WINNIPEG — Four is the magic number once more for Logan Ferland.

One year after seeing duty at four different positions and being named the CFL West Division’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman, Ferland has received the coveted Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Award.

On Thursday night, the 28-year-old Melfort product became the fourth consecutive Roughrider to earn the latter distinction, following Dan Clark (2022), Brayden Lenius (2023) and Jorgen Hus (2024).

Mike McCullough, the inaugural winner in 2010, and Graeme Bell (2012) were Saskatchewan’s first two honourees.

“This means a lot,” Ferland said while holding the gleaming trophy. “Football isn’t just for what’s going on on the field, but off the field.”

The Gaudaur award, presented by the league in conjunction with Veterans Affairs Canada, recognizes a CFL player who best demonstrates the many attributes of Canada’s veterans — strength, perseverance, courage, comradeship and contribution to Canadian communities.

Gaudaur, a former Canadian football player and executive, was the league’s commissioner from 1968 to 1984.

After attending last year’s CFL Awards ceremonies as a finalist, Ferland has returned to the Grey Cup Festival with all his teammates. The Roughriders are to face the Montreal Alouettes in Sunday’s Grey Cup Game at Princess Auto Stadium.

“This is all I wanted after being at the awards in Vancouver last year,” Ferland said. “It just fuelled that fire even more to be here with the full team and celebrate this with the guys.”

In addition to being a back-to-back All-CFL offensive lineman, Ferland has excelled as an ambassador for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House.

Ferland was born prematurely on April 14, 1997 at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Saskatoon.

“It’s a journey I don’t remember,” he recalled with a chuckle, “but we were able to see the impact and really re-live all those moments as a family when we were back there and we toured the hospital.

“Being able to see the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital now, compared to the NICU that was there before, it has really come a long way. It really adds to how close that is to my heart.”

In heartfelt fashion, he also travels throughout the province on behalf of the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation, visiting with students while discussing mental health (via the Win with Wellness program) and literacy (Rider Reading).

Additionally, Ferland makes himself available for heart-to-heart discussions with youngsters while relating his family’s story of perseverance.

Marcel Ferland, Logan’s father, was only 56 when he died of cancer in 2012. Marcel is fondly remembered and dearly missed by his wife, Cathy, and three sons (Logan, Ryan and Beau).

“A lot of what I do is for the kids and the next generation to strengthen them, so it means everything,” Ferland said.

The past four successful nominations for the Gaudaur award have been prepared and submitted by Roughriders Director of Communications Arielle Zerr, who was among the many people an appreciative Ferland thanked on Thursday night at Winnipeg’s Club Regent Casino.

“We have a very close-knit group in the province,” the former Regina Thunder standout said. “With our Foundation, we exhibit the very same qualities.

“(Executive Director) Cindy Fuchs does an amazing job of representing us and getting us those opportunities to speak to those kids and change lives.

“AZ also represents us very well. She’s able to really put her best foot forward in nominating us.”