When people think of the best players in Canadian university football history, one name that should come to mind is Ethan Jordan.
The Chatham native recently finished his fifth season with the Laurier Golden Hawks, which he capped off by winning the President's Award, the top honor presented by Laurier Athletics and Recreation.
"It's a reflection of the success I had, and obviously a lot of that success didn't just come from me, with so many great people around me," said Jordan.
His start at Laurier wasn't anything worth writing home about. During the 2022/23 season, Jordan suited up for six games but never showed up on the scoresheet.
His second season saw him become an integral part of the offense. In eight games, Jordan had 52 catches for 643 yards. This helped him earn U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian and Ontario University Athletics (OUA) First Team All-Star honors.
He continued to develop his game in his third season, raking in 60 catches for 749 yards. Jordan was once again named a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian.
His fourth season was when Jordan went from a great receiver to a phenomenal one, catching 59 passes for 1,000 yards. This marked the first time in Laurier's history that a receiver reached 1,000 yards in a season.
"There were a lot of great receivers here, so for me to have that first 1,000-yard season was special for me," said Jordan.
His historic season ended with him winning the Larry Haylor Award as the OUA's MVP and the Hec Crighton Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in U Sports.
Jordan's fifth season was even better as he recorded 68 catches for 1,066 yards.
When it came to touchdowns, he recorded five in his second and third seasons and 10 in his fourth and fifth seasons.
To this day, Jordan remembers the road he had to make the team. Since he wasn't highly scouted, he spent a lot of time as a senior in high school sending highlight tapes to different coaches.
This helped him get the chance to try out for the Golden Hawks, and ultimately leave as one of, if not the, best receivers in the school's history.
"To look back at it now... it's not night or day, but it is a big contrast from the sense that I was just hoping to first make the team and hopefully play a little bit," added Jordan.
While he may not have fully predicted how his time at Laurier went, one person who saw his potential early on was Todd Galloway, Laurier's Head Coach.
Jordan shared a story about training early in his time with the team. He was running routes, catching balls from future OUA MVP and Hec Creighton winner Taylor Elgersma.
"Galloway goes up to Taylor, and he says, 'Listen, that guy over there,' he pointed at me, 'that's going to be your guy for the next five years,'" said Jordan.
He believes that if it wasn't for Galloway, the rest of the coaching staff, and his teammates, he never would have had the career that he did.
Now that his time at Laurier is finished, Jordan is eyeing a spot on the Ottawa Redblacks in the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the team in 2025, released shortly after, and re-signed a few months later.
Training camp is scheduled for May, with Jordan eager to get back on the field and prove to the team that he deserves a spot.
"I'm going to put my best foot forward," he added.
