Regina native Ethan Ball grew up a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan but now plays professionally for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL.
“It’s funny how life works and I don’t think you ever know where it’s going to take you,” Ball said to Justin Dunk on the 620 CKRM Rider Broadcast Network. “Everything happens for a reason, when I was a little kid I never thought I’d end up here playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Throughout the draft process and my whole experience with head coach [Mike] O’Shea and GM Kyle Walters, I felt like it was the right fit for me. I’m really happy that they felt the same way throughout the process. It’s been nothing but a great experience since.”
Ball was selected by the Bombers in the sixth round, 54th overall during the 2025 CFL Draft. He experienced some welcome to professional football moments during his rookie season.
“Versus Toronto there were a couple of times on kick-off returns where I had to go against a defensive lineman and that wasn’t the most fun match-up,” Ball said. “In Calgary, I got my face stepped on through my face mask and busted up my nose, which was funny. Ever since that Calgary game, I’ve been wearing a face visor, so that has been a little bit of a welcome to the CFL moment. I think it helped earn some stripes with my teammates seeing my toughness and coming back into the game.”
The five-foot-eleven, 190-pound defensive back played 13 games for Winnipeg during the 2025 regular season, he totalled nine special teams tackles, tied for fifth on his team, and added two special teams tackles in the East Semi-Final.
Prior to playing in the CFL, Ball spent time in the NCAA playing for the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks from 2020 to 2023. There was a transition because he switched from receiver to defensive back.
“Definitely athletically — the hardest thing I’ve done in my life, going from the offensive side of the ball to the defensive side of the ball, Canadian game to American game, then making that jump from high school football in Regina to Division I football, it was a lot to process my first year. That first year was a huge learning curve. I think COVID helped, honestly, because we got to practice a lot more in that fall, we didn’t play any games. It was like an extended training camp for multiple months on end,” Ball recalled.
“We came back and did another training camp at the start of 2021 in January before we played games in the spring. I really got to see the playbook and learn the game for a good six months before we really had any game action. It was a tough process, but I think it ended up all working out in a funny way with COVID and how things were. Ultimately, ended up playing safety down there for four years, and I’ve never really looked back since.”
After Ball was done with North Dakota, he finished his last year of collegiate eligibility with the University of Calgary Dinos in 2024.
“It was a full circle moment in that first recruiting process with Guelph and Calgary. It was father and son: Pat and Ryan Sheahan. Ryan ended up taking the head coaching job in Calgary. I was looking at coming back to Canada, I wanted to play full-time on defence, I wanted to see the Canadian game again and be that guy for a secondary and a team. I thought that was going to help my draft stock and ultimately help me develop as a player,” Ball said.
“That’s what I was looking for in my last semester. Calgary ended up being the right fit when Ryan and Pat ended up both there. I got an uncle that lives in the city, it was a full circle moment last year playing in Calgary.”
Now with the Bombers, the 23-year-old Ball talked about the process of convincing his friends and family to cheer for Winnipeg.
“My family was really easy,” Ball said. “I’ve got a couple of buddies that I went to high school with, they’ve bought Ball Bomber jerseys. I think we ordered about 30 of them, I’ve passed those out amongst the city. Hopefully more Bomber Ball jerseys showing up around town. I’ve been trying my best to start converting a few over to the dark side, I guess you could say.”