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Trace Ford at peace with everything, shines at OU pro day

Bob Przybyloby:Bob Przybylo•about 19 hours•

BPrzybylo

There is nothing more Trace Ford can do. It might have taken him a long time to accept that reality, but he’s officially there.

People are going to question his injury history and this and that. All Ford can do is go out and perform, when given the chance.

Ford did just that with a solid pro day performance Tuesday morning at OU. He flat-out admitted there has been zero buzz about him throughout this pre-Draft process. He is hopeful that might change after his Tuesday in Norman.

“It was a pretty good day overall,” said Ford, who played the last two seasons at defensive end for OU. “Health was the big thing. Show them that I’m healthy. If I can still bend, run fast, still have that movement. I did better than I thought.”

It started early with Ford. His vertical jump of 36 inches is a personal record for him. He said he was hoping for 32 or 33 inches. Then came the 40-yard dash where he ran a blistering 4.55 seconds. That would placed him No. 2 at the NFL Draft Combine.

It’s the type of day he can build on, a type of day that lets him know all the ups and downs have been worth it.

On the field and off the field, it was a journey for Ford. Injuries, ACLs, switching Bedlam schools from Oklahoma State to OU, he had the full college experience.

“Been a roller coaster. Became a man throughout the process,” Ford said. “Enjoyed every moment, the ups and the downs.”

Pro day can be very calm and relaxing for guys who attended the Combine. And it was for Ethan Downs, Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman.

You didn’t get that invite? Tuesday was the day to bet on yourself and become known. That can lead to a lot of pressure. But Ford said he’s at peace with everything. The good, the bad, whatever else is going to come.

“After the bowl game, very stressed out,” Ford told SoonerScoop. “Anxiety every day. One day my mom was like it is what it is. ‘You have a Master’s, why are you crying?’ I’m at peace with what happens, even if I don’t get drafted. I’m happy with where I’m at right now. I’m happy with the performance I had today. Happy to still play football.

Ford sees himself as a Swiss army knife. A guy who can play a lot of different positions. Tuesday was about proving himself right… and shutting down some of the haters.

“I chase excellence,” Ford said. “At the same time, I want to prove a lot of people wrong. They say I’m washed. I wanted to show them I still have a lot left in the tank.”

Final word

“Helps me tremendously. The stats might not show it, but I learned how to stop the run better. I learned a lot about technique. Playing anywhere, really. I owe a lot to Venables and Chavis just teaching me the system. I didn’t know the coverages before OU. Didn’t know schemes, didn’t know what a hot blitz was. My knowledge of the game has improved incredibly in the last two years.” – said Ford about learning under Brent Venables

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