Hail Alma Mater

Stateside collectors have it a lot easier when it comes to collecting from their alma mater. So many choices in so many sports. Up here, we have the CFL and little else. But that doesn't mean that I won't chase down Waterloo Warriors alum.

Tre Ford came to QB a program that was horrific in the early 2010s. They had a complete season wiped out after a steroid distribution scandal. When it resumed, they'd regularly lose by 50+ points. But Ford would lead the team into the playoffs in 2018 for the first time in 15 years. In 2021, he'd win the Hec Creighton award (like the Heisman), and would be a first-round pick of the Edmonton Elks.

That's a green & white Elks jersey on the card. It is certainly Tre's name - and the card is on the checklist as Tre.

But that's a Toronto Argonauts logo, and the photo is not Ford's, but that of the decidedly paler and blue-clad Nick Arbuckle.  Nick was a teammate of Ford in 2022, so this photo actually pre-dates Arbuckle's time in Edmonton. 

To make things worse, Ford didn't get a base card in the set. All he has are relic hits and parallels, like this patch card. 

I still love this card - and it counts as part of my Warriors alum collection.