Tampa, Fla. May 14, 2024 – The University of South Florida Football program mourns the loss of Mike Ford. The Sarasota, Fla. native was 37 at the time of his passing.
 
The former South Florida running back was known for his 'Built Ford tough', run style. Ford played for the Bulls from 2007-09 and racked up 1,502 career rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns (tied for fifth-most in program history) on 331 attempts over 34 games. He averaged 10.4 yards per carry over his career, the fifth-most in program history.
 
Ford was a breakout freshman in 2007, as he helped the Bulls climb as high as number two in the Associated Press Poll. Ford led the team with 12 rushing touchdowns.

In Ford's last game as a Bull (Jan. 2, 2010 vs. NIU) he ran for a career-high 207 yards on 20 attempts, the ninth-most rushing yards in Bulls' single-game history.
 
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 27th season in 2023 while completing construction on a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility. A $340-million on-campus stadium and football operations center is slated for completion by 2027. The Bulls have posted 16 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections, including 2021 consensus All-American kick returner Brian Battie, as well as 32 first-team all-conference selections. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and the Bulls have made 11 bowl game appearances (going 7-4 in those games), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. The Bulls posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016 while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings during the 2007 season.
 
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– #GoBulls –