CFL recognizes former Hawk

Sometimes, with a little hard work and determination, the little guy from the small school makes it in the big leagues. That is exactly what former Laurier Golden Hawk Ian Logan has done.

Entering his fourth year in the Canadian Football League (CFL), Logan has experienced recent success in his new role as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers starting safety. On July 14, Logan was named runner-up for CFL Top Canadian Player of the Week.

“I was excited,” said Logan. “It’s the first time I’ve been recognized by the league. Even though I was runner-up, it was a pretty cool feeling.”

While playing for the Hawks, Logan was part of the 2005 Vanier Cup winning team.

He was named 2003/2004 team MVP and Laurier Athlete of the Week four times. He was also given Ontario University Athletics (OUA) first team all-star nods in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and was named Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) first team All-Canadian in 2004 and 2005.

Looking back at his four years with the Bombers, Logan says there have been many ups and downs along the way.

For him the most challenging difference between playing CFL and university ball is the length of the season.

In the OUA a team will play eight regular season games, with the potential of three playoff games. In the CFL a team plays 18 regular season games, two pre-season games and potentially three playoff games before the Grey Cup.

For Logan, however, this difference has not seemed to hinder his ascension within the ranks of the Bombers bench.

“I’ve progressed from just being a special teams alternate, to starting a couple of games in my second year, to starting 11 games in my third year, to now becoming the starting free safety this year,” said Logan.

Although he has had an enjoyable four years in the CFL, Logan has warnings for any young player with professional football aspirations.

“[Football] can take over your life,” said Logan.

“But you’ve got to realize that football can’t be the most important thing in your life. You can put everything into it, but it doesn’t always give you back what you put in.

“You’ve got to realize that it is just a sport; it’s a game and there are other important things as well, such as family and friends.”

When asked what advice he would give to a young Golden Hawk, Logan was quick to state that a player must be able to play multiple positions.

“You have to make yourself available for many different positions because it makes you more valuable and it may be the difference between whether [a team] keeps you or lets you go,” said Logan. “The more you know, the more you learn and the better off you will be.”

Logan also commented that although Laurier is a small school, the players coming out of it’s football program are some of the best in the country.

“I think a lot of guys are unsure if they can play at that level,” said Logan.

“But I would say, without a doubt, the guys I played with at Laurier are fully capable of competing at that level.

“It’s really just a matter of accepting that and pushing yourself, and not letting anybody tell you that you can’t do something. There’s no reason that you can’t make it.”