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Ethan Ball

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Ethan Ball
Ball with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2025
No. 29 – Winnipeg Blue Bombers
PositionDefensive back
Roster statusActive
CFL statusNational
Personal information
Born (2001-12-23) December 23, 2001 (age 23)
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolRiffel (Regina, Saskatchewan)
CollegeNorth Dakota (2020–2023)
UniversityCalgary (2024)
CFL draft2025: 6th round, 54th overall pick
Career history
Stats at CFL.ca

Ethan Ball (born December 23, 2001) is a Canadian professional football defensive back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at North Dakota and U Sports football at Calgary.

Early life

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Ethan Ball was born on December 23, 2001.[1] He grew up a Saskatchewan Roughriders and San Diego Chargers fan.[2] He also played hockey as a youth but by Grade 10, he decided to solely focus on football.[3] Ball played high school football at Michael A. Riffel High School in Regina, Saskatchewan, playing both wide receiver and defensive back.[4] He had nearly 1,000 receiving yards his senior year and helped Riffel advance to the Regina Intercollegiate Football League championship game.[4]

College and university career

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Ball originally committed to play U Sports football for the Calgary Dinos of the University of Calgary as a receiver.[2] However, he switched his commitment to the University of North Dakota, where he played American football as a defensive back for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks from 2020 to 2023.[4][2] He played in one game during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season and posted one solo tackle before redshirting.[4] He played in seven games as a backup defensive back in 2021, recording two solo tackles and one assisted tackle.[4] Ball appeared in all 12 games during the 2022 season, seeing time on special teams and as a backup defensive back while totaling 18 solo tackles and seven assisted tackles.[4] He earned honorable mention MVFC All-Academic Team honors for the 2022 season.[4] He played in 12 games in 2023, again as a backup defensive back and on special teams, recording 12 solo tackles and three assisted tackles.[4] He majored in environmental studies at North Dakota.[4]

In 2024, Ball transferred to the University of Calgary for his final season of eligibility in order to increase his CFL draft odds by playing Canadian football again.[2] He only played in five games during the 2024 season due to injuries, posting 19 solo tackles, 16 assisted tackles, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery.[5][6] He majored in open studies at Calgary.[6]

Professional career

[edit]

Ball was selected by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the sixth round, with the 54th overall pick, of the 2025 CFL draft.[5] He officially signed with the team on May 2, 2025.[7] He was moved to the practice roster on June 1.[7] On July 25, 2025, Ball was promoted to the active roster to replace the injured Lane Novak.[7][8]

Personal life

[edit]

Ball's father, Michael Ball, was a broadcaster for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 2022 to 2023.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Ethan Ball". CFL.ca. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Gray, Britton (March 19, 2025). "Regina's Ethan Ball bringing NCAA experience to CFL combine". CKOM. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  3. ^ Thomas, Dave (March 24, 2025). "Regina native Ethan Ball realizes 'dream of a lifetime' at 2025 CFL Combine". MooseJawToday.com. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ethan Ball". University of North Dakota. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Tait, Ed (April 29, 2025). "Meet the Blue Bombers 2025 Draft Class". Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Ethan Ball". University of Calgary. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "Winnipeg Blue Bombers Transactions". FootballDB.com. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Canadian DB Ethan Ball, son of former Riders broadcaster, to make CFL debut for Winnipeg Blue Bombers". 3DownNation.com. July 25, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
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