Difficult Journey to Soccer Stardom

After fighting for nearly two years to gain full custody of Ford, his mom finally won. “We ran. My mom loved Colorado so we came here just to start over,” Ford says.

He was then 12 years old, but the challenges were not over. Shortly after moving to Greeley, his mom was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. The medical bills were piling up, and his mom had little money. They could only afford for Ford to play soccer for a local team, but after one year of play in Greeley, he was noticed by a coach from an Olympic development program. Subsequently, he was recruited to play for a league in south Denver.

“For two years we were driving every day two hours to practice and then two hours back, and my mom was making this drive while going through chemo,” Ford recalls. “Every ounce of money we had left went to gas money, so that I had the opportunity to grow as a soccer player.”

When Ford was 16, he was recruited to play with the Colorado Rapids Academy, a nationwide youth-development initiative organized by the U.S. Soccer Federation. It’s designed to enhance the development of the country’s top players. It wasn’t long afterward that DU came calling.

“When I stepped foot on campus I immediately fell in love with the place,” Ford says. “Not only did I fall in love with the facilities, the culture, and the guys on the team, but the Denver coaching staff was the only coaching staff to sit down and show me the system they played, where they saw me fitting into the lineup, and how they could improve my character and prepare me for success after college.”

Now, three years later, his mom has fought off cancer, and Ford is thriving on the soccer field. His focus is on a national championship for the University of Denver. After his performance this season, there’s talk of Ford possibly joining the Rapids. “Sometimes it’s a bit of added stress, because you are worried about life after college. At the end of the day, I just try to stay focused and worry about what’s best for the team,” Ford says.

Franks believes Ford is ready for whatever challenge lies ahead. “My job is to prepare kids for their next step, and he is ready for the pros,” Franks says. “Most kids who want to go pro are just looking at it because they like soccer. Ford is doing it to put food on the table and take care of him and his mom.”

Ford says his mom never misses a game, and her commitment to his passion of soccer drives his success. “I know how strong she was, and she knew that we only had each other. We had to get through it together, and because of it, our relationship is stronger today.”