Photo courtesy: Michael P. Hall/OUA
Canadian quarterback Tre Ford wanted to sign with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats upon his release from the Edmonton Elks and the feeling was mutual in the Steel City.
“Teams reached out to my agent. I had phone calls with some GMs and some head coaches, I thought they were pretty good phone calls, they were pretty productive, but I knew I wanted Hamilton to work out location-wise. Get the opportunity to work with (head coach) Scott (Milanovich) and Bo (Levi Mitchell). It was an ideal situation,” Ford told 3DownNation.
Location was important to Ford because he’s a Niagara Falls native and played U Sports football at the University of Waterloo. Hamilton sits slightly closer to his alma mater than his hometown but both are around an hour drive away. His wife, Anika, hails from Sudbury, Ont., which means the Ford family, which includes two young daughters, can be in Ontario full-time.
“Talked a little bit to Montreal as well as B.C., and [Hamilton] were the top three. I was really intrigued by B.C., they have an amazing coaching staff, and the talent level on their team is phenomenal, but the toughest part about B.C. is they have Nathan Rourke, who is a young and super productive quarterback,” Ford said.
“The opportunity to play in the future didn’t look great over there, unless Nathan went to the NFL again or — you don’t want to wish it on anybody — but if you had an injury, then you’d get the opportunity. I feel like it’s more beneficial for me to go learn from Bo for a year or two, and depending on what he decides to do, try to take over the reins from him.”
The ultra-athletic QB wasn’t sure what free agency was going to have in store for him. He was leaning towards the Ticats but saw three quarterbacks, Mitchell, Harrison Frost and Jake Dolegala, on the roster and did not know if Hamilton would be interested in him based on sheer numbers at the position. However, Orlondo Steinauer and Milanovich made it clear the 2021 Hec Crighton Trophy winner was wanted in the Hammer.
“Bo is super productive, but he’s getting older. At some point, he’s gonna retire unless he plays until he’s 50. Getting the chance to have a fresh start, learn behind a guy like Bo and get the opportunity to try to become the next starting quarterback for them is super incentivizing,” Ford said.
“Scott told me I gotta go compete, nothing’s going to be handed to me, which I think is the best way to do things. I’m going to try to go in there in training camp, earn that quarterback two position. Then hopefully, when it’s my turn to take over, be able to lead Hamilton to a Grey Cup.”
The 27-year-old flashed his potential in Edmonton despite constant change and turnover during his time with the franchise. He had three offensive coordinators through four seasons with the Elks: Stephen McAdoo, Jarious Jackson, and Jordan Maksymic. The Double E defence was also the worst in the CFL by a wide margin during his five starts in 2025, prior to Cody Fajardo being installed as the starter, which ultimately led to Ford becoming a free agent.
“I actually didn’t hear from them until the day they released me. They called me, ‘We’re gonna make it public.’ Knowing the situation and extending Cody, I wasn’t oblivious to what was going to happen. I knew what was coming and then they gave me a quick phone call before the release.”
Ford indicated there were no conversations with Edmonton about potentially restructuring his contract and staying in the Alberta capital as Fajardo’s backup. It’s an idea he thought about on his own due to relationships with people on the team and owning a house in the city. After some consideration, however, the six-foot-one, 192-pound passer felt starting fresh with a new team was best for his career and his goal to become a professional starter.
“From what I understand, [Scott] does see me as a starting quarterback and being able to take over when Bo is done. But nothing’s going to be given, you got to go out there, compete and show improvement. The more experience I can get, the better I can get. Hopefully when my name is called, I’m ready to take over,” Ford said.
“He will be judged based on what we see in the meeting rooms and practice, as well as the way he performs in the games,” Milanovich said in a statement. “Bo Levi Mitchell is our captain and unquestioned starter at quarterback. Tre will have a great opportunity to learn from him and compete for our backup quarterback job. I look forward to helping him become the player that he knows he can be.”
Milanovich has tutored elite quarterbacks in the Canadian Football League, Anthony Calvillo, Ricky Ray, Zach Collaros, Trevor Harris, Cody Fajardo, and Mitchell among them. Ford called him a “guru for quarterback coaching.” The University of Waterloo product is prepared to be coached hard by Milanovich who munches tape for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks during the season.
“Tough coaching is necessary, especially at the professional level. Being a professional, you have to understand the coaching, the tips, and advice — everything is not directed at you as a person, it’s directed at you as a quarterback. Nobody’s taking personal shots at anybody, it’s about becoming the best football player you can be and best football player for the team in order to go out there and win games,” Ford explained.
“Tough coaching is going to happen, everybody needs to be okay with it. You have to understand your situation that you are a football player, they’re your coach, they’re trying to make you better. They’re not taking shots at you as a person, they want you to improve as a football player.”
There are fond memories for Ford in Hamilton. He started his first career CFL game there on Canada Day in 2022. Edmonton came back from a 22-9 deficit to steal a 29-24 win as the dual-threat QB completed 15-of-26 passes with one touchdown versus one interception and added six carries for 61 yards.
Those good vibes should boost Ford’s confidence as he starts anew with the Tiger-Cats.