Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Before Saturday night, I had never even heard of Phil Ford. Just two days later, I'm pulling for him.
It wasn't until Brandon Gurney of the Deseret News posted a blog entry about Ford that I was even aware of this young man. Phil is a 6'6", 330 lb. offensive lineman who is doing everything in his power to convince BYU that he is Cougar material.
Phil is a recent convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and is more than willing to express his enthusiasm for him new religion and his desire to call Provo home.
Ford is from Kansas City and signed with the Kansas Jayhawks out of high school. Unable to meet the academic requirements, Ford decided to go to Iowa Western, where he redshirted last season.
While Kansas and other schools still have Ford on their radar, Phil has made it his quest to end up with the Cougars. He's gone to Twitter,(@phillyfontanaaa) looking to tell everyone who will listen of his desire to join the "Band of Brothers".
Social media can be a complete waste of time but it can also serve as a tool to get the word out. It appears Phil has definitely accomplished his goal of getting his word out. Brandon Gurney reported that after being contacted by Ford first, BYU has been in touch.
There are many different layers to this story but the thing that I keep coming back to is that BYU is still a place athletes want to attend--regardless of conference affiliation or November opponents. There are athletes out there who want to play for a great football program and take advantage of ALL BYU has to offer.
It remains to be seen how this story will play out. Without a doubt, there's interest on both sides. Bronco always talks about getting "BYU guys." Phil Ford is a "BYU guy" if I ever saw one.
If you're interested in hearing from Phil Ford himself, he'll be a guest this Saturday at 12:35 pm MT on Cougar Sports Saturday on KSL Newsradio.
