Ford brings the speed for Clemson

By Robert Rousseau  |   Thursday, June 11, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Clemson Tigers
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Last season, Clemson wide receiver Jacoby Ford caught 55 passes for 710 yards and four touchdowns, which was a major improvement over his 2006 (16 grabs, two scores) and 2007 (17 catches, four TDs) campaigns. Ford capped off a great year by pulling in five passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers' Gator Bowl loss to Nebraska.

So what's Ford's secret? That's easy. A little something called speed.

In fact, Ford recently qualified for the finals of both the 100-meter dash and 4x100-meter relay at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Interestingly, one of his relay partners will be football teammate C.J. Spiller. Anyway, if his abilities in track don't say the word speed loud enough for you, just watch a tape of last season's Nebraska game. Ford looked like a jitterbug as he moved in and out of traffic and blew by would-be tacklers. Or better yet, why not ask Fork Union coach John Schuman, who called Ford "the fastest ever at Fork Union."

For what it's worth, Fork Union has produced almost 90 NFL draft picks and two Heisman Trophy winners over the years. At the Fork Union College Coaches Combine, Ford ran the 40-yard dash in 4.126 seconds.

The fact is, with Clemson's all-time leading receiver, Aaron Kelly, now gone, Ford must step up; and no, he doesn't have Kellyesque size on his side. That said, speed kills. Every coach knows it. And if the Tigers can play with consistency and some intestinal fortitude this season, the speed of guys like Ford and Spiller should shine through for them.
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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or ...
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