Built Ford tough

Sophomore Drew Hubel could not settle on one word to describe his teammate, Tracy Ford, so the quarterback decided he would simply make up a new one: inspir-effort.

While the creation of the word may lie with Hubel, the origins will always rest in the inspiration Ford summons in his teammates with his tireless work ethic and unprecedented effort.

“He’s an elite worker on the team,” Hubel said. “And every guy around him is affected by him.”

Listed at a generous 5-8, 180 pounds, Ford said he realized at a young age that outworking everyone is not necessarily a means of ensuring success but rather a way of surviving in a physical sport that boasts much more imposing players.

“Being a little undersized you have to work a little harder to get what you want accomplished,” Ford said.

Coming into Portland State’s final game of the season versus Northern Colorado this Saturday, Ford, unfortunately, has only 52 rushing yards and one touchdown to show for all his hard work.

Ford currently backs up starting fullback Bobby McClintock, providing a quick change of pace to the bulldozing, run-over-anything-in-my-path style of McClintock.

In a tumultuous season for the junior, Ford has been penciled in at three different positions since fall camp in August–receiver, cornerback and running back, in that order–with the coaches finally deciding the back field was his home.

And due to the constant switching of positions, and practice jerseys to boot, Ford has seen a reduction in playing time in his first season after transferring from Idaho.

But he is not letting that discourage him, because the path he has taken to arrive at the South Park Blocks is one comprised of the very ingredient that will likely allow him to realize his pro football aspirations: hard work.

“If you want to be the best you have to work hard,” Ford said.

It is not as if Ford woke up one morning in his childhood and decided he would have to run an extra lap around the local track or catch an additional 100 passes to be considered the best young athlete in his Seattle neighborhood.

Instead Ford is a product of his environment, and the key component has always been his family. Ford said his mother, Fe, has given him that added boost to work hard.

“Seeing her work two or three jobs,” Ford recalled his days as a youngster, “I hope that one day she wouldn’t have to work anymore. I take that to strive for excellence.”

Other than his mother, a major reason Ford developed his tenacious work ethic is his two older brothers, Thomas and Reggie, who are 26 and 25, respectively.

Reggie Ford is a senior running back at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore., while his brother Thomas is his superior as the running back coach for the Wildcats.

Ford recalls his brothers setting up cones for him to run through when he was in fifth grade in order to practice his cutting ability and hone his above-average speed.

“They would show me off, saying ‘My little brother is faster than your little brother,’ or even ‘My little brother is faster than you,'” Ford said.

All of the time he spent with his brothers as a young kid made Ford much tougher than his counterparts, so when he began playing football as an 8-year-old he lined up at the linebacker position, which is renowned for its gritty toughness.

Ford, who is several years younger than his brothers, said that his two older siblings took him under their wing when they were in high school, allowing him to gain some exposure to the arduous training and preparation necessary at that level.

“It stuck with me, and it is something of a routine for every offseason,” Ford said.

At Bellevue High School, Ford played running back and was recruited by a slew of Division I schools to play corner and other schools as a receiver.

Ford ultimately passed up other offers, including one from Portland State, to play for Idaho. However, after three years and experiencing three coaching changes, friend and teammate senior cornerback Reggie Jones, who was a teammate at Idaho but transferred to the South Park Blocks, pleaded with him to transfer.

At first, Ford was a bit weary, but Jones explained to him that after Portland State had signed head coach Jerry Glanville it would be the best place for the two friends.

“It took quite a lot of persuading,” Ford said of Jones’ attempts. “I thank him for the persuading because it has given me a lot of opportunities.”

But even since arriving at Portland State and enjoying his time, the multiple position changes this season took their toll on Ford, who contends that he simply wanted to do whatever was necessary to help the team.Despite that altruistic attitude, Ford said it was hard to move around.

“It was a bit frustrating at times to not get as many snaps,” said Ford, who also returns kicks on special teams.

Glanville praises Ford’s efforts, saying that “nobody works harder” than him.

And that was certainly not debatable during the summer months, as Ford prepared with such fervor that no one else on the team could keep up with him.

Hubel is still in awe of a daily grind that had Ford waking up to lift weights at 6 a.m. and running routes with a few teammates, and then resting for a bit before playing seven-on-seven and heading to Adapt Training in Beaverton for a couple hours.

“Then we would eat, go to sleep and do it all again the next day,” Ford said. “It wasn’t a very fun summer but it was a lot of hard work.”

Ford explained how disheartening it was to discover he would be playing cornerback rather than receiver after preparing intensely, which often forced him to consult his brothers, who helped him through the transition period.

Like always, Reggie and Thomas, who spoke with Ford almost daily, told him to continue working hard and forget about everything else. His brothers even joked that he should buy a hardhat and lunch pail and tell his coaches he is clocking in.

Regardless, the coaches are happy with where he has ended up, as the Vikings now have a back that “can take any run and turn it into something special,” as Glanville describes.

And Ford feels playing running back is a natural position, which goes along perfectly with what he considers a natural fit.

“I think this is the right place for me,” Ford said. “This is home.”