#42 Michael Ford Season 2024

CAREER
Played in 37 games with five starts … Finished career with 14 total touchdowns (13 rushing, 1 receiving) … Had 1,392 rushing yards and eight catches for 69 yards … Emerged as one of the top kickoff return threats in the SEC as a junior with a 27.5 average on 20 returns (549 yards) … Opted to depart LSU with one year of eligibility remaining … Invited to 2013 NFL Combine.

JUNIOR SEASON (2012)
Played in 13 games with no starts … Finished third on team with 392 rushing yards to go with three touchdowns … Led Tigers and ranked second in the SEC in kickoff returns with 549 yards and 20 returns for a 27.5 average … Had four kickoff returns of 40 yards or longer, including an 86-yard return that setup a touchdown vs. Arkansas … Returned a kickoff 48 yards vs. Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl … Had a 42-yard return vs. Idaho and a 41-yarder vs. Mississippi State … Had season-best 120 all-purpose yards in win over Mississippi State (99 kickoff return, 27 receiving, 5 rushing) … Rushed for season-best 78 yards and a TD in road win over Texas A&M … Scored LSU’s first touchdown against the Aggies on a 20-yard run late in the second quarter to pull the Tigers to within 12-7 … Led the team with 11 carries for 76 yards and one TD against Towson … Scored LSU’s lone touchdown in the victory at Auburn on a one-yard run and finished the game with 41 yards on eight carries  … Returned kickoffs for the first time in his career against Idaho and finished with three returns for 99 yards, including the 42-yarder … Picked up 50 yards rushing on eight carries against North Texas .

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2011)
Played in all 14 games with starts against Northwestern State, Georgia and Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game … Led the team in rushing yards with 756 … Produced seven rushing touchdowns, tied for second on the team with Alfred Blue … Tallied a career-high 96 yards rushing two times – against Oregon and Arkansas … Posted a career-long 49-yard run versus Arkansas … Led the team in rushing in three games in 2011: vs. Northwestern State (72 yards), vs. Auburn (82 yards) and at Alabama (72 yards) … Scored two rushing touchdowns each against Oregon, Northwestern State and West Virginia … Became the first LSU player with six TDs through the first four games of a season since Charles Scott in 2008 … Rolled to a career night against Oregon with career highs in rushing yards (96) and carries (14), and he tied his career best with two rushing touchdowns … Received recognition in Bruce Feldman’s ESPN.com “Top Workout Warriors” in June 2010 and once again in the summer of 2011 … Appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated following win vs. Oregon.

REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON (2010)
Played in 10 games and rushed 41 times for 235 yards and three touchdowns … Started the Arkansas and ULM contests … Made the second catch of his career and took it 27 yards for a TD against Ole Miss and also carried nine times for 58 yards … Rushed for his third career TD and finished with six carries for 16 yards versus ULM … Was outstanding against McNeese State as the team’s leading rusher with 86 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, including a season-long 36-yard TD run.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2009)
Redshirted as a true freshman in 2009.

HIGH SCHOOL
One of the nation’s top running back prospects for the Class of 2009 … Named to the Parade Magazine All-America team and was a second-team All-USA selection by USA Today … Proved to be nearly unstoppable during his senior season at Leesville High School while rushing for 2,953 yards and 29 touchdowns en route to a first-team 4A all-state selection in 2008 … Wrapped up the regular season with an impressive 443-yard, six-touchdown performance against Tioga … Led his team to the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs in 2008 … In his final high school game in a playoff loss to Zachary, rushed 39 times for 299 yards and 3 TDs … Capped senior season with nine games of 200-yards or better and finished career with 20 straight 100-yard games, a streak that dated back to 2006 … Broke Leesville rushing record as a senior with 2,447 yards, topping the previous mark of 2,143 set by former LSU standout Cecil Collins in 1994 … Honored for his performance by being invited to participate in the Hawaii Prep Football Classic in December … Recognized as one of the nation’s top young backs after rushing for 1,334 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2006 … Rushed for 567 yards in four games as a junior in 2007 before breaking his collarbone just three games into the season … Rated as the #17 overall player by Scout.com … A member of The Advocate Super Dozen, New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Blue Chip List, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 and the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 … Ranked as the No. 2 recruit in the state of Louisiana by SuperPrep … The nation’s No. 3 running back prospect by Scout.com … Also ranked No. 7 nationally at his position by both ESPN and Rivals.com … Coached by Terence Williams.

PERSONAL
Full name is Michael Deshown Ford … Goes by Michael … Nickname is Shug … Born May 27, 1990, in Leesville, La. … Parents are Frank and Tanny Ford … Has two brothers – Frank and Justin … Majoring in general studies with concentrations in communication studies, leadership development and sports studies.

CAREER HIGHS
Attempts: 14 vs. Oregon, 2011
Yards: 96, twice (Last: vs. Arkansas, 2011; First: vs. Oregon, 2011)
Touchdowns: 2, four times (Last: at West Virginia, 2011)
Long: 49 vs. Arkansas, 2011

FORD’S CAREER RUSHING STATISTICS

FORD’S CAREER RECEIVING STATISTICS

FORD’S CAREER KICKOFF RETURN STATISTICS