The Tribune

MEL Ferguson, the commissioner of the Commonwealth American Football League (CAFL), has announced his bid to run for the office of league president.

After months of deliberation, the executive council of the CAFL has decided to return the league to its original presidential format with its election of officers slated for January 12-13.

With the opening of the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium and the aggressive pursuit of sports tourism to the Bahamas, Ferguson believes that the executive council made the right decision. It is time to bring one of the oldest organised sports in the country back to the forefront of competitive sports.

Ferguson enters the race with over 40 years of football experience on his résumé, an All-State football player in of the state of Florida and a graduate of the University of Minnesota where he played under Joe Salem and then Lou Holtz.

After graduating from college, he tried out for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers but did not make the final roster. He returned to the University of Minnesota as a graduate assistant and over the next 22 years has been involved in coaching at all levels, including the CAFL.

In the Bahamas, Ferguson coached both in Nassau and Grand Bahama, winning the CAFL title in 1998 and 1999 with the then Burger King Pros.

After his last coaching position with the Jets, he accepted and is currently serving as commissioner of the CAFL and the Bahamas Flag Football League (BFFL).