Jerome Ford's Transfer Journey Coming Full Circle Facing Former Team in CFP

The running back started his college career with a deep stable of running backs at Alabama before blazing his own path with Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff.

DALLAS — Cincinnati's leading rusher began his college career in Tuscaloosa with the Crimson Tide, but he doesn't want to just be known only as an Alabama transfer this week.

"I’m thankful for everything Coach Saban has done for me and the opportunity to play at Alabama, but I’m a Bearcat, and I would appreciate if if people stopped calling me ‘the Alabama transfer,'" Jerome Ford said. "I’m a Cincinnati Bearcat."

Ford spent two seasons at Alabama in 2018 and 2019, playing a third or fourth string backup role in a talented and deep running back corps with guys like Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris. He entered the transfer portal after the 2019 season to find a place where he could contribute more. 

The running back was recruited by Bearcat assistant coach Gino Guidugli out of high school and was close to coming to Cincinnati then. He ultimately chose the Crimson Tide, but knew it was a connection he still had once he entered the transfer portal. He was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA to start playing for the Bearcats in 2020. 

Last season, he served as the primary backup running back for Cincinnati and earned his first start for the Bearcats against Georgia in the Peach Bowl. This year, Ford has had an all-conference season, leading the Bearcats with 1,242 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. 

"We thought Jerome was an outstanding player when he was with us," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "He had some success with us, and I think he's done a really, really good job of continuing to develop as a player. He's got great speed. He's physical. He makes people miss. He can run with power, and he's had a fantastic year. And I'm really happy that things have worked out well for him where he can create value for himself in terms of the goals and aspirations that he had."

Saban added that Ford will be a challenge for the Alabama defense to stop as he is a key part of an offense that averages 38.8 points per game. 

Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder and wide receiver Alec Pierce said that Ford's experience at Alabama gives the Bearcats a unique perspective into their opponent in the Cotton Bowl.

"Jerome being there, he knows the culture," Pierce said. "He knows how they work, and I know they’re a really well-run program.”

Ford said that even though he will have a lot of buddies on the other side of the field on Friday, it doesn't change his approach to the game. He said there’s no opponent that could really cause him extra motivation as he is someone that is already motivated intrinsically.

Cincinnati starting right tackle Dylan O'Quinn knows that there has to be a little extra motivation for Ford when facing your former team.

"I’m sure Jerome will be pretty motivated, but I think he's just gonna go out and do his thing that he does on every Saturday," O'Quinn said. "He's gonna go run the ball, hit the holes, run hard.”

In the weeks leading up to the playoff, some of his former Alabama teammates like Brian Robinson Jr. and Phidarian Mathis said they were happy to see the success Ford had with the Bearcats and were excited about facing him in the CFP. And on Monday, Ford said he still keeps up with some of his former teammates from Tuscaloosa.

"Just before I was here, they were like brothers to me, you know, older brothers—people that you can lean on and that led you in the right direction," Ford said. "Of course I was happy to see them when they won a national championship last year and continue to be excited for those guys.”

As excited as he was for those guys as the confetti fell in January, the feelings will be different when No. 4 Cincinnati and No. 1 Alabama take the field at 2:30 on Friday for the College Football Playoff semifinal game in Dallas. 

Coming from a program that has made the CFP seven out of eight times to a school that's part of the Group of Five that had never made the playoff prior to this year is quite the journey for Ford. For Ford, this playoff experience is just the icing on the cake of his transfer story.

"Only thing I thought about when I came to Cincinnati is how could I contribute to help win games and win a conference championship," Ford said. "Anything else would have been a plus.”

T.G. Paschal/BamaCentral