At Cornell: A poised and polished quarterback who will serve as offensive team captain, Ford enters the 2008 season with high expectations as one of the most productive starters in school history. With the ability to throw the deep ball or scramble out of the pocket, Ford’s exceptional passing skills and creativity within the confines of the offense will allow him to direct Cornell’s complicated offense. He also has great command and presence in the huddle. Despite suffering a myriad of injuries during the 2007 campaign, including missing all or the majority of two games, Ford completed 209-of-332 passes for 1,902 yards and six touchdowns. His .630 completion percentage ranked second in a single season for Cornell, while his career mark of .599 is second in school history entering the 2008 campaign. Ford also scored three times on the ground, including twice in the season-opening win over Bucknell. He closed the season third on the school’s career passing yards list (3,451). Ford threw for at least 200 yards in each of the team’s first seven games in 2007 before playing in only three quarters in the final three contests. He completed 17 straight passes, including his last three attempts in the overtime win vs. Brown and his first 14 attempts at Princeton to set a school record for consecutive completions. Ford had four games with at least 280 yards passing, with a season-high 292 yards vs. Brown on 34-of-54 passing. He finished with 291 yards at Princeton the next weekend on 36-of-48 passing with two scores. In his first season as a starter in 2006, Ford piled up 1,417 passing yards and 345 rushing yards while combining for 14 touchdowns (eight passing, six rushing). Ford ranked 57th nationally in total offense (176.2 ypg.) and 58th in the country in passing efficiency (118.53). He threw for a career-best 309 yards against No. 18 Harvard, the 18th 300-yard passing game in school history. Ford was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 16 after accounting for four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing) as the Big Red snapped a 10-game losing streak to Colgate in a 38-14 Homecoming win. He was extremely impressive in four contests as a freshman reserve in 2005, completing 14-of-25 passes for 132 yards. He notched a then-freshman record 112 yards on 10-of-17 passing against Yale, and also saw significant action against Colgate the following week. A two-sport star, Ford has started for the Big Red baseball team in each of his first three seasons as a catcher/third baseman. He was a first-team All-Ivy pick as a junior and a second-team selection as a sophomore. Ford batted .410 in 2008 with a school-record 17 doubles, three home runs and 28 RBI while starting all 39 games. He is a .358 hitter in 101 games, ranking second all-time for the Big Red in career batting average. Ford is enrolled in the College of Engineering.
At Palo Alto: Ford tossed for 2,151 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior at Palo Alto HS while rushing for five more scores. The two-year tri-captain was named the league’s outstanding offensive player and first-team all-league and honorable mention all-state as a senior. Ford was a perfect 16-of-16 passing in a 49-40 win in one game and threw for six touchdowns in another contest. Ford tossed for 2,301 yards and 29 touchdowns with just nine interceptions in earning the San Jose Mercury News All-Central Coast Junior of the Year. For his career, Ford threw for 6,357 yards and 72 touchdowns while running for 19 more. A three-sport star (football, basketball, baseball), Ford was heavily recruited by Division I baseball programs before opting to play football.
Personal: Nathan Edward Ford is the son of Kevin and Celeste Ford and has an older sister and younger sister. His older sister, Miranda, played soccer at Notre Dame.
