 Ford with theEdmonton Elks in 2025 | |||||||||||||
| No. 2 – Edmonton Elks | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||
| CFL status | National | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1998-03-30)March 30, 1998 (age 27) Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | A. N. Myer Secondary (Niagara Falls, Ontario) | ||||||||||||
| University | Waterloo | ||||||||||||
| CFL draft | 2022: 1st round, 8th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
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| Career CFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||||
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Tre Ford (born March 30, 1998) is a Canadian professionalfootballquarterback for theEdmonton Elks of theCanadian Football League (CFL). He was named aHec Crighton Trophy winner in2021 asU Sports football's most outstanding player and won theLois and Doug Mitchell Award asU Sports top male university athlete.
Ford playedquarterback atA. N. Myer Secondary School where he led the Marauders to a Junior Metrobowl championship and three consecutive OFSAA championships.[1]
After being recruited by severalU Sports football programs to play at a different position, Ford decided to commit to theWaterloo Warriors afterhead coachChris Bertoia confirmed that the team wanted him to continue playing quarterback.[2] In his first season in2017, 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 theU 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 theOntario University Athletics (OUA) conference.[2]
In2018, 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 theGuelph 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 the2019 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 since1999 as the Warriors defeated theOttawa Gee-Gees by a score of 44–21.[7] However, the Warriors fell to theMustangs 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 aU Sports Second Team All-Canadian.[9]
With the2020 U Sports football season cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Ford elected to defer hisCFL draft eligibility by one year to2022 and returned to play for the Warriors in2021.[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 theHec Crighton Trophy as the most outstanding football player inU Sports and was named aU Sports First Team All-Canadian.[12] He was also the first Waterloo player to win theLois and Doug Mitchell Award asU 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 atLaurentian University. He is also a member of the university's track team.
| Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GD | Att | Comp | Pct | Yards | TD | Int | Att | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | ||
| 2017 | WAT | 6 | 56 | 37 | 66.1 | 531 | 4 | 4 | 62 | 548 | 8.8 | 31 | 4 | ||
| 2018 | WAT | 9 | 294 | 217 | 73.8 | 3,093 | 30 | 2 | 85 | 771 | 9.1 | 39 | 4 | ||
| 2019 | WAT | 10 | 294 | 204 | 69.4 | 2,609 | 18 | 10 | 97 | 830 | 8.6 | 61 | 8 | ||
| 2020 | WAT | Season cancelled due to Covid-19 | Season cancelled due to Covid-19 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | WAT | 7 | 219 | 139 | 63.5 | 1,770 | 12 | 6 | 66 | 667 | 10.1 | 44 | 3 | ||
| U Sports totals | 32 | 863 | 597 | 69.2 | 8,003 | 64 | 22 | 310 | 2,816 | 9.1 | 61 | 19 | |||
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft11+3⁄8 in (1.81 m) | 197 lb (89 kg) | 30 in (0.76 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.49 s | 1.58 s | 2.56 s | 4.49 s | 7.50 s | 36.0 in (0.91 m) | 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) | ||
| All values fromPro Day[16][17] | ||||||||||||
Ford was ranked as the fourth best player in theCanadian Football League's Amateur Scouting Bureau final rankings for players eligible in the2022 CFL draft, and first by players inU Sports.[18] Due to his strong testing numbers at theUniversity of Buffalopro day where his40-yard dash time of 4.45 was the best of any2022 NFL draft-eligible quarterback, there was also speculation that Ford would be signed by aNational Football League team.[19] While he was undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft and was not signed by an NFL team, he received mini-camp invites from theBaltimore Ravens andNew York Giants.[20]
Ford was then drafted in the first round (8th overall) by theEdmonton Elks in the2022 CFL draft.[21] On May 11, 2022, it was announced that Ford had signed with the Elks.[22] With the Elks struggling to start the season (0–3), head coachChris Jones announced that Ford would replace veteranNick Arbuckle for the team's fourth game of the season against theHamilton Tiger-Cats.[23] Ford managed to lead the Elks to a narrow win, completing 15 of 26 passes for 159 yards with one touchdown and one interception.[24] He also carried the ball six times gaining 61 yards on the ground.[25] In his second career start Ford suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter and was forced to leave the game.[26] The following day it was announced that he would miss multiple weeks with acollarbone injury.[27] In mid-September, Jones confirmed that Tre Ford would return to the active lineup for the team's Week 15 matchup, withTaylor Cornelius remaining as the starter.[28] Following the season, Ford had a workout with theLas Vegas Raiders (NFL) in December 2022 and with theNew England Patriots in January 2023.[29][30]
Ford began the2023 season as the third-string quarterback on the roster, behind Cornelius andJarret Doege. Despite the team starting the season with six straight losses, head coach Chris Jones reiterated that he was not willing to give Ford the start at quarterback.[31] During the team'sbye week in week 9,offensive coordinatorStephen McAdoo was demoted and replaced withJarious Jackson and Ford was named the new starting quarterback.[32][33] Entering the team's week 10 matchup with theBlue Bombers with a 0–8 record, the Elks held a 22–0 lead in the second quarter, but ultimately fell 38–29.[34] The following week, Ford led the Elks' to their first win of the season.[35] In Week 12, Ford led Edmonton to a victory over theRedblacks, snapping a 22-game home losing streak.[36] He finished the 2023 season with a 4–6 record as a starter as Edmonton missed the playoffs for a third consecutive year. At the end of the year, Ford was named the Elks' nominee forMost Outstanding Player andMost Outstanding Canadian.[37]
Despite Ford's personal success of 2023, the Elks signedMcLeod Bethel-Thompson on January 7, 2024, with his salary making him the presumptive starter in place of Ford.[38][39] Elks Assistant GMGeroy Simon later confirmed this by stating "Tre is the long-term answer and McLeod is the answer right now".[40] Following an 0–7 start to the2024 season, the Elks announced that Ford would make his first start of the season in their Week 9 game versus theSaskatchewan Roughriders.[41] Ford led the Elks to their first win of the season, a 42–31 victory.[42] He started the next game against theBC Lions, but suffered a rib injury and missed the remainder of the game along with the team's next two games.[43] Upon returning to the roster, Bethel-Thompson continued to start, giving Ford time to recover. Following abye in week 15, Ford returned to start against the Blue Bombers and faced his brother,Tyrell Ford, for the first time.[44] However, Ford struggled in the game, completing 10 of 17 pass attempts for 131 passing yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble, and was replaced by Bethel-Thompson in the fourth quarter in a 27–14 loss.[45] While clinging to playoff hopes, interim head coach Jarious Jackson announced that Bethel-Thompson would start in the following week, which was also a loss to the Blue Bombers.[46][47] With the Elks eliminated from the playoffs following Bethel-Thompson's loss to the Roughriders, Ford started the last two games of the regular season, winning both and improving his season record as a starter to 4–1 as the Elks finished 7–11.[43] Ford dressed in 16 regular season games where he completed 18 of 117 pass attempts for 1,137 yards with ten touchdowns and five interceptions.[48]
As a pending free agent entering the2025 season, Ford was named the top available player in the February 2025 pool.[49][50] Rather than test free agency, Ford signed a three-year contract extension with Edmonton on December 6, 2024.[51] Ford began the 2025 season as the Elks' starting quarterback but was benched forCody Fajardo after a 1–4 start.[52][53]
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2022 | EDM | 10 | 3 | 1–2 | 40 | 69 | 58.0 | 461 | 6.7 | 2 | 5 | 57.7 | 19 | 149 | 7.8 | 0 |
| 2023 | EDM | 16 | 10 | 4–6 | 153 | 227 | 67.4 | 2,069 | 9.1 | 12 | 6 | 102.8 | 66 | 622 | 9.4 | 3 |
| 2024 | EDM | 16 | 5 | 4–1 | 84 | 117 | 71.8 | 1,137 | 9.7 | 10 | 5 | 113.1 | 23 | 206 | 9.0 | 0 |
| 2025 | EDM | 18 | 5 | 1–4 | 82 | 121 | 67.8 | 984 | 8.1 | 5 | 3 | 95.9 | 16 | 152 | 9.5 | 1 |
| CFL totals | 60 | 23 | 10–13 | 359 | 534 | 67.2 | 4,651 | 8.4 | 29 | 19 | 97.7 | 124 | 1,129 | 9.1 | 1 | |
Ford married his long-time fiancée, 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 playsdefensive back, also for the Edmonton Elks and 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][54]
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