Colleges

Highly touted running back Ford reportedly plans to enroll at USF

Sarasota High grad rushed for 37 touchdowns as a senior in 2004.

By GREG AUMAN
Published December 29, 2006

TAMPA - Mike Ford, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound running back who rushed for 2,836 yards and 37 touchdowns as a senior at Sarasota High in 2004, plans to enroll at USF next month, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported.

Ford signed with Alabama in 2005 but didn't qualify academically. He changed his mind about enrolling next month after coach Mike Shula was fired, the report said. He is a cousin of USF receiver Amarri Jackson, who played at Sarasota Riverview.

"We are very excited and looking at Mike to enroll in January," his mother, Dondra Walker, told the Herald-Tribune. "Originally, he wanted to go to Alabama, but now that Coach Shula is gone, he doesn't want that. USF is No. 1 for him now because I live in Sarasota and will be able to come to all his games."

Ford was the Class 5A player of the year in 2004 after rushing for more than 200 yards in 11 consecutive games. He attended Hargrave Military Academy, a preparatory school in Virginia, last year and would have four years of eligibility. He could not be reached Thursday, and the USF registrar's office had no record of him registering for the spring semester, which begins Jan. 9.

The Bulls never established a consistent rushing attack, using walk-on Ben Williams and sophomore Ricky Ponton after redshirt freshman Moise Plancher was lost with a knee injury in the season opener. They have commitments from two high school seniors, Largo's Josh Bellamy and South Sumter's Richard Kelly.

Greg Auman can be reached at auman@sptimes.com or 813 226-3346. View his blog at blogs.tampabay.com/usf.

[Last modified December 29, 2006, 00:06:24]