VANCOUVER - Jordan Younger knew right away that Tyrell Ford was a special talent. He first noticed the Canadian defensive back at the CFL combine in 2022 and was impressed. “I could see by the way he moved, some of the decisions he made that he had, of course, the physical ability.
But he had the understanding of how to play the position, too,” said Younger, defensive coordinator for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. “I thought if he was humble enough to take in some of the lessons and everything, he could really be an impact player.” The Bombers picked Ford 13th overall in the 2022 draft and he’s since evolved into a key player for Winnipeg.
Now the 26-year-old corner from Niagara Falls, Ont., is set to play in the Grey Cup on Sunday when his team takes on the Toronto Argonauts at B.C.
Place. The journey to the CFL championship hasn’t been linear for Ford. He got into 12 games with the Bombers in 2022, putting up three defensive tackles and 10 special teams tackles, then signed a futures contract with the Green Bay Packers in January 2023 before being released by the NFL team that August.
Ford re-signed with Winnipeg for the 2024 campaign and headed to Bombers training camp with something to prove. “I definitely came in with a bit of a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “I felt like I should have played more in 2022.
But obviously, I didn’t. So it was good to go out and get the chance to prove that. And I think I did that.
” The five-foot-11, 194-pound University o.
