The Edmonton Elks quarterback earned his first career CFL start 30 minutes down the Queen Elizabeth Highway from his hometown of Niagara Falls, Ont. The Elks came from behind to beat the Tiger-Cats 29-25 in front of 20,233 at Tim Hortons Field. “To come back to Hamilton and have all my family watching me get that first start and that first win was fantastic,” Ford said. Ford’s supporters included his wife, parents, sister, sister-in-law and mother-in-law, his high school football coach from AN Myer Secondary, his University of Waterloo head coach Chris Bertoia, eight former teammates at university and others. the friends. Ford was shaky at times as the Elks trailed by 13 points early in the second half. But the 2021 winner of the Hec Crighton Trophy that goes to the most outstanding Canadian university football player threw a game-tying pass to Kenny Lawler early in the fourth quarter. The game-winning drive for the Elks (1-3) came with 1:38 left when defensive back Scott Hatter tackled Hamilton quarterback Dane Evans and fumbled the ball. Jalen Collins returned it for a 14-yard touchdown. “I saw him tackle him and I thought, ‘please, get the ball out,’” Collins said. “All we needed was a chance to close the game. We argued all night. It was ugly.” The winless Tiger-Cats opened a season with four straight losses for the first time since 2017 when they started 0-8. “I want to apologize to all the children. I pitched both losses at home,” Evans said. “I just have to take care of it and we’ll win the game.” Evans was 20-for-31 passing for 197 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted twice. Ford’s numbers weren’t flashy, though he did rush for 61 yards on six carries. The 24-year-old completed 15 of 26 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown. Intercepted once. Edmonton’s defense helped with interceptions by Sheldon Brady and Matthew Thomas, as well as Collins’ key late-game hit. “A big shout out to the defense,” Ford said. “They won us that game. What did they do, three or four turnovers? They did very well. “I have room for improvement. I’m not going to complain because we did win. But I’m going to go to the film room to see what I can critique and where I can get better.” Hamilton chased the rookie with several blitzes in the first half. “My legs are going to open things up for my arm,” Ford said. Ford credits teammate and quarterback Nick Arbuckle, who has started in Edmonton’s three losses this season, for giving him advice during the game about defense. “It’s been that way since day one, even though we’re competitors for the position,” Ford said. He admitted to early jitters as Hamilton led 16-6 after the first quarter and 19-9 at halftime. “I’m always nervous for the first play of every game,” Ford said. “I think it’s good because it means I care and I want to win.” Evans hit Steven Dunbar for a 21-yard touchdown and Lawrence Woods returned it 72 yards for Hamilton’s first-half touchdowns. Edmonton’s Kai Locksley scored on a one-yard plunge. Elks kicker Sergio Castillo made two of his three field goal attempts, while Hamilton’s Michael Domagala nailed three of his own to give the Ticats a 33-yard lead with 3:10 left in the game. “We’re not good enough right now,” Hamilton coach Orlondo Steinauer said. “We’re not executing at the level that needs to happen. We’re just not doing the projects we need to do.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 1, 2022.
