Ford suspended

[pfka_ms]

Guerin Emig ‏@GuerinEmig 1m1 minute ago
Bob Stoops confirms #Sooners RB Keith Ford has been indefinitely suspended for academic and team rules violations.

 

[Senior Sooner]

This Article doesn't say much, but a little more...

http://oklahoma.247sports.com/Bolt/Keith-Ford-suspended-indefinitely-36498538

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

Well that answers the PT issue for Ford.

 

[madcow12]

Originally posted by WhyNotaSooner:
Well that answers the PT issue for Ford.

sounds like the backfield is too crowded for him and he is not putting in the academic time to play. It just shows his motivation and you don't want that type of motivation on the team. If u are to lose a guy then now is the time and at that loaded position because it wont hurt.

 

[Oklabama]

I don't read other sports message boards or keep up with other university teams, so this may be a dumb question, "do other schools have so many of their better players getting into trouble as much as OU". I can't remember the last year that some OU kid that has real talent didn't get into trouble that ended up with him being suspended. I wonder why the quarterbacks never get suspended. Seems like its running backs, receivers and defensive lineman or secondary guys.

 

[roygbell]

Originally posted by Oklabama:

I don't read other sports message boards or keep up with other university teams, so this may be a dumb question, "do other schools have so many of their better players getting into trouble as much as OU". I can't remember the last year that some OU kid that has real talent didn't get into trouble that ended up with him being suspended. I wonder why the quarterbacks never get suspended. Seems like its running backs, receivers and defensive lineman or secondary guys.

Every school has this same problem. However, all schools don't have coaches who deal with the problems. I think that OU is fortunate that Stoops is one of the coaches who deals with these issue really quick. While Bob has brought on some of his own problems he has always seemed to deal with his kids in a good way. He needs to make an example out of Ford. Either shape up or move out.

 

[Oklabama]

Well, there you go. Thanks, Roy.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

I will say this about Keith Ford. I was asked to be a 'stringer' for rivals and cover a few kids on their HS signing days and Ford was one of them. I met him and his family. They are class acts as far as I could tell. Keith was not a problem kid and made good grades etc. He was well admired by his student body, Coaches, AD, and Principal. After the Notre Dame in South Bend, I was able to speak with him again and he was very kind, courteous etc, as was his family. I'm not sure what his issues are, but something tells me that he might have let the competition and/or lack of PT get him down. He doesn't have a history of a troubled kid or FB player for that matter. Whatever his issue(s) is/are, I truly wish him the best. I also think that he eventually will snap back and have finish up somewhere having a solid college career.

 

[pfka_ms]

It could also be the experience of being on your own for the first time. Parents don't get enough credit for keeping their kids focused on the important things like school. Not saying coaches don't push academics, but parents don't have a bench they can go to if their kid fails a class.

 

[CTOkie]

Ford committed to OU almost a year before the 2013 signing day and maintained his commitment despite the efforts of Alabama and ATM to sway him.
He played right away, but had a few fumbles early on and was banished....for the most part.... to the sidelines. Last year, he was injured and missed 5 games....and also had fumbling issues.
I still believe he could have been a very good player, but now it seems as if Ford and OU were just not meant to be. Whatever his future holds now, I wish him the best.

 

[roygbell]

Originally posted by CTOkie:
Ford committed to OU almost a year before the 2013 signing day and maintained his commitment despite the efforts of Alabama and ATM to sway him.
He played right away, but had a few fumbles early on and was banished....for the most part.... to the sidelines. Last year, he was injured and missed 5 games....and also had fumbling issues.
I still believe he could have been a very good player, but now it seems as if Ford and OU were just not meant to be. Whatever his future holds now, I wish him the best.

Good post CT. Ford has been a good kid and he has a ton of talent. Sometimes kids just lose their way. One of the bad things about big time football is that most of these kids have the dreams of playing in the NFL. That creates pressure on them to compete and be successful. So, when things happen that challenge their dreams and drive to the NFL the pressure gets to them. With the pressure of the NFL gets to them they don't always make the right decisions.

No doubt Ford is a great talent and is a good kid. Some times a change of scenery is good for both sides. So, if Ford is unhappy with his lot at OU maybe he would be better off elsewhere. In my opinion Keith, due to his propensity to drop the ball along with the emergence of Perine and now likely Mixon has dropped down the depth chart and he just hasn't handled it well. So, maybe in his case he needs to transfer to get his chance at success and get his confidence back.

This dance has been played out thousands of times and at every FBS team in the country.

 

[Plainosooner]

It is hard to go from being THE stud horse, to being on the depth chart looking up.

I don't think Keith is the best "spread runner." It's not a criticism, just an observation of abilities. It's funny. AD was the same way. One of the reasons that Bob left the spread as his dominant offense is because he had a running back, who is pretty much the consensus best running back talent in the NFL, annually until this year, a top five player in the NFL at all positions. And running the zone read play wasn't something Adrian Peterson excelled in. AD is maybe the best pure I formation runner of this generation. Running the spread's bread and butter play, the zone read, takes a little nuance in timing. Adrian doesn't seem to have much nuance in his repertoire.

And Ford is the same kind of runner that AD was. Not at that level. But then I'm not sure anyone on the planet is. It might be part of the reason that he was so quick to commit to OU, and stayed with the commitment.

Keith may have decided that the reasons he came to OU are not part of the paradigm any more.

I don't know how you were at 20 or 21. I wasn't very good at hearing sage advice, much less acting on it. With injury rehab, classes, game prep, and other responsibilities, Ford needed to suddenly be a great time manager. I'm sure he was advised of that.There is a lot of responsibility. And seeing the emergence of Perine and from all the reports, Mixon is an elite player, it doesn't bode well for being THE stud horse again, any time soon. That can impact a guy's motivation to take care of business.

I really appreciate the summary above by WNAS. And I wish him luck. I also wish him the discipline to act on his opportunity. Whether he stays at OU, or attempts to renew his career elsewhere, it is in his best interest to take care of his off the field business, especially in the classroom.

 

[DallasSooner]

Someone start the count down clock waiting on him to transfer to A&M.

 

[madcow12]

Originally posted by DallasSooner:
Someone start the count down clock waiting on him to transfer to A&M.

 

[Senior Sooner]

From Keith's Parents...Another side of the Story...

 

[madcow12]

Originally posted by Senior Sooner:
From Keith's Parents...Another side of the Story...

get the kid some help, in the grand schemes of life football should be on the back burner and I hope the kids gets back on the right path .
This post was edited on 3/31 2:22 PM by madcow12

 

[Plainosooner]

I thought the statement of his parents are very positive in looking ahead. From all reports, his parents are solid people. He will need a lot of support moving forward.

Late last season, Keith was out there giving it all he had, but he just was not fully healthy. One can think of a half dozen things that might be involved here.

Let him get healthy. Then we can talk about football again. I suspect he will be ack on the field at some future time. But right now, there is more important business to take care of.

 

[pfka_ms]

Update

Ford's parent interview

 

[Schoonerman]

Originally posted by Plainosooner:
I thought the statement of his parents are very positive in looking ahead. From all reports, his parents are solid people. He will need a lot of support moving forward.

Late last season, Keith was out there giving it all he had, but he just was not fully healthy. One can think of a half dozen things that might be involved here.

Let him get healthy. Then we can talk about football again. I suspect he will be ack on the field at some future time. But right now, there is more important business to take care of.

Good post plaino. I have a feeling that this is a good kid, he's going through some personal issues and will be in class and back on the team sooner rather than later.

 

[HighStickHarry]

Originally posted by Oklabama:

I don't read other sports message boards or keep up with other university teams, so this may be a dumb question, "do other schools have so many of their better players getting into trouble as much as OU". I can't remember the last year that some OU kid that has real talent didn't get into trouble that ended up with him being suspended. I wonder why the quarterbacks never get suspended. Seems like its running backs, receivers and defensive lineman or secondary guys.

I follow the national sports scene and read the history and trust me the sooners are the worst and have been since before the land run.

 

[Medic007]

HSH, you have nobody to blame but your ancestors. The rest of us got the memo it was a land run. How your family got it was a land walk is beyond me.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Soonersincefitty]

Good one Medic...A++++

Nope, little disappointed.

Thought Keith was a Mustang, turns out he's an Edsel...