One key building block for the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ offensive line is, appropriately enough, a carpenter.
In addition to being a foundational left guard for the Green and White, Logan Ferland operates Ferland’s Framing to Finish.
The finish of his professional football career could very well be more than a decade away, but there is reassurance to be derived from having a head-start on his post-Canadian Football League life.
“That’s what I really wanted for myself,” Ferland, 26, says after a workout at Mosaic Stadium. “I wanted to be able to have that comfort when I’m done with football and just know that I’m OK without football and that I’m working toward something.
“I’m building something during the off-season. I’m also getting my workouts in with the trades, too. It keeps me in shape — and that’s another big thing that it has done.
“It has allowed me to stay lean during the whole off-season, even though I’ve got to pack on a lot more calories than the average human.”
Such is the reality for someone who toils in the trenches.
“I want to stay in that 300-pound range,” the 6-foot-5 Ferland says. “If I’m any lighter than that, I can tell. I just don’t feel I’m as comfortable on the field if I’m under 300.”
Hence the need to eat six or seven times per day.
“It’s definitely needed in order to keep my weight up,” he says. “I could burn quite a few calories per day from just my workout, and then I’m going and working a physical job all day. A lot of calories are getting burned, so I need to replenish that.
“Sleep is very important, too. I’m making sure I have at least seven or eight hours of sleep a night. That way, I’m staying lean, I’m staying healthy, and I’m ready for the season as well.”
With that in mind, Ferland immerses himself in meal preparation every Sunday.
“That’s also why I need to run my business during the off-season,” he says with a chuckle. “I’ve got to keep that money out there to feed myself.”
Ferland’s Framing to Finish was established in January of 2021. Leading up to that, he attended Saskatchewan Polytechnic and earned his Red Seal certification as a journeyman carpenter.
“My dad was a carpenter before his career as a conservation officer,” explains Ferland, a graduate of the Prairie Football Conference’s Regina Thunder. “I picked up a little bit from there.
“It started as a summer job in Melfort and I just fell in love with it from there. I knew that it was something that I wanted to do, along with football, for the rest of my life. It’s just a really rewarding trade to be in.
“That also led to my decision to play for the Thunder. I couldn’t complete my Red Seal without being in a junior program, so I didn’t go the university route. I went the trades route.
“I knew that’s what I wanted to do, so I set my goal and I did it.”
After starring in nine-man high school football with the Melfort Comets, Ferland joined the Thunder in 2015 and quickly became a cornerstone of the offensive line.
He was named a PFC All-Star in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The selections in 2016 and 2018 were unanimous.
Also in 2018, he was honoured as a Canadian Junior Football League All-Star.
He joined the Roughriders as a territorial junior and spent the 2019 season on the CFL team’s practice roster.
After COVID-19 resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season, perennial All-Star left guard Brendon LaBatte opted against resuming his football career.
Playing with the Thunder, Ferland did indeed “Leave a legacy”.
That decision paved the way for Ferland’s ascent to a front-line role, which he has embraced for two seasons.
After signing a contract extension in December of 2021, Ferland continued his progress by being recognized as the Roughriders’ most outstanding offensive lineman last season.
“It was pretty special,” he says of receiving the award. “It came with a lot of criticism as well (after a season in which fans and media types routinely dissected the offensive line).
“But there are always two sides to a coin and it’s never as it seems. If every one of those fans that was being critical came in and saw the work that we were putting in every day …”
Suffice to say they would have a different opinion.
“I really hang my hat on the work I put in every day and I do think I was deserving of (the award),” Ferland continues.
“It’s not to discount any other O-lineman on the team, because O-line is a very tough position. We’re going to take it all on the chin. That’s just how we roll and that’s just how it always is with the O-line.
“It isn’t a very gratifying position, but it just brings our group closer together. I took that award more as a group award and tried to bring a little bit of positivity to the group with it, because that’s what we needed.
“When you’re getting targeted from every angle possible, it’s definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.”
The spirits can also be brightened by conversing with people who hire Ferland as a carpenter.
“Every client I have loves talking about football,” he says. “I really don’t mind it. I’m an open book and I make sure to tell people, ‘Don’t feel uncomfortable. You can ask me whatever you want.’
“It’s always interesting to hear the different fans’ perspectives on things. It’s also funny because talking to people in person is a lot different than reading some comments online and things like that. You never hear the negative quotes from people that might be said online when they’re hiding behind a computer.”
The ultimate objective is for newly signed Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris to be able to hide behind an impenetrable offensive line this season.
“I’m really getting amped up for the season,” Ferland says. “I’m really starting to miss football and I’m really excited to get going. I think we’re going to be a really fast team and a really fast offence.
“I’m just looking forward to a fresh start — a clean slate.”
