There's a Ford in AU's future
Friday, July 20, 2007
Finally. At last. Better late than never. Mike Ford is coming.
To play running back.
In Alabama.
There's a catch, of course, as even casual Crimson Tide fans know by now.
Ford will be playing in Alabama but not for Alabama. Unless you consider that everyone who plays against Auburn is playing, in a way, for Alabama.
If you want to see the most highly touted running back in the 2005 and 2006 Alabama signing classes, the Sarasota kid who set the Florida record with 2,836 rushing yards as a high school senior in 2004, you need to watch South Florida play Sept. 8 at Auburn.
Ford enrolled at South Florida in January and went through spring practice there. This, after signing twice with Alabama but failing to get admitted and making stops at Hargrave Military Academy and Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi.
Ford's late arrival may not be news. His status is.
South Florida coach Jim Leavitt told me Thursday that Ford will not be suspended for any games because of a recent arrest after two citations for driving without a license and another for driving with a suspended license.
Ford missed a court date on those citations, which led to an arrest warrant, but turned himself in earlier this month. Later that day, Ford's 46-year-old father died unexpectedly.
Leavitt called Ford "a really good kid."
So Ford should be in uniform when South Florida visits Auburn. The coach is less sure where the freshman will stand on the depth chart by then.
"We don't even have a starter at running back," Leavitt said. "That's probably the most wide-open position on our team."
More help could be on the way. Jamar Taylor, who impressed Alabama coaches in the spring, left school there because of a family matter. He's trying to enroll at South Florida and get a waiver to play right away.
Under NCAA rules, Leavitt can't talk about Taylor. All he did say was, "We may have a real good player coming in."
The coach had just returned from Big East Media Day, where Alabama football was a hot topic.
Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm talked about his big brother, Jeff, a Louisville assistant, turning down an offer to join Nick Saban's Alabama staff.
West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez talked about turning down an offer to become the Alabama head coach before Saban took the job.
Leavitt himself talked about turning down Alabama before Mike Price got the job. At Big East Media Day, Leavitt said he still has an unsigned contract from Alabama in his office.
On that subject Thursday, he said, "I am not even going to go there. What else do you want to talk about?"
How about Auburn?
"We're trying to focus on Elon," he said, which is South Florida's opener. "I don't know if anybody's gonna let us."
There will be a distinct Ford focus by the time the Bulls pull up at Jordan-Hare. Will the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder be worth the wait?
"The last week of spring practice, he really showed some signs," Leavitt said. "Early in the spring, his buildup was a lot more than what he was showing. We'll give him a shot to be that good."
Alabama fans, for a different reason, can only hope.
Kevin Scarbinsky's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Write him at kscarbinsky@bhamnews.com.
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The Birmingham News: There's a Ford in AU's future
