A pair of star football alumni have returned to the University of Waterloo to train the next generation of players.
Brothers Tre and Tyrell Ford returned to the their alma matter Saturday to run a quarterback camp for high school players.
"It's just nice to be home," said Tyrell, now a defensive back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to come back. I have access to the facilities."
The two are coming off their rookie seasons in the Canadian Football League. Tre played 10 games as quarterback for the Edmonton Elks while battling a nagging shoulder injury he suffered in week 5.
"Feels like home here, to be honest," said Tre. "I just walk around and everything's familiar, which is nice.
"I wish I would have had a quarterback coach growing up. There's not a ton. There's definitely a lot more now. The goal is just teaching kids how to throw correctly."
On Saturday, the two hosted a group of senior high school quarterbacks on campus.
"Knowing Tre and what he's been able to accomplish and playing at the pro level, learning from him, you want to be like that person, and you look up to him," said 16-year-old Ben Spangenberger. "Having him as a mentor and a coach for us is really great."
Tyrell played in 18 games for the Winnipeg Blue Bombs this season en route to the team's third straight Grey Cup appearance.
"I was lucky enough to get drafted to a good team and they gave me the whole experience of going to the Grey Cup," said Tyrell. "Unfortunately it didn't turn out the way we wanted."
The twins have been working out with several teams in the National Football League in hopes of signing a contract.
"I know I was really stressed out about my first workout," said Tyrell. "I didn't think I did that well, but turns out I did do pretty good, so that was nice to hear. The more you do, the easier it gets, and the more familiar you get with the drills."
Both Ford brothers say they're focused on being the best players they can be for next season on whatever team that might be.
"I want to go out there and compete for the quarterback position and win the starting job and have a great season," said Tre. "I'm just going to wait, and if my number is called, I'm going to step up."
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