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J. Ford Fact: Has averaged 12.5 yards per carry on 22 career rushes.
Years Lettered: 2006,07
Years Starter: 2007
Bowl Participation: Reserve wide receiver in the 2006 Music City Bowl against Kentucky.
Fall 2008 Depth Chart Position: First-team wide receiver
Overview: One of the most explosive players in the ACC...suffered a broken ankle at Maryland in the eighth game of 2007 and missed the rest of the year...two-sport star who came back from injury to compete with the track team in the 2008 spring and earned All-America honors in the 100m...has 1,684 career all-purpose yards on 102 touches (16.5-yard avaerage)...has at least 274 yards in all four all-purpose categories...All-American on the track team, as he won the ACC title in the 60m indoors (6.52) in 2007 and finished fifth in the 100m outdoors in 2008...has five touchdowns of at least 50 yards in his career, tied for third-most in Tiger history...10th among active ACC players in career touchdown receptions (6)...eighth among active ACC players in career kickoff return yards (637)...fifth among active ACC players in career punt return yards (274)...seventh-best punt returner and 16th-best kickoff returner in the nation by Phil Steele...his brother Davy has attended every single home game in his career at Clemson; Davy played at Florida State and had an 82-yard run against Clemson in 2000...enrolled at Clemson in January of 2006...played at Fork Union Military Academy in 2005...only player in the nation in 2006 to have a punt return and kickoff return for at least 90 yards.
2007: Third on the team in receptions and third in rushing at the time of his season-ending ankle injury...averaged 100.1 all-purpose yards per game, second-best on the team...had at least 100 yards rushing, receiving, punt returns, and kickoff returns...averaged 12.3 yards per rush on 14 carries for 172 yards; he was on his way to a school record in terms of rushing yards per carry...had a 53-yard rush, 52-yard reception, and 82-yard kickoff return...third on the team in rushing yards, fifth in receiving yards, fourth in all-purpose yards, second in kickoff return yards, and second in punt return yards...scored four touchdowns, all on receptions...had three catches for 68 yards against Louisiana-Monroe, including a 52-yard touchdown catch; he had 132 all-purpose yards...had two catches for 55 yards and a touchdown against Furman...had a season-high four catches for 48 yards and a 52-yard rush at N.C. State...had two catches (both touchdowns) for 44 yards, two carries for 21 yards, an 82-yard kickoff return, and seven punt-return yards for a season-high 154 all-purpose yards against Central Michigan...had three catches for 37 yards and two kickoff returns for 43 yards at Maryland before the injury, as he was tackled going out of bounds...had 801 all-purpose yards in 51 touches (15.7-yard average).
2006: Clemson's special teams player-of-the-year, but he also made strong contributions as a wideout...second-team freshman All-American as a returner by Rivals.com and Scout.com...honorable mention freshman All-American by Sporting News as a kick returner...averaged 32.8 yards per kickoff return, a figure that would have led the ACC and been in the top five in the nation if he had enough attempts to qualify; he had 13 returns in 13 games...had a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown against Florida Atlantic, then had a 94-yard kickoff return against Louisiana Tech; that punt return is the longest in Clemson history and longest in the ACC that season...one of just three players in Tiger history with a punt return and kickoff return for a score in a career...would have been in the top three in the ACC in punt returns and kickoff returns but did not have enough attempts to qualify...had a 55-yard touchdown catch against Temple and 76-yard touchdown catch against South Carolina...named special teams player-of-the-week by the coaches against Wake Forest and Temple...had 15 receptions for 187 yards...played 156 snaps, including 23 in the Music City Bowl against Kentucky; he had a 15-yard run...had a 13-yard rushing average on eight carries...enrolled at Clemson in January of 2006 and went through spring practice...had four catches for 103 yards in the March 12 scrimmage.
Track (2007-08): Outdoor - Automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships by placing fourth at the East Region Championships in the 100m; he posted a career-best time (10.21) in the prelims...earned his first outdoor All-America honor with a fifth-place finish in the 100m at the national meet; he ran a 10.33 into a headwind in the final...Indoor - Did not compete due to injury.
Track (2006-07): Outdoor - Ran first leg for the Tigers' 4x100m relay team that finished runner-up at East Region Championships; the squad posted a season-best time of 39.15 in the final...earned an at-large berth in the 100m at the NCAA Championships, but he was slowed due to injury...qualifier for regionals in three different events, including the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay...his top time of the season in the 100m was 10.23 in the prelims at ACCs, but was guilty of a false start in the final and was disqualified...finished fifth at the league meet in the 200m; his top time was 21.08...helped the 4x100m relay team to a second-place finish and regional-qualifying time of 39.48 at the ACC Championships...Indoor - Earned All-America honors with a third-place finish in the 60m with a time of 6.60 at the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, AR; his teammate Travis Padgett won the 60m race...won the ACC title in a record time of 6.52, the fastest time in the nation...became Clemson's first 60m champion at the ACC meet since fellow gridder Tye Hill accomplished the feat in 2004...earned All-ACC honors in the 200m, as he ran a 21.43 and placed third...first All-ACC honoree in the 200m for the Tigers since 2003...earned ACC Indoor Freshman-of-the-Year honors...won the 60m (6.60) at the Tyson Invitational...named Southeast Region Track Athlete-of-the-Year by USTFCCCA.
Before Clemson: Played at Fork Union Military Academy in 2005...returned seven kicks for scores (four punts, three kickoffs) and had 57 catches for 1,254 yards and nine touchodwns...rushed 12 times for 306 yards and three touchdowns...#36 wideout/kick returner in the nation by Scout.com...#17 prep school prospect in the nation by Rivals.com...had the best 40-yard time at the Fork Union combine (4.126)...Head Coach John Schuman called him "the fastest player ever at Fork Union;" it has produced 87 NFL draft picks and two Heisman Trophy winners...had 22 catches for 550 yards and 10 scores as a senior at Cardinal Newman High School...Palm Beach County All-Star game MVP...second-team all-state...state champion in the 100m (10.32) and 200m (21.25) as a senior...lettered twice in football and once in track...his brother Davy played at Florida State and scored on an 82-yard run against Clemson in 2000, the longest against a Tommy Bowden-coached Clemson team...coached by Don Dicus...chose Clemson over Florida, Michigan State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia...born Jul. 27, 1987...majoring in sociology.
