Logan Ferland's head shot with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. (CFL)

By Aaron Schulze

Sports Prep During COVID-19

Melfort’s Ferland named to CJFL All-Decade Team, preparing for CFL season during COVID-19 pandemic

Apr 23, 2020 | 5:00 PM

The accolades for Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive lineman Logan Ferland continue to pile up.

The 23-year-old offensive lineman and Melfort and Unit Comprehensive Collegiate alumni was named to the Canadian Junior Football League’s (CJFL) All-Decade Team for the 2010s, receiving 38 per cent of fan votes online. Ferland spent five seasons with the Regina Thunder of the Prairie Football Conference (PFC) from 2015 to 2019. He also won the PFC’s Outstanding Offensive Lineman award and was named a CJFL Offensive All-Canadian.

“It’s a good way to end my final year in the CJFL,” Ferland told northeastNOW. “I’m not unappreciative of it, but right after my season I was trying to focus on my CFL season ahead.”

Ferland was signed to the Roughriders’ main roster in November 2019 after spending over a full calendar year on their practice roster. The 2020 Canadian Football League (CFL) season was supposed to be his first, but now it’s up in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With non-essential services such as gyms closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Ferland said he’s had to readjust his usual training regime.

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“I’ve been trying to hold my weight on as much as possible,” he said. “It’s difficult, especially when you don’t have as much access to heavy lifting. But I’ve been lucky enough to have some access to some weights. I’ve getting a lot of field work and film studying in, and I’m trying to focus on the little things right now.”

In March, the CFL announced training camps scheduled to take place in May have been postponed to a later date. As of publication, no exhibition or regular season games have been postponed or cancelled.

Public gatherings of more than 10 people are still prohibited in Saskatchewan. There are many phases that must be completed before Phase Five of the provincial government’s Re-Open Saskatchewan plan – which would look at lifting long-term restrictions such as large, public gatherings being prohibited – comes to fruition.

Ferland said communication between the CFL, the Roughriders, and the Canadian Football League Players Association has been consistent during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the Roughriders have weekly film sessions online to prepare for the 2020 season.

While preparing for a football season during a pandemic has been more challenging than in previous years, Ferland said he and his teammates have been told to be ready as if the season will run as intended.

“It’s already added an extra month and a half of waiting time for when I was originally hoping for training camp,” he said. “It does change it a little bit but we’re just told to be ready. When the season starts, it’s going to happen fast.”

The Roughriders’ first exhibition game against the Calgary Stampeders is still scheduled for May 30.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow