Tre Ford receives top Canadian football award

Tre Ford, a fourth-year Recreation and Sport Business student and Waterloo Warriors varsity football quarterback, received Canada’s top university football award – the Hec Crighton Trophy – on Thursday, December 2 at the at the U Sports award banquet, as part of the Vanier Cup celebrations in Quebec City. This award is given annually to the most outstanding Canadian football player in university sports by U Sports, the national governing body in Canadian university sport. 

Ford, who is graduating this spring, has had a highly decorated career as a quarterback with the Warriors club. He is just the second player in Ontario University Athletics history to win both the Rookie of the Year award (2017) and multiple MVP honours (2018, 2021). These achievements were obtained in just four seasons of competition instead of the usual five since university sports were suspended in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Winning the Hec Crighton award cements Tre’s legacy in Warriors football history as arguably the greatest of all-time,” shared Waterloo head coach Chris Bertoia. “Tre is a trailblazer: With this award he is the first Waterloo Warrior to ever win it, and he is the first Black quarterback to ever win it.” 

Read more about Tre Ford’s Hec Crighton Trophy win.