The Ottawa Redblacks play their first preseason game on Saturday, and it could feature some local talent.
Ethan Jordan, a receiver and Chatham-Kent native, was selected 51st overall in the Canadian Football League's (CFL) 2025 Draft.
He racked up plenty of accolades over his university playing career. During his time at Wilfred Laurier University, he amassed 3,274 receiving yards with 27 touchdowns. He was named a two-time OUA first team all-star, a two-time first team U SPORTS All-Canadian, and second team All-Canadian. He also set a Laurier record in 2024, becoming the school's first receiver to reach the 1,000-yard milestone in a single season.
Jordan described draft night as exciting, mentioning that he spent it with a university teammate who was also drafted.
"It was a great night for friends and family. We had a little draft party with Taylor Elgersma and his family," he said. "It was definitely an exciting night. There was definitely some nerves involved - obviously, there's a lot of mystery and you're not really sure where you're going to get selected."
Jordan said it was awesome to hear Ottawa call his name, noting that he's not too far from home.
"Once my name was called, I was so excited. Obviously staying in Ontario, close to home... it's a few hours away, but within a drive," he stated, saying that he hopes that means friends and family can attend a few games.
Two of Jordan's university teammates have also signed with the Redblacks: linebacker Jayden Griffiths, who was selected 60th in the draft, and receiver Raidan Thorne, who went undrafted but signed with the team during training camp.
He said that having some friendly faces around has made training camp more comfortable.
Jordan added that his coaches and new teammates have been welcoming, and that the biggest difference is remembering that football is now a business as well as a sport.
As of Wednesday, Jordan said that the roster for Saturday's preseason matchup in Montreal hadn't been set in stone, but he hoped he would be part of the squad.
"I'm feeling ready to play," he said.
Jordan admitted that playing in the NFL someday is still a dream.
"It'll always kind of be in the back of my mind," he said. "The chance at a mini-camp or training camp in the NFL... but I'm where my feet are. I've got to accomplish these goals and accomplish the things that I want to accomplish at the CFL level before I take that next step... but the NFL is a dream of mine and I'm definitely chasing it."
For any other footballers with a dream, Jordan's advice is to work hard and know your own faults, so you can improve them.
"It's about the mentality. It's about having the right mindset in terms of all the things that you need to work on," he said. "You need to have awareness of your weaknesses and try to attack them. Whether it's getting in shape, whether it's working on your physical skills and attributes, whether it's the IQ and mental side of any sport."
Jordan added that anyone who wants to play needs to stay healthy and be open and available for opportunity.