Block party: Celebrating the "invaluable" Logan Ferland
Yesterday at 11:35 AM
The 2024 CFL season has been a moving experience for Logan Ferland.
He has started at three offensive line positions — and seen duty at four — over 15 games with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
"It's tough to put into words what Logan Ferland has meant not only to the offensive line, but this offence in general, and this team," Offensive Line Coach Edwin Harrison marvels.
"He is a leader in every aspect of the word. This organization is very, very grateful to have him."
Just how valuable has Ferland been?
"I would say invaluable," quarterback Trevor Harris asserts. "I don't think you can put a price tag on that.
"He's able to play all five positions and for us to not bat an eye or blink when he's playing left tackle, right tackle, guard, centre, that's pretty incredible.
"I don't think people realize how tough it is. A lot of people have a tough time playing one position in pro football. If you put me at any other position, I'd really stink."
Ferland's current position requires him to snap the ball to Harris — as will be the case when the Roughriders return to action on Saturday against the host Edmonton Elks (5 p.m., TSN, CKRM).
The former Melfort Comets and Regina Thunder standout is poised to make his fourth consecutive start at centre.
When the 2024 Roughriders first played in Edmonton — in the season opener on June 8 — Ferland lined up at his accustomed position of right guard.
He started in that spot for the first nine games before shifting to right tackle for the 10th contest.
Ferland then returned to right guard for two games before moving to centre after starter Peter Godber was injured.
As it stands, the Roughriders' six-game injured list includes five offensive linemen who have started for the team this season — Godber, Jermarcus Hardrick, Philip Blake Ryan Sceviour and Zack Fry.
The inundation of injuries is such that 12 different offensive linemen have started for the Green and White this season. Thirteen different offensive linemen have dressed for the team.
Also consider that defensive tackles Micah Johnson and Miles Brown have moved over to the offensive front when injuries have mounted within a game.
"We're all Swiss army knives," says Ferland, 27. "Everyone on that offensive line can move around and that's really what we need."
Improbably, the first move up front was dictated by the exceedingly rare absence of Ferland.
"The funny thing is this: We started off the first game when Logan got ejected," Harrison points out.
"That really hurt him personally, because he knew — he knew — how bad that hurt the team. It's not even close to being him."
Very true. Ferland has been penalized only one time in his last 42 games.
As a rookie in 2021, he was flagged just once (for holding) over 16 regular-season and playoff games.
He was assessed five penalties — two for illegal procedure, two for holding and one for roughness — in 2022. He was not flagged over the final nine games of that season.
Ferland was penalty-free for the entire 2023 campaign en route to being named the Roughriders' Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman for the second successive season.
The one flag he has drawn this season prompted him to address and apologize to his teammates.
"I think that really was a defining moment for him," Harrison says. "Ever since then, he has done everything right. He has been a great example for his teammates."
Harrison reached that conclusion well before he had an opportunity to work with Ferland on the field.
"Honestly, I knew that Logan was going to have a really outstanding year, going back to February," Harrison says.
"When we were up here for two weeks as a new coaching staff, it was freezing cold. It was snowing. We would come in here in the morning and have meetings and just talk about the offence, the game plan, us as a coaching staff coming together and being around each other — and Logan was here every day, working. Every day.
"Those are the types of things people never see about great football players. You see Friday night, you see Saturday afternoon, you see the product and you see the finish. But you don't see the work. You don't really see what it took to get there."
That process extends far beyond the X's and O's of football.
"Logan has really, really stepped up to the plate, leading this group, not only on the field but off the field as well," Harrison notes.
"Logan organizes not only the post-practice and pre-practice meetings, but also the extra on-the-field work that the guys get. There's also the work in the classroom and in the weight room.
"Logan has, on multiple occasions, had the entire offensive line over to his home and had a barbecue for the guys.
"I think he has really taken the torch and ran with it this season."
He has also put out some fires, thanks to his versatility.
Ferland's snap count this season, broken down by position, is as follows: 528 at right guard, 197 at centre, 90 at right tackle and 18 at left tackle.
"He has had to play and start at almost every position on the line," Harrison says. "I don't know any elite player in this league who has been asked to do that."
There is a parallel to one of the elite players in Roughriders history.
Gene Makowsky had a comparable season in 2008, when he logged 582 snaps at left guard, 324 at centre and 159 at left tackle.
He went on to become a CFL All-Star — at guard, by the way — for the fourth of five times he would be decorated in that fashion.
Makowsky was enshrined in the SaskTel Plaza of Honour (2013) and Canadian Football Hall of Fame (2015).
Also in 2008, he was named the West Division's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman.
Previously, he had been recognized as the league's top offensive lineman in 2004 and 2005.
So if anyone can relate to what Ferland is doing this season, it is Makowsky.
"Changing positions in season is an unfortunate situation, as it likely means there have been several injuries — which, of course, has been the case this year," the 17-year Roughriders offensive lineman says. "But the show goes on."
Makowsky notes that the interior positions (guard and centre) are "similar enough" in terms of scheme, angles and technique assignments.
"The one large caveat to that statement is the centre snap," he notes. "This obviously has to be very consistent for the offence to work properly.
"If you have not done this before in game situations, it can be very difficult. Firing off the ball one play and setting for a pass the next — while being 100 per cent on the snap — can be a skill all on its own that not everyone can do."
Ferland has done just that, in addition to being deployed on the flanks when required.
"Playing tackle is unique, in my opinion," Makowsky says. "It is a different type of defender you are going against and it is likely to be one-on-one blocks most of the game. The angles, space and timing are different.
"I would say the interior is more complicated, scheme-wise, but tackle is tougher athletically."
Much is also expected from a mental standpoint.
"You have to have a good understanding of the playbook and all the nuances that come with each position," Makowsky continues. "Paying attention in meetings and film is important.
"You also lose the advantage of having played against a certain player several times. With a small league, you may have played against Player X many times and learned how to best handle his tendencies. Moving means new players you have to learn to block.
"Watching film helps with this, of course, but it's nothing like being on the field against them."
There is one other important factor to consider when diving into the intricacies of what Makowsky and Ferland have been asked to do.
"I personally found moving from the right side to the left side to be as challenging, if not more, challenging," says Makowsky, who also made that shift during his illustrious career.
"I believe it would be something like a hockey player changing from shooting left-handed to right-handed. It takes time to train your brain to switch your feet, hands, angles, et cetera."
Complicating matters, those adjustments are often made with precious little advance notice, during the flow of a game.
"No matter what we ask Logan to do, it's, 'No problem, Coach. I've got it. No problem,' " Harrison says.
"We've asked him to do everything — everything — and he has done it a very high level.
"I hope that Logan gets the credit and the respect that he deserves throughout the league, because I don't think people realize how much he has meant to this team."
There is also the matter of how much the team means to him.
"I see what Logan Ferland has invested into this season, into this team, into this franchise, into this community," Harrison says.
"I don't know who cares about and loves this organization more than Logan, because he's from Saskatchewan. He is Saskatchewan.
"Winning means so much to him. He has been here through some rough years. He has seen it all.
"At the end of the day, I know for a fact that what Logan cares about more than anything is bringing a Grey Cup to this province.
"The all-star team, that would be great. Maybe even one day, he will be considered for the Most Outstanding Lineman award.
"But he really just wants to win. And he is driven to do whatever it takes just to win.
"That's all he talked about in the off-season. He just wants to this organization, the community, to be able to win.
"I'm very fortunate to coach him."
A similar sentiment is expressed by the Roughriders' Head Coach.
"He's just such a great player to have on the roster," Corey Mace says. "I'm extremely proud of him.
"I can't say enough good things about Logan Ferland."
Nathan Schellenberg and Mike Woytowich of the Roughriders' Video and Analytics department contributed to this story.
