EDMONTON – It’s commitment season in Edmonton.
Fresh off signing a three-year contract extension with the Edmonton Elks, quarterback Tre Ford can feel the change in the organization. The Green and Gold are under new leadership, with President & CEO Chris Morris, VP of Football Operations & General Manger Ed Hervey, and Head Coach Mark Kilam steering the ship.
The trio have aligned and affirmed their commitment to re-establishing the Double E as one of the flagship franchises in the CFL — both on the field and in the community — and that begins at the quarterback position. Ford has cemented himself as a popular figure in the city of Edmonton due to his electric on-field ability and homegrown story.
However, with CFL Free Agency thrusting his future into an era of uncertainty, it was the Elks new leadership that brought Ford back to his pro football home.
“I think it was the way all the pieces fell together,” Ford said at his introductory press conference about his decision to re-sign. “I thought they did a phenomenal job choosing people, and I’ve only heard good things from everybody I’ve asked about (Kilam and Hervey). They did a good job of putting a good staff together and I think that’s part of being a really good team – it’s having those pieces in place.”
The strength at the top of the Elks organization allowed Ford to feel comfortable about making a commitment to Edmonton. The reputation men like Hervey and Kilam have in the Canadian Football community is well documented and there is a belief that the woes that lamented the Green and Gold for the last few years are a thing of the past.
“Every interaction I’ve had with them has been good, it’s been genuine,” Ford said. “I feel like they’re doing things the right way and I’m confident they’re going to bring in the correct guys and talented guys that are capable of winning football games.”
“A lot of that turnover happens when you lose, but I think we’re in a situation where we’re now leaning more towards winning.”
Ford has been looking for an opportunity to prove he can be the guy that leads a team to more than just a few victories, but he can also lead an organization. The Elks made the decision to bring the 26-year-old pivot back because he fits all the criteria of a face of the franchise.
Ford is young, incredibly talented, and earnestly honest in his interviews – and it has endeared him to the Commonwealth faithful. The whiplash from being thrusted in and out of the lead position behind centre is over. Now the onus is on Ford to make good on the support behind him, and reward the faith of both the fans and the Elks new regime.
“In professional football, nothing is guaranteed, right? You have to earn everything,” Ford said. “Having the opportunity to come in and play is all you can ask for at the professional level.”
The next commitment is on Ford’s shoulders. He will need to put in the same level of work that recent franchise quarterbacks in Michael Reilly and Ricky Ray did, which made the pivots fixtures for the Green and Gold on the field and in the community. The fourth-year quarterback must continue his upward development trajectory, getting more comfortable reading an opponent’s defence as well as more comfortable in front of a camera.
The responsibility of a franchise quarterback expands far beyond the hashmarks. They bare the brunt of the glory and the guilt, deserving or not, and they have to forge ahead for the betterment of a franchise. Ford is willing to do the duties necessary to take the next step.
“I think the opportunities right in front of me, and I have to take full advantage of that,” he said. “I have to take that next step as a leader, be a role model for my teammates, and go the direction we want to go, because we haven’t been a winning football team.”
“I’m going to do everything that I can to take this team in the right direction.”
With a quarterback and organization committed, the final step is growing the commitment from the fans.
In Ed Hervey’s introductory press conference he spoke to the passion of the fans and called the empty seats a ‘protest’ to the organization to get things right. The Elks General Manager stated he wanted to give the fanbase a hope and belief that the club was going to do things the right way.
The signing of Ford gives those who’ve chanted ‘we want Tre’ the validation that the organization is listening to them. With Ford in the fray, the hope is the cheers from the fans become louder with each Elks victory and each confirmation that this team’s commitment is towards serving a community that supports them.
“I think Edmonton has the best fans in the CFL and they’ve had my back since day one,” Ford said. “I have a soft spot in my heart right here for all those fans that have wanted me to succeed and have confidence that I can lead this franchise and football team.”