Virginia Tech Hokies wide receiver Isaiah Ford (1) makes a diving reception over the middle for a first down. [Michael Shroyer]
Last season Virginia Tech wide receiver Isaiah Ford led the Hokies in yards (709), catches (56) and was second only to tight end Bucky Hodges in touchdowns (7 to 6). Ford's fabulous freshman campaign earned him honorable All-ACC mentions by both the conference's media and the coaches. Ford doesn't appear to be headed for a sophomore slump. He earned the Coaches Award for an exceptional spring practice session, was picked as a third-team preseason All-ACC wideout by Phil Steele and earned the praise of head coach Frank Beamer in a recent interview with the ACC Digital Network.
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So excited to see I. Ford on the hardwood this winter! /s
hope he just focuses on football.
I think he'll definitely have us on the EDGE of our seats.
For once I thought we would be able to Escape the ford puns
Oh great, another thread that quickly goes away from football and is just a grand expedition through puns and jokes... great.
Who is going to be the brave Explorer who leads us back on topic?
Stay on topic, you assholes! (obscure reference for anyone that remembers that particular sub-thread)
What does this look like, your own personal Fiesta? Oh, crap...
Oh look, the moderator trying to Flex his muscle around here....
The way I see it, the only way a corner can keep up with Ford is if he puts a Lariat on him.
WHY CANT ANYONE STAY ON TOPIC ON THIS WEBSITE?!
Marcus Vick is the greatest QB ever and you can kiss my shiny metal ass if you disagree!
My opinion matters more than yours because I'm a big donor!!
......Did I miss anyone?
...you didn't cite the sources of those quotes.
Now the only thing missing is ten thousand Emma Watson gifs.
Did someone say Emma
Yes they did
She is so multi talented
Don't hate
It doesn't matter how many times or who you are....
That one of her dancing....
Yiiiiiiiiy.....
She is a great dancer.
Something something get off of my lawn?
TACO BELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is that where Ford gets his Pinto beans?
#beamer4prez? or was that even older and before my time
Mmm. I think he needs to add weight. What is Ford, 150?
i see what you did there...LOL
Not relevant to the thread (because we're so good at staying on topic), but your picture made me think of this one:
Excellent, H F. Like. I've got my eye on you.
This is a fine opinion to have, but why?
Because he's our #1 WR and if he has NFL aspirations I just think that should be his focus. I understand our basketball team isn't great and people think he can help, but he is also a guard and that is going to be a very deep position next year. The winter/basketball season is time for him to bulk up and if he's playing basketball he's going to struggle to maintain his weight if anything.
I think he said "why" because you overlooked the /s at the end of the initial comment and took it seriously.
definitely missed that. ford has said he wanted to try to play this season though and that it was just too much his freshmen season.
I hope Ford does any and all sports or activities he wants to. He's just a kid and shouldn't be worried about the NFL. You can make a case of it helping and hurting him and personally I just want to see him succeed and do what he wants to. The more I get a chance to see him in maroon and orange the better. Who knows what he will get a chance to do after college, it's best to do what you want when you have the chance.
Ala Exxxum
Ford is going to BEAST this year
Developing that 3rd/Slot receiver will really determining how big of a season Ford (and Cam) will have this season. Can't rely on just two receivers all season but Bucky will also help that though.
or if we utilize all 3 of our TEs and RBs more in the passing game. We have enough weapons to spread the touches around and force a defense to stay honest. Just depends on if SL uses them better.
I feel if you put all the best attributes from Andre Davis, Jarrett Boykin, and Eddie Royal together you get Isaiah Ford.
Not sure if I quite agree with that, Jarrett Boykin was like 6'4" and had hands bigger than the football and Eddie Royal was a much better deep threat, at least so far..
How big are Boykin's hands anyway? Also, how do his gloves hold up over the course of a game?
People were always talking about how he kept ripping through his XXL or XXXL gloves, I can't remember exactly but I would equate his hand size to be proportionately sized for Bucky's height.
Part of the ripped gloves story was catching passes from LT3 in summer 2011. The WRs were all complaining about how their hands hurt. Boykin was just the one that ended up busting all his sets of gloves.
50% of the deep route threat comes from the QB. Brewer wasn't ever really on target with his 40+ yard throws after he got a little banged up.
I think a big part of that was not having space in the pocket. When he was able to step up to make a deep throw the ball was much more accurate and generally thrown to the right spot for the coverage. The other part of that was his inexperience. If you look at most of his early ints on deep balls they were because he threw them to the wrong location for the type of leverage, inside or outside, the defender had. Later in the year he did a better job of getting the ball to the outside when the DB had inside leverage and vice versa to give the receiver the beat chance at making a play.
true
You're right about that. I'm not sure Ford is on the same level as Royal agility wise. He doesn't have that same first move quickness that made Royal so dangerous. If he gets there this season he could be something special.
If Ford was as fast as Andre Davis, he'd be putting up Sammy Watkins numbers right now. Still though, he's arguably the most well-rounded pure WR Tech has ever recruited.
I agree. With Ford, I don't really get the feeling that he will catch a screen and take it to the house. Or catch a crossing route, make a guy miss and take it to the house. To me, he just is great at running the route and making a tough catch. Not much of a yards after the catch guy.
*ahem* He kinda did that thing during a scrimmage.
As much as this misses the point that he's shown the speed and shiftiness to take a screen pass to the house, I chuckled. Take a leg.
just thought it was a good fit for an Iverson meme lol. don't recall seeing the screen in the scrimmage so can't really make a comment one way or another about his burst. to me he's not a guy that is ever going to get a lot of separation he's about route running and body control.
Eh, players do crazy things in practice all the time. I've never seen that out of him in a game. Love the guy, but I don't see him as an elite yards after catch guy.
No disagreement with either of you. He's not an elite Watkins-type athlete who will consistently burn guys one-on-one at the line of scrimmage, and he makes his money by running good routes and high-pointing the ball. Still, he started doing things during the spring he didn't do during the season - namely putting a move on a guy and getting some YAC. Is he Switzer or Watkins or Royal? Probably not. But I think he's gonna be a pretty darn good Ford.
I remember DJ Coles taking a screen (or possibly a short route) to the house in a game pre injury and doing it on a crossing route after post injury.
Go home Iverson you're drunk
I can't really think of a past Hokie WR that I would compare him to. Of all the WRs that I have seen play, I would compare him most favorably to Cris Carter, the former Vikings star. Not a speed burning deep threat, but he has an amazing knack for getting open, finding a seam and catches anything thrown in his direction. I am extremely hyped for the coming season.
Maybe Davis was faster than I remember (was only 13 at the time) plus those grainy youtube vids don't do him justice. The Boykin reference is because the 2 can seemingly catch anything.
ran a 4.42 at the combine, which translates to a 4.2 something VT 40. He was pretty darn fast.
Yep. A-10 champion in track too
All kidding aside, I don't know if he's there YET.
In do time.....
I'm going to go ahead and be that guy...
maybe he meant "in dog time"
Just as long as he didn't mean "in dog doo time."
In my defense it was 7 am.
Not to be that guy version 2.0, but don't you mean the spelling police?
That one's not on me I just Google searched it and saw Willy Wonka then boom I posted it.
"If he used the right words there, his sentence would've been correct."
There is a reason you get your picture on a 15 foot poster in the Indoor Training facility. Eddie was a beast and was a hell of a return man too. I think Ford is a solid WR with huge upside, but I don't think he has Eddie's breakaway speed and chops...yet.
Actually what he lacks is most of the best attributes of those guys.
He's nonetheless an excellent receiver.
Might be a bit of a stretch there. Davis's best (possibly only) attribute as a WR was blazing speed. Ford's quick, but I don't think he has anything approaching AD's wheels.
The other thing he can apparently do, catch a ball clearly way out-of-bounds while his feet remain inbounds.
After some youtube I recant my Davis and Royal comparison I forgot how fast they really were.... Man I'm starting to get old.
WRs – they come along a dime by the dozen
They ain't nothing but ten yard lovin'
Hey ol Frank let me light your candle
'Cause DB I'm sure hard to handle now
Yes, I am
Rewatch the TD catch against ECU. He's got an exceptional knack for finding the football that can't be taught. Speed and route running can still be improved with three years ahead of him.
Isaiah?
Yes https://youtu.be/6VirUJzo9gA
I was making a joke about your username. Welcome to the boards.
CFB is looking old. He doesn't seem to have the same energy during that interview. Like it is taking him some time to formulate his answers.
I noticed that too :-/.
He sounds older post throat surgery as well.
I think a lot of that has to do with the surgery. Whatever they did was pretty serious, I dont think it has really slowed him down so much as it makes it hard to talk.
He definitely sounds completely different than he used too. More of a deeper tone to his voice.
"Isaiah Ford, his puns will really get after ya"
I hope he's as smooth as a thunderbird and tough as a mustang
sorry
I am sure the practice battles between Kendall and him are something to behold. Hopefully our coaches are selling WR recruits on the opportunity to go against our #DBU secondary as a way to help prepare them for the next level.
I'm excited for our wide receivers... Seems like we've gotten a good coach for them to develop into 3 or 4 Royal's, Davis's and Boykins's
Can we get a Coal too?
*Coale, I only do this cause that is my son's first name now.
Huh, must be a big fan of this guy
;^)
We wanted a name for a boy started with a C and as a joke I mentioned it and my wife liked it, just had to convince her on the spelling. We actually got in contact with him just to mention it and he sent us two personally signed posters wishing us the best. Great VT receiver but a greater person. He is missed on the VT roster!
Frank looks like he lost weight, and he looks a lot older...
Still looks immensely better than he did in the Spring. Sounds loads better than he has in a while too. I'm still pretty confident a summer of cookouts and sun will set him right. Last year at this time I was shocked by how young and energetic he seemed, and I wouldn't be surprised if he got back to that point.
Man I love this thread. It's got all the pieces to be one of the classics.
Or maybe I just ran 3 miles in the heat and everything is funny.
Ford is going to be nuts. We'll only have him this year and next.
Not sure. If all the hype for next QB is true, he may stay so he can have a super stellar senior year.
Watch the Ohio State game and see where Ford missed a tough but very catchable deep ball down near the goal line (albeit he did make that nice move and catch to get us a long 3rd down conversion on the other end). In the same vein we keep hearing from the OSU crowd we also had players such as Ford who got better as the season went on. He wouldn't have missed that ball in later games. I'm salivating over the possibilities of this year's receiving corp, Ford, Phillips, Hodges, Cline, Mallek, and even Knowles if healthy.
Good point. Cam Phillips didn't have any catches in that game either. OSU had very good corners last year, but our starting WR should be better than they were at that point for sure.
Should be an interesting matchup. Apple is very good at CB and it remains to be seen who will start opposite him. It looks like Conley, and of it is I suspect Beamer will test him since he gave up a deep ball at MSU last year. I suspect Apple will cover your best receiver so if it is Ford who will line up against Conley and is he a deep threat?
He'd probably be on Cam Philips who isn't a deep threat but is a good route runner and has good hands. I think he's kind of sneaky fast but not a burner.
Edit: If they really want to test him expect to see Bucky lined up on his side.
Yep, I think this is the wrinkle.
Line up Ford on Bucky's side and you have so many things can be done.
And then with Malleck in the mix....I've got to think that Loeffler is not only sleeping better this preseason, he's actually having some sweet dreams.
If we get to the end of the season and Loeffler doesn't look like death, we'll probably be pretty darn good.
Of the two, so glad we got I Ford vs I McKenzie. Word!
Mckenzie did have a punt return and kick return against Kentucky. He would have been a better comparison to eddie royal
True but he didn't have close the year I Ford had. Plus I think Ford brings much better team chemistry and character.
I think because UGA had a better receiving corp is why his numbers are lower, but he is a game changer for sure. I do agree I like what Ford brings to the table.
True. Isn't he like 160 or something? He may have trouble cracking the 2 deep until he can take the punishment. I really don't know what GA has in terms of WR so he may be more productive.
Yea he's around 170. He was used sparingly because of others ahead of him. I would imagine he'd have an increased role, like the slot. I have a good number of UGA friends so I catch more of their games than I'd like.