Player Profile: Chase Ford

This article was written for Canespace by Josh Borne

 

Out of high school Chase Ford was not highly recruited to play football. 

 

However, he was an excellent athlete and was selected first team All-State in basketball (Texas). 

 

He also ran track, finishing as a member of the State champion mile relay quartet.

 

In 2008 Ford arrived at Kilgore Junior College at just over 200 pounds looking for playing time at tight end. During his freshman year at Kilgore, Chase had a minimal impact on the team, playing in 3 games and recording 4 catches for 71 yards. 

 

Ford was determined to get on the field and worked to get his weight up and improve his game. By season’s end he had bulked up to around 220 pounds and focused on improving his blocking technique.

 

Ford showed up the following fall ready to play at a new weight of 240 pounds. He went on to lead the team in receptions (34), receiving yards (571), and TD's (3) while playing in all 10 games. His outstanding effort on the field earned him the title of Southwestern Junior College Conference Most Valuable Player and 1st Team All American Honors.

 

Here is a brief history of Kilgore College

 

In the fall of 1935, operating under the Kilgore Independent School District, Kilgore College opened with a student enrollment of 229 and 11 faculty members. A football team was established in those first months and in its first season, the KC Rangers compiled a 5-3-2 record. KC has fielded a squad every year since, except the WWII years of 1943-1944, and carved its niche into the Texas football annals, compiling a record of 443-245-14. KC is the winningest junior college football program in Texas, claiming two national titles, appearing in 18 bowl games and producing 52 first-team All-Americans. This year's team will continue the rich heritage and proud traditions established by Ranger teams of the past.

 

Here is a brief bio of Kilgore College Head Coach J.J. Eckert

 

Eckert [seen at top row (C) with coaches Russell Thompson (L) and Jordan Lesley (R) along with some of Kilgore's 2009 four year college signees bottom row] will begin his fourth season at Kilgore College as head coach, but is no stranger to KC football supporters. Eckert was the offensive coordinator for the Rangers from 2001-2004, before accepting a head coaching job with Garden City where his teams compiled a 13-8 record and appeared in the 2005 Dixie Rotary Bowl in St. George, Utah. As Kilgore’s offensive coordinator, Eckert was a part of Kilgore’s 2001 and 2004 SWJCFC’s championship teams.

 

Here is a Canespace interview with Coach Eckert on 2009 SWJCFC Most Valuable Player Chase Ford

 

Q: Coming out of High School Chase was virtually an unknown prospect and is now being coined as the next potential great TE to come to Tight End "U". Can you discuss when you knew Chase was a special Player? 

 

A: When Chase got to Kilgore in the fall of 2008 he was 6’6 206 pounds which is a little small (in weight) for a college TE.  Once he got on the field you could see that he had great catching ability.  Once he got the blocking technique down, we knew he was a player that we had to get on the field.

 

Q: Chase put up some very impressive numbers and was awarded 2009 Southwest Junior College Football Conference's Most Valuable Player. Can he have a similar impact at Miami and do you foresee him starting from day 1?

 

A: I believe Chase can have the same impact at Miami as he did here.  He will have work hard on learning the new terminology, but once he gets that down, the sky is the limit.

 

Q. Can you talk about how Chase was used in your Offense? Is he strictly a receiving TE?

 

A: In our scheme, he was our go-to guy.  I noticed around game 4 he felt he had to improve his blocking.  He worked very hard at it and I feel like he really improved towards becoming a complete TE as the season continued.

 

Q. Chase is coming into Miami with two years of eligibility and is considered an upper-classman from day one. Can you talk about his leadership in the locker room and on the field?

 

A: He is your typical small-town East Texas kid.  He grew up around the game and football is really important to him.  When the lights come on, he expects everyone to do their job at the highest level.  He works extremely hard at practice, and really was a much better film preparation player as a sophomore.  He as the ability to make the people around him play at a higher level.

 

Q: Is there any player you would say Chase has a similar playing style too in the NFL?

A: I think he is a lot like Jeremy Shockey at this point is his career.  He has great ball skills and has the ability to make a ton of plays between the hashes.  And you do not want to play the linebackers in man coverage on him.  He will eat them up!

Q: Can you talk a little about Chase's work ethic and what set's him apart from his peers?

 

A: As I mentioned early, football is really important to him.  He works extremely hard to develop the gift that he has been given every day.  He always stays after practice to catch more balls and he will do whatever the team needs from him.  He is a very unselfish player and I think that separates him from I bunch of other players, because at the end of the day, all he wants to do is WIN!

Comments

[Montreal-Cane]

First!

[86Cane]

Monty...What are U doing hanging around after baseball season?

[Montreal-Cane]

The game times and pairings for the first two days of the College World Series were announced on Monday night. The 64th CWS will be played at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha from June 19-30. Making its first appearance in Omaha since 2005, the Gator baseball team (47-15) will face UCLA (48-14) at 7 p.m. (ET) on Saturday. The game will be aired live on ESPN.

It sucks big time we should have been there...Perez will have a long summer...

Let's go Bruins!

I hope JH is at 100% and throwing the football now.

86 For next season Morris needs to recruit an outstanding catcher, a stopper and the best starting pitcher available...

Peace! Any news on JH, Lamar Miller and Collier....

[Ungar]

WOW! Solid article. I dub it the Josh Borne Supremecy.

But "make a ton of players"? was it "make a ton of plays" or "make a ton of players miss"? That what happens when blog articles are posted a 9PM. Canadians grab the first and the grammar checker fails. 8-)

Chase Ford as the next Shockey? I can live with that.

[Ungar]

Nice selection for #5

In my own personal ranking I had him a bit higher but hey thats just me

And I do feel the #1 is going to be an issue

Posted by: Sebastian57 | June 15, 2010 at 01:16 PM

Oh Gad, now I gotta sit through two weeks of wondering if Maurice Clarett, Terry Porter, Steve Spurrier, Doug Flutie, or Lamar Arrington were Florida born and bred...

Are we allowed to guess at the remaining four?

I know one because it was leaked early on. But that CAN'T be #1. I don't want to ruin the suspense for others, though.

[roachcane77]

Chase Ford sounds REALLY committed... I like this guy already!

Nice job on the article Josh.

[solarcane]

Sweet article and well written.

ungar,

Sure you can guess.

soupster,
please refrain from dropping any clues, This took me a considerable amount of time to produce, so I would really appreciate it if the final 5 are just presented in order without an early unintentional slip up.
Thanks for the help with editing and smoothing out the project.

I originally had three athletes shuffled into the #1 slot for three weeks and I took a looooonng time deciding.

Six explained to me why he thought our first , first choice should be put back to second and the number two given first place.

After reading the top three bios over for the third time, I agreed with Six that the final number one we chose was the most worthy.

I think if all things are weighed out and given the consideration Six and I did;
The #1, 2 ,3 picks will certainly be considered the most deserving, any one of them could be a legit #1.

It isn't Secretariat

Born: 29-Mar-1970
Birthplace: Doswell, VA
Died: 4-Oct-1989
Location of death: Paris, KY
Cause of death: Euthanasia
Remains: Buried, Claiborn Farm, Paris, KY

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: Not Human
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Racehorse

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Greatest race horse of all time

[86Cane]

Solar..OK, OK. I'm jus sayin' that if some body figures out vanilla and iron they deserve a prize!

[solarcane]

soup
lol!!!

[86Cane]

Solar...I am ready to go ALL IN for the WYPT on the Chatooga in a couple weeks.

Lets see what happens AFTER that?

[Montreal-Cane]

With the demise of Calder Race Course's Grade III Tropical Park Derby, the Spectacular Bid, named for the great Spectacular Bid, is the first stakes race of the three-year-old Florida campaign for many Kentucky Derby hopefuls, and is run on Gulfstream Park's winter season opening day.

[solarcane]

soup
I think we are gonna remember the WYPT for a long time!
I am counting down the days too.

You gotta come hang out for a couple days of fishing when the weather gets cooler too.

I was down at Outside World making another payment on Reservoir Dog II last Saturday.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj201/solarcane/OW1.jpg

[solarcane]

You know I had Florida born Carrot Top penciled into the top five for awhile but Six brought to my attention the loveable C Top just might be on steroids

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj201/solarcane/carrottop-aftersteroids.jpg

[solarcane]

out

[Six]

BEERicane - don't forget Oklahoma State Wrestling

There is no way that they aren't right there at 1 and 1A with Iowa

Their record speaks for itself with the amount of team National Championships they have

[autumn]

missed the last week.

nice article & interview about ford.

soup - it was nice coming home and finding the canespace shirts . . .
i just really appreciate that you would send t-shirts all the way to europe . . . cheap you are not.

[Cat 5 Cane]

The article... Josh, well thought out and super good. Liked the approach and answers from the Coach. Comparison to Shockey... That would be great,as Chase is my LOF for 2010. At 6-6 and 240... the kid is an animal and looking forward to seeing him dominate the space of where ever he's at.

Good stuff... Josh.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Remaining Top 50, bring it...I'm ready, "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I wonder who?... I don't remember seeing one of my fav... "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion"... The same... Hmmmm?

[canes to the ship]

Chase Ford
Southwestern Junior College Conference Most Valuable Player

Pretty much says all u need to know about um reruiting.

Matt Elam
Ronald Powell
Dominique Easley
Shariff Floyd
Chris Dunkley.........

Chase Ford.......(((((((((((((((crickets)))))))))))))

[SOUP]

soup - it was nice coming home and finding the canespace shirts . . .i just really appreciate that you would send t-shirts all the way to europe . . . cheap you are not.

Posted by: autumn | June 16, 2010 at 04:09 AM

If U can blog from Europe then there is no reason we can't mail shirts to Europe!

Glad they arrived: "Wear With Pride".

[SOUP]

Gator Troll...go back to the Sun Sentinel where U belong. That is all, thank U.

[Sebastian]

Great article Josh

Thank you for taking the time out for some insight into an incoming player and information on the school he is coming from

[solarcane]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANESPACE

Great three years Soup

[SOUP]

Stick around, there is a lot more to come from Josh. I'm jus sayin...

[Sebastian]

Yep....48 sacks

Will lead the ACC in that total and in the top 5 nationally

[SOUP]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANESPACE

Posted by: solarcane | June 16, 2010 at 08:43 AM

Geeeeze, I almost forgot!

4,393,140 Lifetime Pageviews

4012 Pageviews/Day

827 Total Posts

263,680 Total Comments

[SOUP]

Yep....48 sacks

Will lead the ACC in that total and in the top 5 nationally

Posted by: Sebastian57 | June 16, 2010 at 08:47 AM

U must be mixing the ORANGE and GREEN Koolaid together this AM? LOL

If Miami has 48 sacks I'll buy U a ticket to the bowl game. That's 4 per game!

Now can U do something about the interceptions too?

[Sebastian]

It even looked liked Shandels elf came by to wish you a Happy B`Day

[SOUP]

Bulls 1, Matadors 0

http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/mexican-matador-arrested-after-fleeing-bullfighting-ring/19516738?icid=main|htmlws-sb-n|dl1|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fworld%2Farticle%2Fmexican-matador-arrested-after-fleeing-bullfighting-ring%2F19516738

[Cat 5 Cane]

Remaining 50... throw in Emmitt too!

That's a FSU and a Fla brat in the top 4.... jeez!... Randy is getting squeezed !!!

[BEERicane]

BEERicane - don't forget Oklahoma State Wrestling

There is no way that they aren't right there at 1 and 1A with Iowa

Their record speaks for itself with the amount of team National Championships they have

Posted by: Six | June 16, 2010 at 12:24 AM

OK State is good historically, just not very recently. Their run in the mid 2000s was due to dan gable retiring and lost recruiting temporarily becase of it. since iowa's run in the 70s up until present ok st has been an afterthought in much of the college wrestling world. iowa took over the place as king of wrestling in 1997 when they beat down the #1 ranked and favored OK St in the championships for a record 170 points or something like that. OK state is not 1A, they are #2 and currently probably in a contest with IA State for that spot. Don't forget that IA State is a very good wrestling program and splits a good number of recruits with Iowa. Yet Iowa still overcomes this leeching of talent. Historically OK St is very good, just not so much as of late.

[Ungar]

Happy Birthday Canespace.

I even blew up a special balloon for the event!

http://canespace.typepad.com/.a/6a00e008c672588834013480cae4d6970c-500wi

I looks so lifelike!

(all in fun of course!)

[SOUP]

SACKS BY G No. Yards

1. Virginia Tech 36
Clemson 36
3. North Carolina 32
4. Maryland 31
5. Florida State 26
6. Georgia Tech 25
7. NC State 24
Miami 24
Wake Forest 24
10. Virginia 22
11. Duke 19
12. Boston College 18

[SOUP]

Clemson had a tie for the most sacks at 36 and also had the most INTs at 21.

Who are there D-line and DB coaches?

[SOUP]

It looks so lifelike!

Posted by: Ungar | June 16, 2010 at 09:08 AM

Cranius Maximus ;-)

[Sebastian]

With pressure comes turnovers

INTs will also double

18

[canezilla]

baseball... Flanagan high school are #1 in the nation.Coach morris u might want to go over and look at some pitching!I'm just saying?

[Ungar]

Before I make my guesses, let me cover the ones that you didn't have on your list:

I know that you guys got a good laugh at my suggestion of Affirmed, but you cannot beat this one.

He is known as the Greatest. He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. He was "born" in Miami Beach in 1964.

Let's see who gets it. I got five more that I bet are not in the list, then I have four that I guess are remaining.

[twitter.com/joshborne]

Thanks fella's.

[SOUP]

Nice work on the article Josh.

Who got next?

[Ungar]

No problem Josh.

Anytime you want to sing the praises of a future Cane, we will be willing readers!

[Ungar]

SOUP, you been holding out on us? I hear you got an article on the back burner there....

[DZ8]

Good stuff Josh!

I think we'll be OK at the TE position this year. Really we just need to target them a few times a game to keep the defense off our deep, talented, wide receiver group.

Only worry from the position would be pass protection.

[SOUP]

I hear you got an article on the back burner there....

Posted by: Ungar | June 16, 2010 at 10:05 AM

Yeah but it is kinda strange and not very good. LOL

[Ungar]

canezilla, the picthing was fine, it was the FIELDING that killed us.

2-1 win and 3-1 win if our fielding had been decent. Unearned runs.

Yes, losing a top pitcher and a top HR hitter in the clutch was dreadful, but the game was still ours if Perez to Lawson was not such a mystery.

Whaley even stepped up in place of Erickson when we needed him.

But I won't turn down a great pitcher from there if available.... 8-)

[Ungar]

I hear you got an article on the back burner there....

Posted by: Ungar | June 16, 2010 at 10:05 AM

Yeah but it is kinda strange and not very good. LOL

Posted by: SOUP | June 16, 2010 at 10:10 AM

I agree, but enough on CaneSawMassacre's article, what about that other one of sweeping historical importance?

(hee hee hee)

[Ungar]

None of you with a guess on the guy I said should be first on the list?

[86Cane]

Florida has four of the top 15 ranked schools: #2, #4, #11 and #15. Do we have any recruits from these schools?

MAXPREPS XCELLENT 25 HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL NATIONAL RANKINGS

1. (1) Sumrall (Miss.), 35-1
Mississipi 3A state champions. Season over.

2. (2) Pace (Fla.), 29-2
Florida 5A state champions. Season over.

3. (3) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 31-3
California Central Coast Section Division I champions. Season over.

4. (4) Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.), 29-3
Florida 3A state champions. Season over.

5. (5) La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.), 28-2
New Mexico 4A state champions. Season over.

6. (6) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), 33-3
Nevada 4A state champions, Season over.

7. (7) White Knoll (Lexington, S.C.), 32-2
South Carolina 4A state champions. Season over.

8. (8) Wando (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), 28-4
Season over.

9. (9) Desert Ridge (Mesa, Ariz.), 30-4
Arizona 5A-I state champions. Season over.

10. (10) Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.), 42-6
Tennessee 3A state champions. Season over.

11. (11) Flanagan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), 23-2
Florida 6A state champions. Season over.

12. (12) St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 28-3
Ohio Division I state champion. Season over.

13. (13) Jonathan Alder (Plain City, Ohio), 34-0
Ohio Division II state champion. Season over.

14. (14) Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), 30-2
Ohio Division II state runner-up. Season over.

15. (16) Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 24-6
Florida 4A state champions. Season over.

[86Cane]

Another list with FL at four of the top 11 spots:

The staffs of Baseball America and the NHSBCA compile the Top 25 rankings. In-season polls will be conducted every two weeks and released every other Tuesday throughout the season. Records indicated are as of June 6 and do not include ties.

Rank School Record Previous
1 Klein HS, Spring, Texas 33-6 1
2 Flanagan HS, Pembroke Pines, Fla. 25-2 4
3 Bishop Gorman HS, Las Vegas 36-4 5
4 The Bolles School, Jacksonville 29-3 6
5 Sumrall (Miss.) HS 36-1 7
6 Archbishop Mitty HS, San Jose, Calif. 31-3 9
7 Rocky Mountain HS, Fort Collins, Colo. 26-2 11
8 Pace (Fla.) HS 29-3 13
9 Farragut HS, Knoxville 42-6 14
10 Columbus (Ga.) HS 32-5 18
11 Archbishop McCarthy HS, Southwest Ranches, Fla.

[86Cane]

If the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was a race, the state of Georgia would have been the sprint champion while California was the winner of the marathon.

Georgia came hard out of the blocks on the first day with five of the top 30 players chosen coming from the Peach State.

However while Georgia finished the three-day, 50-round event with 33 players selected, California finished with a whopping 93 - 27 more than the next closest state Florida (66 total selections) and more than double Texas, which had the third highest total with 46 players chosen.

Dylan Covey of Maranatha (Pasadena, Calif.) was the first California player chosen, going to the Milwaukee Brewers with the No. 14 overall pick. Christian Yelich of Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.), however, was the only other Californian taken among the first 32 picks in the first round.

California didn't really begin to pick up steam until after the 10th round. The state had just 23 picks in the first 10 rounds, but 70 in the final 40 rounds. Texas had 13 players chosen in the first 10 rounds while Georgia had 12 and Florida 11.

* * *

As for individual teams, three schools had three players selected in the draft: Barbe (Lake Charles, La.), Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) and Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.).

Lakeland shortstop Yordy Cabrera went to the Oakland Athletics with the No. 60 pick overall. Teammates Alec Asher (No. 708) and Eric Arce (No. 816) went to the San Francisco Giants and the Toronto Blue Jays respectively. Asher is a pitcher and Arce is a catcher.

[86Cane]

UM signed #4, #9 and #34 on the Top 100 HS baseball players list:

http://www.maxpreps.com/baseball-recruiting/baseball-spring-10/r2IdWSY1Ed-UswAcxJTdpg/2010-top-100-/top-recruits.htm