Bo is aware of Elks quarterback Tre Ford is wanting straight out of Tecmo Bowl

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All types of comparisons are being made to Tre Ford since taking on as beginning quarterback of the Edmonton Elks a month in the past.

Compact and correct like Doug Flutie

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Cellular and athletic like Damon Allen.

However one title that hasn’t come up but is Bo Jackson.

No, not the real-life model, who was an all-star working again for the Los Angeles Raiders on the identical time he was an all-star outfielder for the Kansas Metropolis Royals within the Eighties, which might be excessive reward in itself. However reasonably the video-game model of the previous Heisman Trophy winner.

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Documentaries, a bit on tv’s Household Man and numerous YouTube posts have been made on Bo Jackson’s avatar in Tecmo Bowl, launched in 1989 for the Nintendo Leisure System, which was deemed “the best video-game athlete of all time,” by ESPN. (Right here’s a enjoyable truth: Tecmo had the rights to make use of precise NFL groups and gamers earlier than any John Madden video games did).

And never simply Bo is aware of how his digital likeness may take an eight-bit handoff and zigzag up and down the sector, in and round defenders and rating at will, like a full-grown grownup taking part in in opposition to a bunch of atom-age opponents.

And Ford happened as shut because it is available in actual life, when he scrambled up and down, back and forth by way of the Calgary Stampeders defence throughout a ridiculously lengthy, drawn-out rush in Monday’s Labour Day Traditional.

Whereas he was credited with a 33-yard achieve from the road of scrimmage, it wouldn’t be stunning if Ford lined not less than twice that distance earlier than being introduced down.

Regardless of shedding the sport after Calgary scored three straight touchdowns in a fourth-quarter comeback, Ford’s ridiculous run on the way in which to recording a career-high 135 yards on the bottom was nonetheless the discuss of the city forward of Saturday’s rematch (5 p.m., TSN, 630 CHED) at Commonwealth Stadium.

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“Actually, he’s a really gifted athlete. There’s little question about it,” mentioned Elks head coach and normal supervisor Chris Jones, who drafted the Waterloo product within the first spherical (eighth total) a yr in the past and made the change to Ford because the starter following an 0-8 begin to this season.

“All people’s seeing it first-hand now. We’ve seen it right here in observe a time or two, however when it’s a sport scenario the place you both must throw the ball or transfer round with the soccer, he can definitely do some dynamic issues.”

Heading off the sector following Friday’s walk-through observe, newly repatriated Elks teammate Donovan Olumba known as Ford, “a Madden cheat code,” the place the pace attribute is cranked to the max.

And the actual world will not be far off, as Ford recorded a 40-yard time of a blazing 4.45 seconds on the Buffalo Professional Day.

The factor is, Ford by no means supposed to take a home-run trot on the play in opposition to Calgary, which might have examined anybody’s stage of endurance.

“It was positively an extended play. We messed it up offensively,” Ford mentioned. “We ran it mistaken and needed to regulate on the fly and simply tried to take advantage of out of the scenario.

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“You positively do get a bit of gassed when you begin doing all that form of working just for 33 yards, such as you mentioned, however it’s what it’s. It’s at all times next-play mentality, so that you’ve positively bought to have the ability to go for the subsequent play.”

With that run, and his different 102 dashing yards that accompanied it Sunday, take into account the gauntlet formally tossed on the remainder of the league’s defences to attempt to cease him.

“Yeah, 100%,” Ford mentioned, waiting for Saturday. “I don’t know what they’re going to do now, it’s most likely fairly much like final week. However I believed I used to be capable of break include and rush for 135 yards.

“So, I don’t know in the event that they’re going to attempt a two-man spy or simply extra include or what precisely they’re going to do, so we’re going to must see that.”

However right here’s the kicker that even Tecmo Bo didn’t have going for him: Ought to the opposition gear an excessive amount of towards stopping Ford in his tracks, the quarterback has additionally proven he can take flight and beat you thru the air.

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After 4 weeks of labor, Ford boasts the league’s high pass-efficiency ranking of 124.1.

“I believe there’s going to be people who love you, people who hate you,” mentioned Ford, who has accomplished 72% of his 75 passes for 817 yards, 5 touchdowns and only one interception on the way in which to a 2-2 file. “Did I’ve an excellent implausible sport throwing final week? No, I didn’t suppose so. However the three weeks earlier than that, I believed I threw the ball fairly properly.

“So, if folks need to name me a working quarterback, that’s superb. In the event that they need to name me a twin risk or passing (QB), that’s superb. It doesn’t matter to me so long as we’re going to go on the market and win video games.”

Comparisons be damned. Bo is aware of Tre can flat-out play.

E-mail: [email protected]

On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

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