SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – “Life changes over night.”

Those were the words of University of the Incarnate Word linebacker Alan Ford (Calallen/Calallen HS) when he was asked about his decision to call it a career.  The gravity of the decision for the 23-year old comes across in the emotion and thoughtfulness of his answers.

“It has been a hard couple of days,” said Ford three days after his injury at Texas A&M-Kingsville on a warm October evening.  “I just cleaned out my locker.  Goals and priorities just change.”

For Ford, a member of Incarnate Word's “Forever First” class of football student-athletes, the decision was something that had been in the back of his mind for a while.  He has struggled with shoulder injuries dating back to his senior year at Calallen High School in Corpus Christi.  In 2007, his left shoulder would pop out of place a few times per game and he would just pop it back in and keep playing.  After the season was over, he had his first surgery in the spring of 2008.  He had four screws and a metal rod inserted into his left shoulder to help anchor it down.

Ford red-shirted the 2008 season along with the rest of the “Forever First” class at UIW and then was healthy throughout the 2009 campaign.  He had a strong red-shirt freshman season recording 43 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.  He also recovered three fumbles and even returned one for a touchdown.

In 2010, Ford played through the season, but started to have problems with both shoulders.  “Originally, when I did it in high school I said if it ever happened again that I would stop playing,” said Ford.  “It happened again, but I shrugged it off and said I would come back.”

He had two surgeries after the 2010 season.  He had his left shoulder operated on in December and then his right shoulder was operated on in March of 2011.  He received a medical red-shirt for the 2011 season.

Ford has an interesting story about how he ended up at Incarnate Word.  He had opportunities to play for a number of other schools, including many Lone Star Conference schools.  “UIW actually called me on January 28 and signing day was February 4,” explained Ford.  “They said 'we are starting a new program so why don't you check it out.'  I was already going to visit San Angelo (Angelo State) and really liked it a lot and then I turned around and came to visit UIW.”

At the time of Ford's visit, the Incarnate Word coaching staff consisted of three people, former head coach Mike Santiago, former offensive coordinator Jim Marshall and current associate head coach Todd Ivicic.  “I don't know why I chose UIW at the time and I still don't know why I chose UIW, but it has been a lot of fun,” said Ford.  “Being part of the first class is always exciting and playing for four years was always a big perk.”

Ford headed into the 2012 season with a starting job as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 set.  After making only one tackle in each of the first two games of the year, he put together four good games in a row making 18 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.  He went into the A&M-Kingsville game playing his best ball.  Early in the game, he sacked the quarterback, but it was on that play that he suffered his final injury.

“I went home after the game with my parents,” said Ford.  “We talked about all the options and everything and it was not a fun decision to make.”

While Ford's playing career has been cut short, he is not calling it quits on the UIW football team.  “I talked with Coach (Brian) Gamble (defensive coordinator) and they want me to be incorporated with the football program as much as I can and head coach (Larry) Kennan mentioned the same thing.”

He plans to support the team much like he did in 2011, when he was out with injuries.  “There is always work to be done whether you are on the field or not,” said Ford.  “I have put too much time and energy into the program to just stop.”

Ford cites the ability to leave the program with the “Forever First” class as one of the factors that led him to his decision.  “I'm excited to leave with the guys I came in with, in a weird way it seems the right thing to do.”

The UIW football program will always remember the “Forever First” class and if Ford is any representation of it, it is a group that will go on to do many great things in life.  Ford mentioned that he hoped that people will always see his group in a good light and that it was the closest knit group of players he had ever been a part of in his playing career.

Ford plans to graduate with degrees in both kinesiology and education and a minor in special needs in December of 2013.  His plan is to get into coaching and teaching.  “I have flirted with the idea of coaching at the college ranks, but it just kind of depends on where the opportunities lay,” said the linebacker.  “My ultimate goal is to one day coach at a big NCAA Division I program.”

When asked about his own legacy at UIW, the soft spoken Ford mentions that he hopes that he has helped set the bar for what a UIW player needs to be.  While the answer to that question may be in doubt to Ford, the answer is a definitive 'yes' to those who know him and his example.
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