Ford chasing second chance in USFL
Steel Valley star, Pitt standout eager to prove he still has plenty of game
“I promised my younger self, the little me, years ago that I would make this work. So I have to make it happen.”
— Paris Ford
Those from Pittsburgh watching last weekend’s USFL game between the New Jersey Generals and the Michigan Panthers would have recognized No. 24 wheeling away in celebration. In the closing seconds of Saturday’s game, Paris Ford — the former WPIAL star and all-ACC honoree at Pitt — picked off Michigan’s quarterback to clinch a divisional title for the Generals.
Next weekend, the USFL will move its league from Birmingham, Ala., to Canton, Ohio, for its playoffs. Ford, playing at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium will be two hours from his hometown. He’ll have family and friends in attendance to watch the same safety who made a name for himself with his hard-hitting instincts.
But those who come see Ford will also see someone who has grown since his days as a WPIAL champion and allAmerican at Pitt. Ford — who was undrafted in 2021, was cut by the Los Angeles Rams and wasn’t picked up by another NFL team — is happy to be back playing the game he loves in the USFL.
“I’m using this as a second chance at life,” Ford told the Post-Gazette recently. “I really feel like now, over these last few months down in Birmingham, I’ve done a lot of soul searching, finding out who I really am. I’m still learning who I am. I just turned 24, and I can’t complain. ... I’m happy to have a name and a number on the back of a jersey.”
Anyone who has followed WPIAL football or Pitt over the past half-decade knows Ford’s story to this point. In high school, he was one of the nation’s top prospects. The Under Armour all-American led Steel Valley to a 15-0 record and the school’s first PIAA title as a senior in 2016. He scored 22 touchdowns in five differentways and was named the Post-Gazette’s Class 2A player of the year.
Ford was the No. 52 overall recruit in the 2017 class, according to 247 Sports. He became the highest- rated prospect of Pat Narduzzi’s Pitt tenure — a title he holds to this day — when he chose the Panthers over offers from Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State, among others. He redshirted in 2017, played sparingly in 2018, led the team in tackles (97) and interceptions (three) in 2019 and started the first seven games of the 2020 campaign.
Then, he opted out with four games to go to prepare for the NFL draft. Looking back on it, Ford attributes that decision to circumstances within his family “that wasn’t the best for my situation.” Ford logged two 40-yard dash times (4.83, 4.90 seconds) at Pitt’s pro day that were seen as red flags. Despite his eye-popping tape and big-play highlight reel, Ford went undrafted. In Aug. 2021, he was waived by the Rams.
“Three months ago, I was sitting in my mom’s thirdfloor attic with no motion, not doing nothing. I was debating giving up,” Ford said. “But I promised my younger self, the little me, years ago that I would make this work. So I have to make it happen.”
Ford found a second opportunity in Birmingham. He was drafted by the Generals in March. He’s played in seven of the Generals’ nine games, logging eight tackles and a pair of tackles for loss. He doesn’t start, but he’s gained a lot from his experience in Alabama.
“I’m still trying to find my way and put all the pieces of the puzzle together,” said Ford. “I’m the youngest on the team. So whenever I talk to an older guy, I really pay close attention to the little stuff. ... Football makes you family. I feel that way about some of these guys I’ve met over the last several months.”
Ford has also linked up with familiar faces in the USFL. Central Catholic’s Arnold “Tre” Tarpley III, who ranks fourth on the Pittsburgh Maulers with 43 tackles, is a friend. So is former Thomas Jefferson standout Zane Zandier, who signed with the Maulers in May.
Ford said he takes pride in representing his hometown no matter where he’s at. “I don’t give a damn if I’m in Alaska,” Ford said. “I’m gonna rep Pittsburgh.” He also talks up his old team whenever he has the chance.
Ford still feels a strong connection to Pitt. He celebrated the Panthers winning the ACC championship last year and fielded phone calls from former teammates from the Bank of America Stadium locker room in Charlotte. Ford said one of those calls came from Kenny Pickett, who signed alongside Ford in 2017.
“I felt like I was a part of it. I really should have been,” Ford said of Pitt’s ACC title. “... But I’m glad those dudes got it. That’s forever.”
What’s also forever, in due time, will be Ford’s Pitt degree. He left Pitt before completing it and has only one semester to go. When asked if he’ll finish it, Ford offered an emphatic: “Hell yeah, in all capital letters.”
For now, though, Ford is focused on the Generals’ playoff push. New Jersey faces the Philadelphia Stars at 3 p.m. Saturday in Canton. The semifinal will be televised nationally on FOX.
“I’m taking it day by day. I’m being where my size 12 shoe is,” Ford said, when asked about his NFL hopes. “I can’t look ahead or hope for nothing. I’m just glad to be playing the game. As cliche as that sounds, that’s the honestto-God truth. ... And anybody who forgot about me, just know I’m coming back 10 times smarter, not harder.”