Meet USC Trojans Transfer Receiver Kyle Ford: Veteran In Break Out Season

USC Trojans wide receiver Kyle Ford has had quite the journey in college. From starting off at USC, the transferring to crosstown rival UCLA, then back to USC for his last year of college football. He's also suffered a couple of serious injuries during his collegiate career, but through it all Ford manages to keep his head up.

Sep 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Kyle Ford (81) carries the ball ball against Wisconsin Badgers safety Hunter Wohler (24) in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC Trojans wide receiver Kyle Ford hasn't had the typical path of a four-star athlete out of high school. He's gone thorugh two serious knee injuries since arriving at USC, and has also transferred out of the university to nearby UCLA for a season before coming back during this past offseason.

However, despite all the tough moments throughout his career, Ford said during his media availbility session on Tuesday that he wouldn't trade his journey for anything in the world.

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Kyle Ford (81) carries the ball against LSU Tigers safety Major Burns (8) in the third quarter nt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ford suffered a season-ending knee injury his senior year of high school in 2018 and went through another season-ending knee injury the summer of 2020, after his freshman year at USC. He called it was some of the most difficult times of his career and said it would take some time before he would be healthy on the field again.

"I think a total of three years really time wise. Just because there's getting through it and then there's like a confidence aspect to it," Ford said. "It was definitely tough going through that but at the end of it, you come out better than you ever were."

Ford mentioned how the injuries made his appreicate the game of football more.

"It's made me more appreciative than anything. I think every time I step out, regardless of how i'm feeling...I come out here and I find a way to reset. Because there is so many times in those 700 days where I wish I could've been out here on a bad day," Ford said. "Every day is a just a blessing."

Nov 11, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Kyle Ford (81) runs the ball against the Colorado Buffaloes during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

As he gets ready to finish off his last season of college football, Ford talked about how his in-game maturity levels have gone through the roof since his freshman year.

"I think from a maturity level, it's been like I said before, being able to reset and take a deep breath...handling each moment, play to play has been my maturity aspect and just doing things right in that moment," Ford added.

Ford is coming off his best game of the season vs. Rutgers, where he had season-highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He finished with four catches for 45 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season vs. the Scarlet Knights.

On the season so far, Ford could potentially be on pace to see career-highs in receptions and receiving yards if he continues to have games like he did vs. Rutgers. Ford has 14 catches for 180 yards and one touchdown. His career-high in receptions was set last year in his lone season at UCLA with 22 and his high in receiving yards is 365 set in 2022.

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