There weren’t any battles in the War Room.
When it was the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ turn to pick in the second round of Tuesday night’s CFL Draft, a consensus was quickly and emphatically reached.
Jaxon Ford.
Technically, the Roughriders were on the clock for five minutes. But it didn’t take as much as five seconds for Roughriders General Manager and Vice-President of Football Operations Jeremy O’Day to pick up his mobile phone, call the grandson of Roughriders legend Alan Ford, and cordially ask how the day was going.
“Oh, man!” said an elated Jaxon Ford, who wore No. 21 — his grandfather’s number — during Canada West action with the University of Regina Rams.
“I’m doing great! How are you?”
For those of us who were in the room, O’Day’s smile answered the question.
“When you get a chance, give your grandpa a call and let him know that we’re going to make you a Roughrider,” the team’s GM said.
“Yes sir!” exclaimed Ford, the 11th overall choice, who initially and coincidentally wore No. 11 for the Campbell Tartans before switching to 21.
“We’re happy to have you,” O’Day added.
To which Ford responded: “Let’s go!”
Moments later, CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie formally announced on TSN that Ford had been claimed by the Roughriders, for whom his grandfather played from 1965 to 1976.
Alan Ford was a member of the Roughriders’ first championship team, in 1966. In fact, he caught a touchdown pass from Ron Lancaster — whose No. 23 jersey was affixed to the west wall of the War Room on draft night — to help Saskatchewan defeat the host Ottawa Rough Riders 29-14 in the 54th Grey Cup game, played on Nov. 26, 1966.
Twenty-three years later, to the very day, Saskatchewan won its second Grey Cup to celebratorily cap Ford’s first of 11 seasons as the Roughriders’ GM.
Early in the 11th year — on Feb. 25, 1999 — Ford signed a 24-year-old free-agent offensive lineman named … (wait for it) … Jeremy O’Day.
That factoid was not lost on the Roughriders’ current GM. Shortly after speaking with Jaxon Ford, O’Day said: “His grandpa brought me to Saskatchewan.”
Hugs and handshakes all around.
An hour earlier, the mood was also buoyant after the Roughriders used their first-round pick (third overall) to choose UBC Thunderbirds defensive lineman Lake Korte-Moore.
“We’re taking Korte-Moore because he fills a lot of needs for us,” O’Day told his colleagues, noting that the Roughriders’ newly minted first-rounder can contribute as a rotational pass-rusher and play on all four special teams.
Head coach Craig Dickenson, seated to the left of O’Day — who, come to think of it, was seldom seated during the first two rounds — nodded and said: “He’ll help us from Day 1.”
So will quarterback Trevor Harris, who ducked into the War Room 21 minutes before TSN’s draft coverage commenced and said: “Good luck tonight.”
Six minutes later, at 5:45 p.m., O’Day called a designated number and was connected to CFL Draft headquarters.
And then … waiting.
By then, every seat in the War Room was occupied, with some spillover due to the number of people who were integrally involved in the process.
O’Day was joined by Dickenson and football-operations colleagues Kyle Carson (Assistant GM), Kent Maugeri (Special Teams Co-ordinator), Jordan Greenly (Director, Football Operations), Kelly Jeffrey (Offensive Co-ordinator, Quarterbacks Coach), Nathan Schellenberg (Video and Analytics) and Mike Woytowich (Video and Analytics).
Nick Bowley — Manager, Video and Analytics — was immersed in his responsibilities in an adjacent room, sitting before a large computer screen.
Paul Jones, the other Assistant GM, monitored the proceedings from his home in Grand Bay, Alabama. His face appeared on Carson’s laptop screen.
Another very interested party was President-CEO Craig Reynolds, who sat to the right of O’Day and unobtrusively followed the draft.
Before anyone made a pick, O’Day stood up and addressed the group.
“I really appreciate everyone’s work and I appreciate everyone’s effort,” he said at 5:53 p.m. “We’re all doing this for the same goal. I just wanted to say thanks.
“Let’s have a good draft.”
After TSN aired some introductory interviews and analysis, the Ottawa REDBLACKS were on the clock for the No. 1 pick.
The advisory came at 6:13 that Fresno State offensive lineman Dontae Bull was Ottawa’s pick. The Edmonton Elks were on the clock …
Barely a minute elapsed before Edmonton chose University of Montreal linebacker Michael Brodrique.
Saskatchewan was then allotted six minutes in which to make its first selection. The choice — Korte-Moore — was submitted in short order.
As O’Day confirmed the selection with the league, Dickenson stepped out of the War Room and called the newest Roughrider.
Cue the eavesdropping.
Dickenson: Hi Lake. This is Coach Dickenson. Congratuations.
Korte-Moore: Hi! How are you. Appreciate it!
Dickenson: Welcome to Rider Nation, my man.
Korte-Moore: Thank you. I can’t wait to play for you guys.
Dickenson: We’re excited to have you. We had you really highly graded. We thought you did a great job at the Combine. We loved your film and we liked your interview. You’re our kind of guy. Hopefully you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Our D-line coach (Del Cowsette) will give you a call here in a little bit, but we’re excited to have you. I just wanted to congratulate you. I hope you’re celebrating, because this is a special day for you, so get out there and celebrate with your family.
Korte-Moore: I am, and I will. Thank you very much.
Dickenson: OK, my man. I’ll be in touch again soon, but congratulations and enjoy the rest of your night.
The Roughriders’ head coach then ducked back into the War Room, as preparations were made for the 11th overall selection.
Six picks before Saskatchewan chose Ford, O’Day rose from his chair, walked toward the draft board, and began moving around some magnets.
Each magnet included the name of a draft prospect. Nicely into the first round, six magnets had been shifted from a vertical listing of candidates at each position and placed elsewhere on the board — where the Roughriders’ potential choices had been set apart.
To this intrusive scribe, seated in a corner of the room, the name on one magnet was, well, magnetic.
JAXON FORD.
And sure enough …
“The draft party will explode,” Reynolds said, referencing a season-ticket-holders-only gathering at Mosaic Stadium’s Harvard Lounge.
Roughly one hour before the first selection was made, O’Day had taken the time to visit the draft party and address the attendees.
“We feel like we have a good feel of where we’re going,” he told the audience. “We’re not going to tell everyone right now, but we’ll know in a few minutes.
“It’s an exciting time for us, because it’s the first time we get an opportunity to introduce a new player to Rider Nation. I can tell you that the draft picks we select are elated.
“I can promise you that a big bonus for those guys coming to Saskatchewan is our fan base. They know about it right away when they’re drafted and they’re excited about it.
“In our age of social media, they like the follows and the fans, so they love playing in Saskatchewan. It’s always fun to make those calls.”
There were plenty of them, considering that the Roughriders also selected York linebacker Matt Dean (Round 3, 21st overall), Delaware State running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon (Round 4, 30th), Eastern Michigan offensive lineman Sidy Sow (Round 6, 48th), Queen’s offensive lineman Evan Floren (Round 7, 57th), Manitoba linebacker Nick Thomas (Round 7, 60th) and Mississippi defensive lineman Tavius Robinson (Round 8, 66th).
Robinson was claimed at 9:14 p.m. Only then — seven minutes before the Toronto Argonauts made the 72nd and final pick of the 2023 draft — was Carson able to
take a break from flipping through his voluminous 2023 draft binder.
“Great job,” Carson said, sitting back in his chair.
“That’s a good list right there,” added Dickenson, holding up a piece of paper on which he had written the names of the Roughriders’ picks.
One final round of handshakes, hugs and fist bumps was followed by … guess what? … more phone calls.
There were, after all, undrafted free agents to contact. And, in the case of O’Day, one more formal obligation — a media conference.
“The most rewarding time is right after the draft, when everyone’s excited,” O’Day said in response to a question from the Regina Leader-Post’s Taylor Shire, who was curious as to the most satisfying aspect of the annual exercise known as the CFL Draft.
“It’s like we just won a game.”
Albeit on the 2nd of the month, in early spring.
Not unlike the 2nd of April, back in 1965, when the Roughriders announced the signing of Alan Ford.
