University of Cincinnati running back Jerome Ford is a laid-back, mild-mannered guy off the field. It's a rarity when Ford gets excited and shares more than a handful of words about anything.
But on Monday, when asked about facing his former coach, Nick Saban, and his former team, Alabama, in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff on Friday, Ford had plenty to say.
“I’m thankful for everything Coach Saban did for me and the opportunity to play at Alabama. But I’m a Bearcat, and I would kind of appreciate it if people stopped calling me ‘the Alabama transfer.’ I am a Cincinnati Bearcat," Ford said.
Ford, a native of Tampa, Florida, transferred from Tuscaloosa to Cincinnati following the 2019 season after playing two seasons for Saban at Alabama. Less than two years later, Ford earned first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the AAC championship game and will lead the No. 4-ranked Bearcats (13-0) into the Cotton Bowl to face the top-ranked and defending national champion Crimson Tide (12-1) on New Year's Eve.
Ford said he won't have or need any more energy than he normally would for any other opponent.
“This is a business trip," Ford said. "We came here to play football. It won’t be one of those things where it’s like ‘Oh, my buddies are over there.’ It’ll be just like playing another team. We came to play a game and win a game.”
Ford played eight games – four in each of his two seasons (2018-19) – for the Crimson Tide, running for 151 yards on 31 carries and three touchdowns. Ford ran for 64 yards and a score on 10 carries in a win against Duke in 2019.
This season, his first as a full-time starter for the Bearcats, Ford has tied Michael Warren II for the most rushing touchdowns in a season (19) in school history and ranks ninth on the single-season list with 1,242 rushing yards.
Saban said Sunday he's glad Ford was able to break out of the crowded backfield at Alabama that included 2021 first-round NFL draft pick Najee Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers) and find a home within Luke Fickell's program at Cincinnati.
Saban said Ford will be a tough matchup for a Crimson Tide defense that features sophomore linebacker Will Anderson Jr., who has a staggering 32.5 tackles for a loss this season.
“We thought Jerome was an outstanding player when he was with us," Saban said. "I'm really happy that things have worked out well for him where he could create value for himself. He'll certainly be a challenge for us."
The 5-foot-11-inch, 220-pound Ford has recorded five 100-yard games on the ground this season and has scored three touchdowns of longer than 74 yards.
Ford had a 79-yard score against Georgia in last season's Peach Bowl on New Year's Day.