Listen Cody Fajardo Talk several days in the Edmonton Elks’ Training camp, it could not have two Gray Cup championships and a most precious player prize on his curriculum vitae.
Instead, the 33 -year -old, eleven years old CFL The veteran quarterrier looks very much like a recruit eager to launch his career.
Obtained during the Dead Say to provide a safeguard experience of veterans in Tre Ford, Fajardo is pumped.
“It’s exciting, the juice is in place, the energy is in place,” he said about his 11th LCF training camp. “Whenever you are part of a new program, a new organization, there are always things you don’t know what to expect.
“And it keeps me young. I feel again as a recruit, coming here, learning a new system. I have been with a mass (Jason) for five years, learning a new system with a new coach. It keeps me young, keeping my mind fresh. Lots of fun being with these guys. ”
When the Elks exchanged for Fajardo, Ed Hervey, a new vice-president of football operations and managing director, said the veteran would be a key article in the future.
“We believe in the importance of depth in a quarter position and two reliable options behind the center of the Canadian football league,” said Hervey. “Cody is a quarter of the accomplished LCF which will bring a precious experience to our locker room and our organization.”
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“We believe that Cody can help this team and push Tre Ford to be the most successful quarter.”
Fajardo, who won gray cuts with the Argonauts de Toronto in 2017 and the Montreal Alouettes in 2023 – The year he was appointed MVP of the game – welcomes his role.
“For me, it’s a veteran presence,” he said. “The greatest thing is that you have to have two quarters to win in this league. It is so difficult to stay healthy for 18 games.
“I have been in this league for 11 years and I have not seen a starter take 18 healthy games. It is better to have too much depth rather than not enough depth. ”
Although he has been with a team that has not had a record of victories since 2017 and which has missed the playoffs in the last four seasons, from Brea, in California, sees a club full of hope for 2025.
“The energy is very high, the team’s link is already very close, which is really surprising for turnover.” He said. “The guys care about each other; you can see this, and that’s what wins the football games at the end of the day, how much can we meet as a team, in particular with the amount of turnover of this team.”
The excitement has been obvious in recent days in practice, and Fajardo says that he and the players are determined to bring the Elks back to the playoffs.
“We want to do everything we can to bring Edmonton to the top, so I think we have the right guys in the locker room and we are delighted.
The Elks play pre-season matches on May 24 in Calgary against the Stampeders and on May 30 at home against the Lions of British Columbia. They open their regular season on June 7 in Vancouver against the lions
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press