Trace Ford's family braces for emotional Bedlam after transfer to OU football from OSU
For the past 11 months, Desirae Ford has had this nagging anxiety creep into her mind when she thinks of Bedlam.
How is this going to go? Can the game hurry and be over?
“I just want to be on the other side of it, personally,” she said.
Desirae Ford is a mom of nine children and a nurse practitioner who was on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. She understands stress.
But nestled directly in the middle of her large family is OU defensive lineman Trace Ford, the poster child for the transfer portal in Oklahoma.
He was the first football player to switch sides in the longstanding rivalry between OU and Oklahoma State, transferring from OSU last offseason after a series of injuries. He’s been called just about every name in the book. He’s even received death threats.
So, the reaction when he takes the field as a Sooners captain at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium during the final edition of Bedlam for the foreseeable future will likely be wildly negative from those not on the field.
“It’s just going to be kind of uncomfortable,” Desirae told The Oklahoman last week.
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Desirae and her husband, Shaun, will be in attendance. They will sit in the OU family section, an area she never imagined sitting while Trace was at OSU throughout four seasons.
Desirae said she does not fear for anyone’s safety. The negative comments directed towards her family have mostly abated.
But she knows that could be ramped back up Saturday.
“I shouldn’t but as a human being some of the different comments and stuff against Trace over time just kinda makes me nervous that there might be somebody that gives us a hard time or gives him a hard time,” Desirae said. “I don’t look forward to those things.”
Still, there is excitement for the Ford family.
Trace is healthy and making an impact for the Sooners. He transferred there with that as the goal after dealing with two different ACL tears and a fractured knee cap throughout his final three seasons at OSU.
“He’s having fun and it’s like he’s got new life,” Desirae said. “I’m really, really enjoying it. He did battle a lot of depression and self-doubt and stuff like that for a long time. He’s past that now and I’m really happy that he’s happy.”
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When healthy, Trace was a force for the Cowboys. He had more than 10 total sacks. He was adept at breaking up passes as a defensive end.
But he needed a fresh start. He wanted to do that close to home with his family.
With the Sooners, he’s totaled 10 tackles, an interception, three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. His impact has increased the past few weeks.
Though, when asked about facing Ford on Monday, OSU coach Mike Gundy mostly avoided his former player.
“I’ve watched a lot of tape and honestly have not paid attention or noticed,” Gundy said. “I look at concepts, schemes, numbers, what I think ability is, not ability, what to attack, what I want to stay away from — things like that more so than who it would be. So, I don’t really notice things like that.”
But Trace remains close with former and current Cowboys.
“I get to finally talk trash to him,” said OSU linebacker Collin Oliver, who remains friends with his former teammate. “I haven't been able to do it in all my years of knowing him, so this is going to be the first time of getting to do that. I hope I see him after the game as well.
“It’s going to be a great game, but I’m going to hate him for the hour that I get to see him.”
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Two weeks ago, Trace returned to Boone Pickens Stadium while the Sooners were on their bye week. He sat in the stands as OSU beat Kansas.
Trace and Oliver saw each other after.
Trace, wearing a black hoodie as he sat in OSU’s family section, also lost some anonymity during the game.
A group of three teenage boys approached him.
“Is your name Trace?” one asked.
“No, my name is Zack,” Ford said, leading the boys to walk away.
But they soon returned.
“We know you’re Trace Ford,” they said. “You’re a traitor.”
They then asked to take a picture with Trace, who was unavailable to the media this week.
He said on his weekly Sports Animal appearance that he laughed off the exchange.
“I found it more funny (than anything),” he said.
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Some believe Trace has embraced a new role as the villain in the Bedlam rivalry. It would make sense, but only to help himself.
“I can see him doing that in his own mind for fuel,” Desirae said, “because that’s the thing that gets him going thinking he’s got something to prove.”
And he will certainly want to make a mark Saturday.
Perhaps that would be the necessary step for all sides to finally move forward.
Desirae hopes so.
“I imagine the student section will be kinda riled up and stuff like that,” she said. “I don’t know. I think maybe some time has gone by and there’s probably a lot of fans that don’t really know him anymore as much as a legend of something that happened in the past.
“I don’t think it’s going to be as big a deal as I have in my mind.”
Jacob Unruh covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jacob? He can be reached at junruh@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jacobunruh. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Jacob’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State
KICKOFF: 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater (ABC)
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football transfer Trace Ford's family braces for emotional Bedflam
