'We would not be where we are today without Jaylan Ford': Texas linebacker set for finale

Growing up, Texas senior Jaylan Ford considered Spider-Man his favorite superhero.

As time went by, Ford began to favor Superman. He considers his mother to be a "Superwoman."

But ask members of the Texas football team to compare Ford to a superhero, and they'll liken the linebacker to the caped crusader. Ford said UT director of football performance Torre Becton began calling him Batman after he took it upon himself to make sure the Longhorns were doing what they needed to be doing during offseason workouts.

"To some people, Batman is a bad guy, but he's trying to do right, if that makes sense," Ford explained.

Batman is "the guy who's just very quiet but just always manages to find a way out of different situations," Texas linebacker David Gbenda said. "And Jaylan has a unique way of handling different situations."

For the past four years, Royal-Memorial Stadium has been Ford's Batcave. He made his collegiate debut at that stadium in 2020. He was named the Big 12 defensive player of the week after 2022 home games against Iowa State and Baylor.

On Friday night, Ford will play for the 24th and final time at Royal-Memorial Stadium. Ahead of the game, he will be one of 25 Longhorns who will participate in UT's senior day activities.

"It's kind of hard to fathom just being spoiled with the home games and the love and support that you get from Texas," Ford said. "I think it's going to be hard to kind of accept the fact that I won't be seeing it again."

Ford will be honored alongside teammates such as Jordan Whittington, a five-star prize in the Class of 2019, and Alfred Collins, who chose Texas over Alabama and Oklahoma in an on-campus ceremony four years ago. The path Ford took to Texas was not as celebrated. In fact, he was not among the 16 signees announced by Texas when the early signing period opened during the 2020 recruiting cycle.

It was actually a day later that Texas sent out a tweet that said, "Welcome to the family, Jaylan Ford." Since he had signed without ever visiting Texas, Ford recalled that his face was superimposed on someone else's body for the picture used in that tweet.

A three-star prospect out of Frisco, Ford had originally pledged to Utah that October, and he intended on honoring that commitment. When Texas extended an offer in late November, Ford really didn't pay it any mind.

But as Ford saw consistent reminders of Texas on social media, he started to weigh his options and ask himself questions. Would it benefit him to stay home and play for the state's flagship school? Would his family be able to support him if he moved to Utah? Could he create a legacy at a school that molded a linebacker like Derrick Johnson?

So during the wee hours of that December signing period's first day, Ford found himself discussing his future with his mother. He decided to not sign with Utah. That meant he had to tell his high school that he wouldn't be participating in a signing ceremony that day. He also had to call Utah to break the bad news.

"My mom made me," Ford said. "She's like, you've got to be a man. You've got to come to terms, and that's pretty hard, especially being 18."

Said Youlonda Taylor: "I told him that if he makes the decision not to go to Utah, then he is going to have to grow up because he has to call the coach and he has to inform the coach himself why he's not signing. I left it up to him to do that, of course, and that was the hardest thing I think he had to do. He did not want to do it. Of course, how do you tell someone that after they've done everything right and they really wanted you?"

The next day, Ford had clarity. He wanted to go to Texas. Ford called then-coach Tom Herman to ask if he could still sign, and Herman said yes. Instead of the usual pomp and circumstance of a signing ceremony, Ford and his mother took care of the necessary paperwork in his high school coach's office.

Ford described himself as an emotional wreck during that time, but it's not surprising that he turned to his mother for support and guidance. Since Taylor primarily raised him as a single mother, Ford said that "really the only person I had to lean on most of the time was my mom."

Taylor was the one who placed Ford in sports when he was little, drove him to many of his practices and believed in him more than he believed in himself. And it won't matter how many No. 41 jerseys are worn at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Friday, Ford has no doubt who his biggest fan is. He also said that the foundation of his work ethic was laid while observing the way his mother worked to provide for him during his childhood.

"Looking back, I think that's kind of what kind of taught me how to be self-driven and how to continue to work even when people don't really notice. When things are hard, you've got to keep pushing," Ford said. "I give all the credit to my mom just being the Superwoman she was for me, especially when times were hard."

Taylor said that growing up, her son was "a daredevil. He was always doing something where he could have broken a leg. He actually knocked out his teeth when he was riding an ATV." Ford participated in activities like baseball, basketball and even weightlifting, but it was football that stuck. Taylor recalled that one of the first football teams that Ford played on was coincidentally named the Longhorns.

"He just really loved the game. Like really, really loved the game," Taylor said. "He hated to lose. Losing was just not his thing. I mean, we all hate to lose, but he literally was crying when they lost. I noticed the other kids, some of them, most of them, were laughing like it's a loss, but okay, but this kid is just bawling and crying.

"I actually was thinking about this story a couple of weeks ago, because I was saying I wish I had a recording of him in those moments when he was crying because it really showed then his competitiveness. He just really took pride in trying to be great, trying to do everything right."

Ford said his mom hasn't missed a Texas game this season. She'll join his father, half-brothers and stepmother in the receiving line during UT's senior day ceremony Friday.

Ford's family will be on hand to celebrate a career that has been on an ascent the past few years. Ford played primarily on special teams as a freshman before he found a role within new defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski's system a year later. Last season, Ford led Texas with his 119 tackles and a handful of timely turnovers. He entered this fall as the Big 12's preseason defensive player of the year, and he has recorded a team-high 80 stops and two interceptions while being recognized as a Butkus Award semifinalist.

"J-Ford, he's that leader. He's that linebacker that every team should have on their team," UT safety Jerrin Thompson said. "We're grateful to have him on our team."

Texas ranks 16th in scoring defense (18.2 points per game) and 37th in total defense (336.6 yards per game). The Longhorns (10-1, 7-1) are the No. 7 team in the College Football Playoff rankings, and a win over Texas Tech (6-5, 5-3) Friday night would secure UT's spot in the Big 12 championship game.

Throughout this season, head coach Steve Sarkisian has been effusive in his praise for the seniors who remained Longhorns after he was hired to replace the coach they signed with and then stuck with the program after a 5-7 showing in 2021. That tone didn't change when Sarkisian was asked about Ford on Monday.

"What an invaluable player he's been for our program, especially over the last two years. We would not be where we are today without Jaylan Ford," Sarkisian said. "Just what he represents, the way he goes about his business, the cerebral aspect of the game, the versatility of his game, the playmaking at critical moments, all those things add up. We're obviously very fortunate to have had him."

Friday's game

Texas Tech (6-5, 5-3) at No. 7 Texas (10-1, 7-1), 6:30 p.m., ABC, 1300, 98.1, 105.3 (Spanish)

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Longhorns linebacker Jaylan Ford set for finale vs. Texas Tech