ATLANTA – The transition from high school football to Division I-A college football is one that a number of players deal with every year on campuses around the country. That adjustment is magnified when a player must learn not only a new, but a new and intricate offensive system like the one in place at Georgia Tech. For Yellow Jacket sophomore tailback Sidney Ford, the process of learning Ralph Friedgen’s is coming together and the results began to show in Tech’s 52-30 homecoming win over Wake Forest.
Ford, whose Yellow Jackets will host ACC foe Duke Saturday (12 noon, Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field), had rushed for 78 yards on 19 carries through five games of the 2000 season prior to Tech’s game with Wake Forest on Saturday. In that contest, the Lindale, Ga., product had a breakout performance, rushing for a game-high 111 yards on 15 carries and the second touchdown of his Tech career. Ford credits the performance to a new level of comfort in the Yellow Jacket offensive attack.
“The Wake Forest game was the first time that I was truly comfortable in an actual game setting,” said Ford. “I felt like I wasn’t a rookie anymore, the coaches have been telling me that I’m not a rookie, but I still felt nervous about getting in the game and playing at full speed. I hadn’t felt like I was playing at full speed because in a couple of situations I probably should have taken the ball to the end zone, but I was worried about where the defender was and was thinking about too much when I should have just worried about scoring.”
When asked about his 18-yard touchdown run, Ford admitted that even he was surprised by the play.
“It was weird to score the touchdown,” said Ford. “I wasn’t actually looking to have that much space to run the ball. I almost scared me, I just said ‘whoa.’ It was certainly one of the best moments I’ve had here at Tech.”
Ford’s entrance into the Georgia Tech tailback rotation has come as part of an effort by Yellow Jacket head coach George O’Leary to give the team an increased depth by using more players at a number of positions throughout the early part of the season. The results, at least at the running back position, have pleased both O’Leary and Ford.
“I thought that from last spring, Sidney was our most improved back before he had the injury,” said O’Leary. “I think the key is that he’s another back that we’ve been able to put out there, and he gives us depth so that we can run fresh people at the defense. I think fresh legs are what are needed when you’re running the ball, and I think that’s what he brings to the table. He getting better with assignments and his protection skills, so as he improves in those areas, he’ll see more time.”
Ford echoes O’Leary’s thoughts and was pleased to hear the coach’s comments.
“I’m hoping yesterday was the start of something great,” said Ford. “I’m going to keep working and hope to improve each week and game by game. To hear that coach said that makes me feel that the coaches are looking to have me play and that’s good because I want to play.”
The lack of confidence and comfort that Ford says he experienced during the first part of his Tech career, he attributes to having to learn an entire new offensive system after arriving on The Flats. After playing in a run-based offense at Pepperell High School, where he gained 2,595 yards as a senior, learning to pick up pass rushers and blocking assignments was a bit of an adjustment for Ford.
“Last year my biggest problem was learning the offensive system,” recalls Ford. “In high school we mainly just ran the ball, so that was all I had to worry about. Now I have to pass block and pick up other assignments. This year I’ve really worked hard to study my plays and learn the terminology and system. In this system there are so many things to think about and there were times that I would be thinking about them so much that I almost forgot the play we were running. Now, I’m so much more relaxed back there and the offense comes to me more naturally.”
Along with being more mature as a player and having a greater understanding of Tech’s offensive system, Ford says that he has received a great deal of support and inspiration from one of his fellow running backs, Tech junior Sean Gregory. It’s a friendship that Ford says surprised him when he arrived in Atlanta.
“Sean Gregory has helped me out a lot,” said Ford. “No matter what the running back situation was, he has always given me encouraging words, event though I was right behind him in the lineup. I listen to what he has to say because he’s been here for three years and knows a lot more than I do. He gives me advice without me even having to ask for it. When I came here I thought all the running backs would hate each other because we were fighting for the same position, but it hasn’t been that way at all.”
With a deep corps of running backs, any of whom are able to put up big numbers on the ground, future Tech opponents can expect to see fresh legs coming at them on a regular basis, and that, says Ford, will make life easier for the Yellow Jackets this season.
“Our running game is coming along, and that helps the passing game as well because now you have a passing and running threat. It has helped balance the offense and with that will come easier games as far as the offense is concerned.”
