This is the fourth straight year a Rider has won the award, following Jorgen Hus (2024), Brayden Lenius (2023), and Dan Clark (2022).
The former Melfort Comet serves as an ambassador for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House, where he regularly visits. Ferland was born prematurely at just 27 weeks and weighed less than two and a half pounds, so to him, winning this award is extra special.
“Seeing the impact and really reliving all those moments as a family when we went back there and toured the hospital, and being able to see everything they have with the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital now compared to the NICU that was there before, it’s really come a long way. It really adds to the importance of how close that is to my heart.”
Additionally, Ferland has spoken to thousands of kids across Saskatchewan through the Rider Reading and Win with Wellness programs, sharing his story of resilience after the loss of his father to cancer.
The honour expands Ferland’s trophy case, which also holds two CFL All-Star awards, two CFL West All-Star awards, a DeMarco–Becket Memorial Trophy as the CFL’s Best West Division Offensive Lineman (2024), along with several other awards from his junior football days with the Regina Thunder.
Ferland and the Riders now look to Sunday when they hope to bring home the league’s top award, the Grey Cup, against the Montreal Alouettes. Kick off in the winner-take-all finals is set for 5 p.m. at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
-with files from 980 CJME’s Britton Gray
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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com
