When the Edmonton Elks lost 44-28 at home to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday, the result saw the football club’s record fall to a dismal 0-7 this CFL season.
With a 2-28 record at home since Oct. 26, 2019, the Elks’ inability to win has sadly become all too familiar for fans, but a brief yet impactful late-game cameo appearance by backup quarterback Tre Ford delivered some excitement for fans on Sunday, and that now has many football commentators speculating about who the team will start at the position when they take to the field for their next game.
“It was just fun again,” Ford said after Sunday’s game.
“I mean, you know, I haven’t played football in a long time, so it was fun to just go out there and play again.”
Jarious Jackson, Edmonton’s interim head coach, who is now 0-2 since replacing Chris Jones when he was fired earlier this month, brought Ford on the field in the fourth quarter to relieve veteran quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson.
In the brief time Ford was given to make an impression, he certainly did, throwing for three touchdowns, completing 10 of 15 passes for 121 yards and rushing for 19 yards on three carries.
“I kind of tried to gel with the guys on the go,” the 26-year-old Ontario native said.
“It’s a credit to him,” Jackson said after the game. “Everybody knows he is a great athlete and he can use his legs and get out of trouble pretty easily. That’s what he was able to do a few times.
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“He was able to get out there, make some plays and find some guys down the field.”
The Elks are expected to practise in Edmonton on Wednesday and their next game is in Saskatchewan when the club takes on the Roughriders (5-2) on Saturday.
Morley Scott, the radio play-by-play voice for Elks games on 630 CHED, suggested on Tuesday that he believes the team may be considering giving Ford the start in Regina.
“Ford did everything asked of him — and likely more — on Sunday,” he said. “The offence played with a spark that was not there earlier in that game and probably not there in much of the game before. Three TDs in that short of time is impressive regardless of the situation.
“Can he do that from the start of a game? We will probably find out this week in Regina.”
Despite another season in which the Elks missed the playoffs, Ford’s dynamic playing style and impressive athleticism was a bright spot for Edmonton in 2023 and earned praise from football commentators across Canada.
While he only started 10 games, Ford was named the Elks’ most outstanding player of 2023 when the club announced its team awards in October. He was the first Canadian player to win that team award since 1991.
Despite finishing 4-14 in 2023, the Elks put together a 4-6 record when Ford was the team’s starter. However, in the summer the team signed Bethel-Thompson, who led the Toronto Argonauts to a Grey Cup in 2022, to be the club’s starting quarterback and to mentor the younger Ford.
Bethel-Thompson is currently ranked fourth in the CFL among quarterbacks when it comes to passing yards (1,788) and fifth in touchdowns (nine) but is also tied for second in interceptions (seven).
“You can’t pin 0 and 7 on MBT alone,” Scott said. “But they are 0 and 7 and what they are doing now clearly isn’t working.
“After Ford’s performance Sunday that’s a pretty easy move to make ”
— with files from The Canadian Press’ Shane Jones
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