Stillwater’s Ford saw many reasons to stay home at OSU
STILLWATER — Josh Ford was in third grade when his family moved to Stillwater, and though he loved college football, his passion was in the firm grasp of the Baylor Bears.
Yet after a few years living a couple minutes away from Boone Pickens Stadium, Ford and his father — Ray Ford, a former Baylor defensive end and the reason for Josh’s Bear affection — began attending Oklahoma State games.
“I would always try to get there early for the OSU games,” said Josh, who would make his way to the front row in the northwest corner of the stadium. “Seeing the energy of the guys coming out the tunnel, just to go to the stretch lines and stuff, watching the big guys come out, getting high-fived by the skill guys, that lit me up.
“That’s when I started to think this would be a pretty cool team to play for.”
Come fall of 2024, Ford will get to test his prognosis.
Stillwater High School’s 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end received an offer from the Cowboys in December and committed in January. Landing at No. 13 on The Oklahoman’s Super 30 rankings of the state’s top recruits in the 2024 class, Ford knows OSU is where he belongs.
Having watched the joy grow in his son’s eyes during those trips to BPS, Ray Ford knows it, too.
“I took him to the spring game at OSU one time and he about peed his pants walking in the stadium,” Ray said with a laugh. “He lives for it. It’s definitely his element, more so than it ever was for me. He is certainly fired up. He is so much more affected and in every way connected to it. He loves that environment.”
At OSU, Ford will only be minutes from home — and more importantly, mom’s home cooking.
Whether it’s her high-protein breakfasts anchored by a dozen scrambled eggs or her lasagna dinner, Josh is excited to know he can sneak away for a taste of home just about anytime.
On Tuesday nights during the school year, Ford’s mother, J.J., cooks dinner for dozens of Stillwater High School students, which often includes several of Ford’s teammates.
On the field, Ford’s versatility is his biggest asset. In addition to playing a traditional tight end role, he also will line up at fullback or slot receiver in the Pioneers’ offense. And this season, he is set to start at middle linebacker as his team tries to repeat as the Class 6A-II state champion.
Last year’s title game, a 26-21 win over Choctaw, is a core memory for Ford, though he played just five snaps. Fighting through the pain of a chipped bone in his pelvis, Ford was lined up at tight end on the Pioneers’ final offensive possession, crashed down for a sealing block that opened a hole for running back Noah Roberts.
The 48-yard run set up the gamesealing touchdown by Zac Tyson a moment later.
“He’s a great kid, a hard worker,” said Stillwater offensive coordinator Chad Cawood, who was named interim head coach after Tucker Barnard accepted a job in Arkansas earlier this month. “He does what he needs to do nutritionwise. He’s in the weight room every day. A lot of times, you’ll see him out there by himself running. He does everything he needs to do to get himself ready.”
The day after the title game, OSU coaches called to offer a scholarship. That was not only a major personal accomplishment, but also a glaring sign for Ford.
“They offered me while I was hurt, and they didn’t know if I would be fully back,” Ford said. “I saw that the coaches were Christians, and that really made me draw close to them. I saw that God had a bigger plan to use me in my role going to the next level and pointing the glory back to him.
“Having that happen to me was a huge blessing, and nothing but God could have done that.”