Golden Falcons' Ford learning the game of football

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on September 19, 2014 1:48 PM

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"This is all my team," Ford said. "Without that line, without the other guys I can't do any of that."

Ford doubles as a defensive back and made several nice pass breakups against the Goldsboro offense, including a third down deflection in the red zone that would have been a Cougars score.

Blessed with raw athleticism, Ford has grown into a football player who wants to the ball in his hands, and can take it the distance every time he touches it.

"He's getting there," Brooks said. "He's starting to understand the game more, and he's become a weapon for us. But he still needs to learn about football. The details. But he's come a long way."

Brooks wasn't sure how committed Ford would be to football, but he got a quick answer during a summer passing league outing at N.C. State. Ford ordered his gear, guaranteed Brooks he was "all in" and hit the ground running.

"I told him when he ordered his gear, 'don't tease me, man,'" Brooks said. "But since day one he's been here and he's just wanted to get better."

Ford has improved each week. His touches have increased each week. His skill set has become more diverse. He can block in the screen game, can catch passes out of the slot, can run out on the edge and can grind it out in between the tackles.

He's no longer a one-dimensional athlete.

"You grow as the team grows,'" Ford said. "I'm growing with these guys each week and we've put in a lot of work to get here. And we're starting to see it pay off."

The biggest thing Brooks has seen in Ford is he is having fun playing a new sport. He wants to help his team win.

"He's been so fun to coach," Brooks said. "We'll see if he's still having fun when we start playing the 4-A schools, but so far he's been having a lot of fun."