Transfer Tales: Switching Bedlam Allegiances Created Doubts for Oklahoma DL Trace Ford: 'It Was Tough'

Ford wondered how being a Sooner would make his OSU teammates and the Stillwater community feel about him, but meeting Brent Venables "changed my mindset about Oklahoma."

EDITOR'S NOTE: This series explores each of Oklahoma's 2023 newcomers who arrived via the transfer portal.

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NORMAN — Of course Trace Ford grew to dislike Oklahoma.

That’s just the way it goes when the Sooners inexplicably don’t offer you a scholarship out of high school and you end up playing against them with the in-state rival.

So when Ford decided to leave Oklahoma State and enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, and when Brent Venables and his staff finally came calling, Ford knew switching Bedlam allegiances would be emotionally challenging.

“It was tough. I’m not gonna lie,” Ford said Thursday during interviews at Memorial Stadium. “Coming here, I had a lot of doubts. But I trusted the process. I know what's best for my career. And I met the people here and my mindset changed about Oklahoma, how I felt about them. I mean, at the end of day, it was kind of just business for me. And I'm happy I'm here.”

Ford is one month into being a Sooner. He’s coming off an injury to his patella — the kneecap became stressed last year and eventually cracked — and he knows he’s got a lot of work to do to break into the OU lineup.

But Thursday, upon a barrage of media queries, his mind turned back to Stillwater, back to those doubts, and back to the uncomfortable circumstances under which he left.

“It was more like, just emotional doubts,” Ford said. “Just, how would my OSU teammates feel about it? How would my relationships be impacted from, like, the people I know in Stillwater? You know, you grow close to a lot of your teammates over four years. So it was more about just how they would feel and how the community would feel overall. That was my biggest doubt. Decided it was fine and just went with it.”

Ford became an instant OSU villain, particularly on social media. You can look it up — things got pretty ugly.

But the vitriol mostly from the proud OSU fan base, scarred not only by an offseason filled with roster defections, but one player who even ended up in the enemy territory of Norman.

For the most part, Ford said he feels like he satisfied those doubts.

“I think I did,” he said. “I think some some relationships probably were kind of burned from my decision. But at the end of day, we all have to do what's best for ourselves, ultimately. So I felt like this is was best.”

Things have even settled down. The hate, for what it’s worth, has diminished.

“Yeah, you know how social media is,” Ford said. “One month it's all crazy, and the next month no one even knows who you are. I'm back to my quiet self on social media. It's pretty nice.”

Ford clarified that he didn’t leave Stillwater because of anything in particular that happened with the school or the team. The place just became an emotional burden for him.

“I mean, there was no — like, I didn't have a problem with OSU,” Ford said. “It was all love. I just, sometimes you just gotta move on. And I had so many injuries and it was mentally like, a thing for me, when I came into the stadium, I would just think about being hurt and injured. It was scary, and it was just taking a toll on me. And I thought I needed a refresh, a restart. So that was my reason for leaving.”

Venables said landing Ford out of the portal was never about sticking it to the Cowboys.

“It’s all about the person and the fit on and off the field,” Venables said. “ … I don’t look at it as a rival transfer at all. I don’t get into those weeds. For us, we’re looking at what our needs are and if they fit all the things that are on your checklist. It was a pretty low maintenance recruiting process, to be honest with you.”

“He just basically told me he just saw me fitting in with the team, being an impact,” Ford said, “and he wanted to get on campus and play for them. I mean, it was it was kind of simple.

“And I just, I saw the fit that he explained just on the field, what I could do, the competition level and how I need to compete to earn a spot. I thrive off competition. I thrive off of knowing that I don't have a place on the field. So I just trusted him, and I'm here.”

After going down in mid-October, Ford isn’t 100 percent healthy yet in his rehab, but he’s coming along. When spring football practice starts next month, he should be ready to go.

“I’m almost there,” he said.” I'm doing everything pretty much, trying to catch up. I just got to get a couple things figured out (with) PT, just a couple little things to fine out the rough edges. But I'm pretty much there.”

Ford played in 30 games at OSU, with 8.5 quarterback sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss to go with 14 passes defensed and three forced fumbles. He can certainly be an impact player on the Oklahoma defense.

He missed all of 2021 and was in and out of the lineup with a variety of minor injuries. He’s older now, more level, more serious, more mature. His perspective is one of having most certainly been there and done that.

Unfortunately for him, that includes injury rehab.

“I mean, this sucks,” he said. “I mean, it's just mentally draining. But at the same time, I know how important this sport is to me and how important it is to get the next level and play the game I love. So I mean, it's more motivating than anything, just getting out there and proving people wrong, proving myself wrong every time.”