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G
iven that he now owns practically every Virginia Tech receiving
record imaginable, given that he plays with an undeniable passion
for winning, given that he displays a fierce pride for his university,
and given that he has decided to forgo his final year at Tech and pursue
an NFL career, Isaiah Ford finds it almost mind-boggling that a place
he has called “home” for the past three years could have been about six
hours west of Blacksburg.
Ford committed to the University of Louisville during his senior
season at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida in large
part because of football coach Charlie Strong and in small part because
of basketball coach Rick Pitino. A tremendous two-sport athlete, he
wanted to play both sports in college, and Pitino—a two-time national
champion as a coach—was agreeable to the idea, even though football
served as Ford’s primary focus. Pitino even met with Ford in his office
during Ford’s official visit, mapping out his future practice plans for
the young man.
Virginia Tech fans know the rest of the story at this point … or,
well, they think they know it. They know Strong took the head
coaching job at Texas, and they know that Ford decided to
change his mind, signing a letter of intent with Virginia Tech
on signing day in 2014.
They don’t know, however, that Ford might have changed
his mind anyway.
“To be honest, before he [Strong] even left, I was torn
between the two programs,” Ford said of Tech and Louisville.
“I was committed to Louisville, but if he had stayed, I honestly
don’t know what I would have done.”
Torn between the two programs and given the blessing to
choose between either by his family, Ford turned to praying.
The evening that the Strong announcement broke, Ford was
spending the night at the home of a basketball teammate, and
when he awoke the next morning, he found out the news.
Some would call that divine intervention. Include Ford in
that group.
“That was me praying and Him answering my prayers right in
front of my face,” Ford said. “I had been
praying about what decision to make and
what I was going to do—and it literally
happened.”
Tech fans are the ones thanking the Lord
these days, as Ford wrapped up a record-
setting career in Blacksburg. Tech’s staff
inserted Ford into the starting lineup for
his first collegiate game, and he caught a
touchdown pass. He has caught passes
ever since—more so than any
player in school history.
Ford owns most of the major
single-season and career receiving
records at Tech. The list includes
most receptions (season and
career), most receiving
yards (season and career) and most
touchdown receptions (season and
career).
Though quiet by nature, the
articulate Ford boldly predicted this
type of success. He told the media at
Isaiah Ford
nearly went
to Louisville to play both football and
basketball, but circumstances led him to
Blacksburg—and he became the greatest
receiver in Virginia Tech history
by
Jimmy Robertson
Tech’s annual Fan Day in mid-August of 2014 that he wanted to score
10 touchdowns as a freshman that season. He genuinely believed it to
be a realistic goal. He hadn’t even played in a college game yet.
“That was something that had never been done here,” Ford said. “They
[media members] were all looking at me like, ‘You’re out of your mind.’
“I’ve always set extreme goals for myself and worked my tail off to
achieve them, even when some seemed unrealistic. As the season went
along, we went through some growing pains, but when I look back on it,
I think it could have been accomplished [he scored six]. But going into
my sophomore year, I wanted to make sure I did that [he had 11]. My
entire life, I’ve set tremendous goals and worked hard to achieve them.”
Ford wasn’t always so aggressive when it came to goal setting. He
started playing football at the age of 4 or 5 before recreational leagues
allow full tackling. The city of Jacksonville annually produces future
football stars, but no one would have predicted Ford’s rise to stardom.
Once he became old enough to play in leagues that allowed tackling,
he nearly gave up the sport. He shied away from contact.
“My first year of playing, I didn’t like football that much,” he
admitted. “I moved to receiver when I started playing tackle football. I
was younger than everyone, so I was always a little timid. They would
throw me the ball, and I wouldn’t catch it. It was bad.”
Obviously, things changed. Ford found a passion for the game, one
fueled by his two older brothers. They helped to train him and mold
him—and toughen him—taking him to local parks for games. As he got
older, he started to get a reputation around Jacksonville as the skinny
kid with big skills.
His mom, Jocelyn Grissett, had enrolled him in Trinity Christian
Academy, a private school, and there, he received terrific coaching and
a great education. Already thinking about college football possibilities,
he watched as his cousin, Jamie Harper, became one of the nation’s top
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