Alabama TE Josh Ford is about to show an insane level of toughness if the Crimson Tide coaches don’t protect him from himself
Josh Ford has been a matchup problem for the Alabama Crimson Tide in the pass game and the run game. Kalen DeBoer just shared news from the SEC teleconference that shows exactly what type of player Tuscaloosa landed.
Alabama Crimson Tide fans don’t need anyone to tell them how big of an impact tight end Josh Ford has had in the pass game and the run game. He has been one of the most important pieces of this offense, and he just showed why he was the ultimate pickup in the transfer portal.
According to Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer during the SEC teleconference, Ford broke his arm against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday. Ford didn’t leave the game, either. He kept playing with a broken arm.
Josh Ford had surgery Sunday and could face Georgia
The story gets better. ord had surgery on Sunday, and DeBoer is optimistic his tight end will be able to play against the Georgia Bulldogs.
So the immediate question becomes, when will that game actually be played? Your guess is as good as mine. A lot of you have seen the weather updates. As of this writing, nothing has changed, and the game is still set for Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.
Regardless of when kickoff happens, think about what this means. Ford could play less than a week after breaking his arm, and that comes after he finished a game with the injury. In my opinion, that’s about as clear a picture of toughness as you’ll find in college football.
Ford is exactly what Alabama’s staff has been looking for
The truth is, this is what DeBoer, Courtney Morgan, and the entire Alabama personnel and recruiting staff have been preaching. They only want players who want to be in Tuscaloosa. They want players who fit the culture, who are tough, and who come from programs, places, and high schools that live and die by football.
That is Josh Ford to a tee.
Ford has made some highlight catches, including that one-handed grab in the back of the end zone. But if you only know him from his receptions, you’re missing the best part of his game. Turn on the film and watch him go to work as a blocker. I post clips of Ford every week on X (@NFL_Rob), and almost every one shows him driving somebody into the ground.
That’s what he has been for the Crimson Tide. Alabama has used him inline as a tight end, as a halfback, and as a fullback, and the result is the same no matter where he lines up. Ford bullies his opponents.
On top of that, he doesn’t rattle. Ford laughed it off when Dylan Stewart punched him. Most players would let that get under their skin. Ford treated it as part of a normal day at the office, and that tells you plenty about his mindset.
Why this matters for the Crimson Tide
Toughness gets thrown around a lot in college football, usually as a talking point. The difference here is the receipts. Playing through a broken arm, having surgery the next day, and pushing to be back for one of the biggest games on the schedule is toughness you can actually point to.
It also sends a message to the rest of the locker room. When one of your most physical players refuses to come off the field with a broken arm, it sets the standard for everyone around him. That’s the kind of culture DeBoer has talked about building since he arrived.
The bottom line is that Alabama went into the transfer portal looking for a specific type of player, and it found exactly that in Ford. This injury update is just the latest example of what the Crimson Tide brought into Tuscaloosa. If he suits up against Georgia, he’ll do it with a surgically repaired arm, and I wouldn’t bet against him making his presence felt.
