Michael_Ford_(gridiron_football)
Michael Ford (gridiron football)
American gridiron football player (born 1990)
Michael Deshown Ford (born May 27, 1990) is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. Ford was signed by the Chicago Bears after going undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, and played college football at LSU. Ford was considered one of the better running back prospects of his class.[1]
Ford at Bears training camp in 2014. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | (1990-05-27) May 27, 1990 (age 33) Leesville, Louisiana |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 216 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Leesville (LA) |
| College: | Louisiana State |
| Position: | Running back |
| Undrafted: | 2013 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
A native of Leesville, Louisiana, Ford was an All-American running back at Leesville High School. Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Ford was listed as the #7 running back prospect in the class of 2009.[2]
In 2012, Ford ranked second in the Southeastern Conference in kickoff returns, averaging 27.5 yards on 20 returns, along with four kickoff returns of 40 yards or more;[3] one of those returns was for 86 yards against Arkansas, which set up a touchdown. Ford concluded his college career with 37 appearances, and 5 games started, scoring 14 touchdowns (13 rushing and 1 receiving).[4]
2013 NFL Draft
Ford put up impressive combine results measuring in at 5-9.5 210 pounds, running an unofficial 4.38 40 yard dash and bench pressing 225 pounds 25 times. He was ranked number one at his prospective position in the broad jump with a distance of 10 feet 10 inches, third in the vertical jump with a height of 39.5 inches, fourth in the 60 yard shuttle with a time of 11.43 seconds, and fifth in the 3-cone drill with a time of 6.87 seconds (Combine results from nfl.com). His bench press is listed as 7th best, however, 3 of the prospects he is ranked behind more than likely will be fullback candidates in the NFL not a true running back.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
185 lb (84 kg) |
30+3⁄8 in (0.77 m) |
9 in (0.23 m) | 4.75 s | 1.50 s | 2.55 s | 4.25 s | 6.87 s | 39+1⁄2 in (1.00 m) | 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m) | 25 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine[5][6] | ||||||||||||
Chicago Bears
After going undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, Ford was signed by the Chicago Bears on April 28.[7] The Bears released Ford on August 23, 2014.[8]
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Ford signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on June 10, 2015.[9]
Atlanta Falcons
On August 7, 2015, Ford was signed by the Atlanta Falcons.[10] On August 30, 2015, he was waived by the Falcons.[11]
Second stint with the Tiger-Cats
On September 27, 2015, Ford was added to the Tiger-Cats' non-active roster. He was added to the active roster on October 1, 2015.
- "NFL Draft - 2014 RB Draft Prospects". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
- "Running backs 2009". Rivals.com. January 16, 2009.
- Mayer, Larry (May 11, 2013). "Ford adds depth, competition to return game". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
- Mayer, Larry (August 14, 2013). "Ford could get expanded playing time". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on August 18, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
- "NFL Events: Combine Player Profiles - Michael Ford". NFL.com. Archived from the original on March 1, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
- Mayer, Larry (April 28, 2013). "Bears add 10 undrafted free agents". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on May 1, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
- "Michael Ford". ticats.ca. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- McClure, Vaughn (August 7, 2015). "With Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman ailing, Falcons sign a running back". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- Choate, Dave (August 30, 2015). "Falcons roster cuts: Atlanta trims down to 76 players, place Lamar Holmes on PUP". The Falcoholic. Retrieved October 9, 2015.