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Ford finds himself in leadership role at OSU
Sophomore tight end Josh Ford is looking to take on more of a leadership role for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Ford, the hometown kid, expects to make improvements individually and collectively for the team. Josh Ford has been a part of Stillwater his whole life. Coming from a family of athletes, Ford has a lineage of football players. His father played at Baylor University, Josh’ s brother Jesse played football at Sterling College. He also has a grandfather and uncles that have all competed at the highest level of college football.
His grandfather played at SMU and an uncle played at TCU. His uncle, Tully Janszen, won a national championship with the Texas Longhorns.
Ford attended Stillwater High School and played tight end for the Pioneers. Growing up he didn’ t face many challenges athletically so he used different sports to teach his body different mechanics. Ford played basketball to utilize his length, which also became an advantage on the football field, creating mismatches for smaller defenders in the passing game.“ I grew really quick and got long and lanky, so I used it to focus on football,” said Ford. Josh was a key player in the Pioneers championship run in 2022. The Pioneers went undefeated and dominated the 6A-II Division. Ford spent three years on varsity, showing leadership, class and dominance. He finished his Pioneer career with 22 receptions for 245 yards in his senior year. With the impressive play from the tight-end, it earned him status as the 27th ranked tight end in the country according ESPN.
Ford enrolled early for spring practice with the Cowboys in the beginning of Spring 2022. He had his mind set on making an impact since his commitment. OSU was Ford’ s only offer, so it was a no-brainer to take it.
“ I really wanted to stay close to home. I am a mama’ s boy,” Ford said.“ I’ m three minutes from my house, so I can go home and get a home-cooked meal.”
Ford immediately came into the Cowboy offense making an impact. He played in all 12 games as a freshman for the Pokes. His impact was seen by all of the Stillwater and OSU community. Ford recorded at least one catch in six games.
The sophomore tight end expects to add to the stats this fall. He says he is more focused on working hard and taking on a leadership role more than anything. Stepping up into the leadership role has been a learning experience, though it was almost inevitable.
“ Being one of the only guys returning on the offense causes me to step up,” he said.
Ford and the Cowboys look to take forward steps going into the season. After a shaky season for the Cowboys in 2024, everyone looks for improvement. As for the hometown kid, being a good teammate and leader can help the Cowboys have a much better season than the last.
SwOk
STORY BY: Jonathan Jackson Stillwater Oklahoma Magazine
PHOTOS PROVIDED by: BRUCE WATERFIELD, OSU ATHLETICS
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