Trace Ford opens up on getting fresh start after injury-filled past

College football players hit the NCAA transfer portal for many reasons, but few are as valid as Oklahoma State‘s Trace Ford. He suffered three brutal injury setbacks while with the Cowboys and was looking for a fresh start.

He found it at rival Oklahoma, where coach Brent Venables had a defense perfectly fitting Ford’s skill set.

The transfer, though, was as much about clearing the negative headspace that Ford felt every time he walked into Oklahoma State’s stadium after suffering three devastating injuries.

“For sure. Definitely coming from OSU where I was injured all the time here, it was really a refresher, it was a new start,” Ford explained. “So I don’t think about it as often. But I stay up on top of rehab every single day I go. I feel real good, I don’t really have that thought anymore so it’s been nice.”

Ford’s most recent injury was a fractured kneecap suffered in Oklahoma State’s loss to Kansas on Nov. 5.

That was just the latest in a string of brutal injury setbacks for Trace Ford. He also suffered a pair of season-ending injuries in 2020 and 2021 that really set him back.

First was a torn ACL in the team’s regular-season finale against Baylor in 2020. Next was another torn ACL, in his other knee, prior to the start of the 2021 season, just as he was fully recovering from the first.

Now, as Ford rehabs from the fractured kneecap, he’s taking a new approach.

“They’re definitely really aggressive in the rehab room,” Ford said. “A lot of building the muscle around the area that’s hurt. So they’ve been really on top of me about not slacking. So any time I slack they get on me. It’s been really nice just staying ahead of the game.”

In three playing seasons with the Cowboys, Ford recorded 59 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks.

The potential to be a devastating pass-rusher if Trace Ford’s injury history is behind him is clear. Whether he’ll be able to do that remains to be seen, but he’s feeling much more optimistic with a needed change of scenery.

Ford wasted little time making his mark as a freshman at Oklahoma State. He was named 2019 honorable mention All-Big 12 and received votes for Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year after racking up three sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 again as a sophomore, tallying 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

If he can get back to that form as a more veteran, healthy player, Oklahoma will have landed a quality addition from the transfer portal.