SASKATOON — During a media gathering that was unavoidably about himself, Logan Ferland made a point of shining the spotlight on others.
Loved ones … teammates … coaches … anyone and everyone who has helped him become one of the CFL’s elite offensive linemen.
That status was oft-referenced on Tuesday, when Ferland and Saskatchewan Roughriders Vice-President of Football Operations and General Manager Jeremy O’Day met with reporters to discuss a contract extension and, in the larger equation, a home-grown success story.
“It’s hard to describe,” Ferland reflected, “especially with the kind of journey it has been all the way back to the Kindersley days.”
Or the Saskatoon days, to rewind a bit further.
“We were living in Kindersley and I was a little premature, so we were rushed here to the NICU in Saskatoon,” said Ferland, who was born in Royal University Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on April 14, 1997.
“This is a really special city to me as well.”
Ferland, whose family moved from Kindersley to Melfort when he was 11, is spending the off-season in Saskatoon.
His girlfriend, Telia Thiemann, resides in the Bridge City, where a reigning All-CFL guard works out at Ignite Athletics with a group of players that includes teammates Noah Zerr, Jorgen Hus and Nick Wiebe.
Hence the site of Tuesday’s announcement, which took place at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.
“There’s another full-circle moment, because we actually toured the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital yesterday with some of my family,” Ferland noted.
“We got to see the NICU. I didn’t go to that NICU (where he was born) — it was the previous one that we went to — but it was a full-circle moment to see that with my mom and kind of hearing the story she went through as well during that time.
“There are a lot of full-circle moments this week and I feel very grateful to be a part of this province.”
And a part of the Roughriders, to whom Ferland is now under contract through the 2027 season. His previous deal was to expire after the 2025 campaign.
“Logan has become a foundational player for our team,” O’Day said. “He just has tremendous value, he’s involved with the community, and he has become a leader in our locker room.”
As much as Ferland heard and appreciated those words, he felt compelled to deflect the commendation.
“My family has been a big part of this, with how much they have sacrificed as well,” the former Melfort Comets and Regina Thunder standout emphasized.
“That’s who I really thought about when this deal was made — how much support I’ve had throughout my journey … through high school, junior and now in the CFL.
“I’m just incredibly grateful to the organization and to the people who have helped me along the way. There are way too many to name and I’m probably going to miss someone, so I’m not going to individually credit anyone.
“But, first and foremost, there’s my family, the Club and anyone who has helped me along this journey. It’s a huge honour to be a part of this and I’m really excited for the next step we’re going to take as a team.”
Ferland’s first steps on a football field are largely the result of exhortations from Ryan.
“My brother is the one who even convinced me to play football,” the four-time PFC all-star said. “He played football for the Melfort Comets and it was a really good opportunity for me to kind of step out of my comfort zone and play. I had played soccer before that, so I wasn’t the typical athlete you’d see going into football.
“He said, ‘If you want to try something new, try this team sport,’ and it is something that has clicked ever since.”
Ferland began playing football at age 14. A year later, his father passed away at age 56 after a battle with cancer.
Marcel Ferland’s wife, Cathy, continues to be a pillar of strength for Logan and his older brothers, Ryan and Beau.
“My mom … I can’t say enough about her,” Logan said. “I’ll be tearing up if I talk about her too much. I’m extremely grateful for all the sacrifices that she has made.
“There are the things we have gone through as a family and what that has brought us to. Everything has come full circle since that moment as well.
“There’s my girlfriend, Telia, and the sacrifices she has made and continues to make as I continue my CFL career.
“Like I said, there are too many people to name. Anyone who has been with me throughout my career knows how much they mean to me.”
The same appreciative mindset is applicable to Ferland’s teammates — particularly his cohorts on the offensive line, some of whom share home-province connections.
In 2024, Ferland became the seventh consecutive Saskatchewan-born player to be named the Roughriders’ Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman.
Brendon LaBatte, from Weyburn, received those laurels in 2017 and 2018. Regina-born Dan Clark was recognized in 2019 and 2021 — the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19 — before a fellow Thunder alumnus, Ferland, followed in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
“I saw the guys who are from this province and I saw how special it was to them,” Ferland said. “They kind of passed that torch to me and now I can carry on that tradition from those Sask boys who really led the way — and also being O-linemen.
“It’s no secret that O-linemen are one of the closest groups on the football field and there’s a reason for that. We’re a very family-oriented, close-knit group and I think it translates well to the rest of the team.
“You can feel that in the room and it’s going to continue to show as the season goes on.”
As the career goes on, Ferland will become increasingly involved in community initiatives — generally under the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation umbrella — as a means of thanking the province he is proud to call home.
“Being able to represent the Riders — not only during the season, but during the off-season as well — and being able to reach kids all over the province with our reading program or our mental health program is something really special,” Ferland said.
“I’m going to be continuing to grow that game and grow that mentality throughout Saskatchewan.”
The notion of serving the community hits close to home for Ferland, considering the touch-and-go state he was in nearly 28 years ago at Royal University Hospital.
“The fact that I came out of it with really nothing but a penicillin allergy is pretty wild,” he marvelled. “Another full-circle moment would be going to the NICU now and being able to support the new one, the Jim Pattison, and see everything they’re doing.
“You hear the stories from Mom about how it used to be and the things they struggled with that aren’t even a factor now.
“If there’s any way I can volunteer to help any programs through Ronald McDonald House or the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, I think that’s going to be my next step in really giving back.”
