Last Saturday, in only the eighth game of Kaseem Ferdinand\u2019s career, the Alouettes\u2019 receiver caught his first touchdown \u2014\u00a0the game-winner against Calgary.<\/p>\n
While celebrating with his teammates in the end zone, Ferdinand undoubtedly thought about his single mother, Alexia. But he also couldn\u2019t help but think about his late father, Denny, a former CFL fullback whose career spanned 96 games<\/a> for the Montreal Concordes, Saskatchewan and Ottawa. <\/p>\n Denny never lived to see the birth of his twin sons \u2014\u00a0Kaseem and Denny Jr. His wife was pregnant when he died suddenly at age 40 from heart arrhythmia. The twins were born six months later.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to say (what he would have said to his father after scoring),\u201d Ferdinand told The Gazette this week after practice at Stade H\u00e9bert. \u201cI never had a conversation with him, but feel he would be happy and proud. He went straight from (junior football) to the (CFL). That\u2019s absolutely insane. He was only 19.\u201d<\/p>\n The conversation drifted temporarily before Ferdinand again was asked about his father, whose genetics he obviously inherited. <\/p>\n \u201cI really don\u2019t know what I\u2019d say, other than I love you,\u201d said Ferdinand, 24. \u201cI\u2019d thank him for giving me these good genes. It\u2019s a tough question, but a good question. I\u2019d thank him for the life you\u2019ve given me, thank him for the family I have and thank him for choosing my mom. He made the best choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Denny Ferdinand was far from a superstar, but he rushed for 2,346 yards during his career while scoring 11 touchdowns. In 1983 with Montreal, he rushed for over 600 yards and was named the East Division\u2019s outstanding Canadian.<\/p>\n His son\u2019s path to the CFL has been more laborious. <\/p>\n Kaseem played at Ottawa\u2019s Carleton University \u2014\u00a0not considered a football hotbed \u2014\u00a0before attending the 2025 CFL combine in Regina. He believes he tested decently, but went undrafted as teams were perhaps not clamouring for a 5-foot-10, 184-pound receiver.<\/p>\n Undaunted, he returned to Ottawa while continuing to work two jobs \u2014\u00a0one at a long-term residential care centre and the other delivering for a pizzeria. The tips were good, but Ferdinand\u2019s dream of a football career remained prevalent.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t go to the combine thinking 100 per cent you\u2019re getting drafted,\u201d Ferdinand said. \u201cAt the same time, I thought I played well. I thought my testing wasn\u2019t bad and I had a chance to be drafted.<\/p>\n \t\tEditor\u2019s Picks\t<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s how you take everything in life. I didn\u2019t get drafted, but I knew this is where I wanted to be. These were my goals. This was something I knew I could accomplish.\u201d<\/p>\n