Breadcrumb Trail Links

SportsFootballLocal Sports

Before he starts a new chapter in his football career, Ethan Jordan returned to where his story began.

Published Dec 08, 2025  •  4 minute read

Before he starts a new chapter in his football career, Ethan Jordan returned to where the story began. The Ottawa Redblacks receiver came back Sunday to Chatham-Kent secondary school to host a skills clinic with fellow Hec Crighton Trophy winner Taylor Elgersma. Jordan, 23, capped his record-setting career at Laurier last month by being named the U Sports football player of the year. “I’m super grateful for my time at Laurier,” the Chatham native said. “It’s tough to walk away. It’s tough to say goodbye, but it’s time. I’m ready for the next chapter, ready to move on and start a career.” Jordan has already signed a rookie contract with the Redblacks, who chose him in the sixth round of the 2025 CFL draft. “It gets me back in the door,” he said. “I’m officially back on the team, so I’m very excited.” Jordan dressed for two games in the CFL pre-season and played in one before returning to Laurier. He’s eager to show how much he’s improved when training camp starts in May. “I’m ready to take it on this time around,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot in this past year. Obviously just going there the first time was my big learning curve. I was able to learn so much in that time frame. “I’m excited. I’m hungry. I want to prove to everybody that I can be in that league. Obviously I had a good year (in U Sports) and I showed why I deserve to be in the league.” Jordan said he’s running routes better than a year ago. His football IQ improved, too, after his last year at Laurier. “Being there for my fifth year, things started to slow down,” he said. “I started to see defences better.” The four-time all-Canadian led U Sports this season with a career-best 1,066 receiving yards. He made 68 catches, including 10 for touchdowns. Jordan owns the OUA career record with 239 catches and is second in OUA history with 3,458 receiving yards and 30 touchdown catches. His quarterback until this season was Elgersma, the 2024 Hec Crighton Trophy winner. “Me and EJ have always had a really special connection, ever since we came to school together,” Elgersma said. “We were in the same recruiting class. When we stepped on campus, coach (Todd) Galloway came over to me and pointed at EJ and he said, ‘That’s going to be your guy for the next five years.’” Jordan is a great receiver because of not only his skills but also his smarts, Elgersma said. “He’s the fastest guy on the field at all times, he’s more athletic and more agile than everyone, but he’s a very smart receiver and he understands how to be quarterback-friendly,” Elgersma said. “That’s what makes him a good coach in these (clinic) settings as well. He understands the technical parts of the game, he understands how the game functions, how the game works and how to allow himself to show the quarterback that he’s open. “He does a really good job with that and that’s what allowed him to get so many receptions – he broke the receptions record – and then the yards come from his athletic ability after he gets the ball in his hand. I think that’s what makes him such a special receiver.” Elgersma played for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL pre-season. Since then, he’s had workout with the New York Giants and San Francisco Giants. He has another coming up with the Chicago Bears. Jordan is preparing to rejoin the Redblacks while waiting for his broken wrist to heal. He was injured in his regular-season finale. He heard a few times during the season from Redblacks vice-president of football operations Shawn Burke. “He just said, ‘Hey, keep working, keep churning, we love to see it,’” Jordan said. “I had his support all the way through, which was nice.” He’s grateful for all the support he’s received from family, friends, fans and coaches in his career. “I’ve had some time to reflect,” he said. “Obviously I’m just super grateful for all the success I’ve had, the awards I’ve had and just to be in this opportunity is a blessing. I tell people all the time, for you to win these awards, be an MVP, be a Hec (winner), a lot of things have to fall in line. You have to be on a winning team, you have to have production, you have to have a good quarterback, you have to have great coaches. I’m just so grateful, so blessed.” He was happy to host Sunday’s clinic and give back like his father, Chatham-Kent Cougars founder Sel Jordan. “It means so much,” Ethan Jordan said. “Obviously my dad has done so much for this community. That’s something I’ve noticed growing up and saw growing up. He inspired me to want to get into something like this: coach, pay it back to the kids. I was just blessed enough to be in a position where me and Taylor have enough credibility that people would want to come learn from us.”Hec Crighton Trophy winner Ethan Jordan hosts a football skills clinic Sunday at Chatham-Kent Secondary School. (Mark Malone/Chatham Daily News)Article content

Before he starts a new chapter in his football career, Ethan Jordan returned to where his story began.

Advertisement 2

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

The Ottawa Redblacks receiver came back Sunday to Chatham-Kent secondary school to host a skills clinic with fellow Hec Crighton Trophy winner Taylor Elgersma.

Article content

Article content

Jordan, 23, capped his record-setting career at Laurier last month by being named the U Sports football player of the year.

“I’m super grateful for my time at Laurier,” the Chatham native said. “It’s tough to walk away. It’s tough to say goodbye, but it’s time. I’m ready for the next chapter, ready to move on and start a career.”

Jordan already has signed a rookie contract with the Redblacks, who chose him in the sixth round of the 2025 CFL draft.

“It gets me back in the door,” he said. “I’m officially back on the team, so I’m very excited.”

Jordan dressed for two games in the CFL pre-season and played in one before returning to Laurier.

Advertisement 3

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

He’s eager to show how much he’s improved when training camp starts in May.

“Going there the first time was my big learning curve,” he said. “I was able to learn so much in that time frame.

“I’m excited. I’m hungry. I want to prove to everybody that I can be in that league. Obviously, I had a good year (in U Sports) and I showed why I deserve to be in the league.”

Jordan said he’s running routes better than a year ago. His football IQ improved, too, after his last year at Laurier.

“Being there for my fifth year, things started to slow down,” he said. “I started to see defences better.”

The four-time all-Canadian led U Sports this season with a career-best 1,066 receiving yards. He made 68 catches, including 10 for touchdowns.

Jordan owns the OUA career record with 239 catches and is second in OUA history with 3,458 receiving yards and 30 touchdown catches.

Advertisement 4

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

His quarterback until this season was Elgersma, the 2024 Hec Crighton Trophy winner.

“Me and EJ have always had a really special connection, ever since we came to school together,” Elgersma said. “We were in the same recruiting class. When we stepped on campus, coach (Todd) Galloway came over to me and pointed at EJ and he said, ‘That’s going to be your guy for the next five years.’ ”

Jordan is a great receiver not only because of his skills. but also his mind, Elgersma said.

“He’s the fastest guy on the field at all times, he’s more athletic and more agile than everyone, but he’s a very smart receiver and he understands how to be quarterback-friendly,” Elgersma said.

“That’s what makes him a good coach in these (clinic) settings as well. He understands the technical parts of the game, he understands how the game functions, how the game works and how to allow himself to show the quarterback that he’s open.

Advertisement 5

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

“He does a really good job with that and that’s what allowed him to get so many receptions – he broke the receptions record – and then the yards come from his athletic ability after he gets the ball in his hand. I think that’s what makes him such a special receiver.”

Elgersma played for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL pre-season. Since then, he’s had workout with the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers and has another coming up with the Chicago Bears.

Jordan is preparing to rejoin the Redblacks while waiting for his broken wrist to heal. He was injured in his regular-season finale.

He heard a few times during the season from Shawn Burke, the Redblacks’ vice-president of football operations.

“He just said, ‘Hey, keep working, keep churning, we love to see it,’ ” Jordan said. “I had his support all the way through, which was nice.”

Advertisement 6

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

He’s grateful for all the love he’s received from family, friends, fans and coaches in his career.

“I’ve had some time to reflect,” he said. “Obviously I’m just super grateful for all the success I’ve had, the awards I’ve had and just to be in this opportunity is a blessing.

“I tell people all the time, for you to win these awards, be an MVP, be a Hec (winner), a lot of things have to fall in line. You have to be on a winning team, you have to have production, you have to have a good quarterback, you have to have great coaches.”

He was happy to host Sunday’s clinic and give back like his father, Chatham-Kent Cougars founder Sel Jordan.

“It means so much,” Ethan Jordan said. “Obviously, my dad has done so much for this community. That’s something I’ve noticed growing up and saw growing up. He inspired me to want to get into something like this: coach, pay it back to the kids.

“I was just blessed enough to be in a position where me and Taylor have enough credibility that people would want to come learn from us.”

mmalone@postmedia.com

Article content

Share this article in your social network