Notre Dame football: Transfer running back loving new life at ND
Notre Dame’s backfield appears to be loaded as the Fighting Irish are a week from starting the 2023 season. A veteran that will have his name near the top of the depth chart this fall is Penn State transfer Devyn Ford.
Ford spoke to the media on Tuesday for the first time since announcing his transfer from one football powerhouse to another. A few of the highlights from it can be found below.
Among them are a little detail about how Notre Dame pursued Ford a few short years ago during recruitment, how little he knew about Notre Dame football not long ago, and how much he has enjoyed being around the people at Notre Dame early on.
Gives Brief Background
“I graduated with a (degree in) psychology — I was inspired all my life by role models and people who are older than me who come back to speak to the youth and give us life. And I thought that I could also be a role model in life in terms of like going back to my own city, hometown as a high school football coach maybe, or a guidance counselor … and give life to that.”
Notre Dame's recruitment of him in high school
“It was more like kind of through the window, like, ‘Hey, stop by’” he characterized the brief courtship in the 2019 recruiting cycle, “and then they’re gone.”
Has quickly fallen in love with Notre Dame
“In terms of knowing this facility, knowing where the class is at, or the airport, hotels, anything — I just did not know until I got here.
“And it blew my mind, honestly. I didn’t know Notre Dame was like this. I didn’t know it was a great place to be, smiles everywhere, great people and just being around smart people as well, on and off the field. It’s definitely a different vibe.”
On growing up near Chris Tyree
“I actually grew up watching that dude run around the field, anytime we had high school games near each other, I would always go watch Chris … and he was watching me be me. It’s funny how we all ended up back at the same place.”
On relationship with Notre Dame running backs group
“Literally, I love them, and I just love the scheme that we have back there and the camaraderie we have in our room, it’s all laughs. It’s all jokes. It’s all love. It’s never, ‘Hey, I’m better than you’ or ‘you can’t do this.’ No, it’s, ‘How can I help you get better?’”
Deland McCullough on recruiting Ford to Notre Dame
Notre Dame running backs coach Deland McCullogh spoke to the media and shared a bit of information on how recruiting Ford in the transfer portal went:
“I went step-by-step how I teach inside zone, outside zone, and how I teach option, outside option. I didn’t know until I got done — I’m 10-15-20 minutes into it — and I heard this clapping in the background. He had me on speakerphone with his family. He said, ‘Man coach, I may come because you’re saying some things I’ve never heard. I think I can really thrive. Man, that’s some good stuff.’
Notre Dame preseason links
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