With the 1st overall pick in Thursday’s CFL Global Draft, the BC Lions Football Club addressed a major component of their special teams with the selection of Australian punter Jake Ford.
“I’m really excited to get back to the west coast,” said Ford from his home in Arkansas.
“I visited Vancouver in 2016 and just fell in love with it. Talking with coach Campbell and coach Yanowsky and hearing what they have planned for me has me even more thrilled for the opportunity to wear Lions orange.”
Ford, 28, was most recently a member of Alphas in the US developmental Spring League in 2020.
A native of Victoria, Australia, Ford first moved to the United States to attend the University of Oregon in 2015. From there, he moved on to Saint Augustine University in North Carolina and would go on to suit up in all ten games while handling punt, kickoff and holding duties.
He then transferred to Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas where he helped the program go undefeated in back-to-back regular seasons and also capture the 2019 Great American Conference (GAC) championship.
In 2018, he led the nation in net punting average and also had 28 of his 52 total punts land inside the opposition’s 20-yard line while having only six total punts returned. Ford also served as the squad’s holder on field goals.
Prior to moving to North America, Ford played rugby and Aussie Rules football before eventually earning an invite to Prokick Australia, a program that helps guide and transition young Aussie athletes into playing at both the US College and NFL levels.
Ford lists San Francisco 49ers punter and fellow Aussie Mitch Wishnowsky as his role model in the football world.
The Lions also hold the 18th, 19th and 36th overall selections in today’s Global Draft.
For more info on the club’s activity, visit our Global Draft Central page presented by BCLC HERE.