo QB Tre Ford wins historic Hec Crighton Award as U Sports' top football player". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. December 2, 2021.
  13. "Waterloo's Ford, de Goede of Queen's capture 2022 Lois and Doug Mitchell U Sports Athletes of the Year Awards Presented by Makadiff Sports". U Sports. May 25, 2022.
  14. "Tre Ford named 2021 U Sports Player of the Year". Imprint. December 2, 2021.
  15. "Tre Ford". Waterloo Warriors. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  16. "Metchie leaps to top-spot in final Scouting Bureau of 2022". Canadian Football League. April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  17. "Niagara Falls quarterback may get NFL audition — report". insauga.com. March 17, 2022.
  18. "Canadian QB Tre Ford invited to New York Giants rookie mini-camp". 3DownNation. May 2, 2022.
  19. "Elks take QB Tre Ford with Eighth Overall Pick". Canadian Football League. May 3, 2022.
  20. "Transactions | Elks sign 2022 draft class". Edmonton Elks. May 11, 2022.
  21. "Elks list Canadian rookie QB Tre Ford as starter vs. Tiger-Cats". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  22. "Late fumble costs Tiger-Cats in Elks win on Canada Day - TSN.ca". TSN. The Canadian Press. 2022-07-01. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  23. "Elks Rookie QB Ford Turns July 1 into Tre Day". Edmonton Elks. 2022-07-02. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  24. TSN ca Staff (2022-07-08). "Elks' Ford leaves game early vs. Stampeders - TSN.ca". TSN. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  25. TSN ca Staff (2022-07-08). "Elks QB Ford expected to miss multiple weeks with injury - TSN.ca". TSN. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  26. TSN ca Staff (2022-09-13). "Elks QB Ford will be active against Riders - TSN.ca". TSN. Retrieved 2022-09-14.
  27. Dunk, Justin (2022-12-16). "Canadian QB Tre Ford works out for Las Vegas Raiders". 3DownNation. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  28. Dunk, Justin (2023-01-04). "Canadian quarterback Tre Ford works out for New England Patriots". 3DownNation. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  29. Dunk, Justin (2023-07-19). "Elks' Chris Jones challenges Canadian QB Tre Ford to 'play better' and 'opportunity will show up'". 3DownNation. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  30. "winnipeg blue bombers edmonton elks". TSN. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  31. "Tre Ford leads Edmonton Elks past Ticats 24-10 for first win of CFL season - Edmonton | Globalnews.ca". 630CHED. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  32. Barnes, Dan (August 28, 2023). "Tre Ford shines as Edmonton Elks snap record home losing streak". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  33. "Getting to know the national combine participants". Canadian Football League. March 23, 2022.
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