By Will Vandervort.
By Will Vandervort
When he was fielding questions about how much the offense was going to miss former tight end Dwayne Allen last August, Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris said, “When spring practice begins, you will be asking me how we are going to replace Brandon Ford.”
And that’s definitely going to be a legit question. In his first year as a starter, Ford caught 40 passes for 480 yards. Eight of those were touchdown receptions, which tied Allen’s mark for scoring catches in a season, and his nine receptions for 69 yards in the Chick-fil-A Bowl also tied a Clemson record for passes caught by a tight end in one game.
“I did everything I think I could have done,” Ford said. “I think I had a great year, and we will see what happens next.”
What happens next is the NFL Draft. Ford is projected anywhere from a third- to sixth-round pick. The Wando, SC native, along with running back Andre Ellington, is already in Boca Raton, FL, to begin preparations for the 2013 NFL Draft.
“Some people play this game to make it to the next level, and some people play it because they love it,” Ford said. “At the same time, if they are like me, I’m one of the guys that play it because I love it and I want to pursue the NFL.
“I did a great job the past three years when I switched to this position and I have put myself in position to play at the next level.”
Ford moved to tight end after the Auburn game in 2010 and finished the season with at least one catch in six of the last seven games. He had four catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns on his 21st birthday against South Florida in the Meineke Car Care Bowl to conclude the year.
Playing behind Allen in 2011, Ford hauled in 14 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including a seven-yard scoring reception against Wake Forest that sparked a fourth-quarter comeback and clinched the ACC Atlantic Division Championship for Clemson. He finished that afternoon with 51 yards on three receptions.
When Allen elected to go pro following his junior season, Ford stepped into the role of starter and did better than most expected. Again, on his birthday, he finished his career with one of the best days a Clemson tight end has ever had.
And like the Wake Forest game in 2011, he made one of the biggest plays in the Chick-fil-A Bowl that sparked Clemson’s fourth quarter rally in the 25-24 win over then No. 7 LSU. Trailing 24-16 with just under six minutes to play and Clemson facing third-and-11 from the LSU 34, quarterback Tajh Boyd threw the ball to the near sideline where only Ford could make the catch.
At first, Ford turned around and saw the ball was floating towards his front shoulder instead of his back shoulder where he originally thought the ball was coming. He quickly adjusted, turning all the way around and then making a spectacular of the over the shoulder catch while keeping both feet in bounds.
The 20-yard gain moved the football to the LSU 14, and two plays later, Boyd found DeAndre Hopkins in the back of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown with 2:47 left in the game.
“That was a big-time catch, and one we had to have at that point,” Boyd said.
It was a big-time catch and it was one that proved Brandon Ford is ready to play at the next level. And whoever replaces him at tight end in 2013 will have big shoes to fill because Morris will be asked, “Who will replace the production at tight end that you got from Brandon Ford?”