"We're gonna show up. We're ready." --Coach Ford

Ford Family,

My name is Ron Wilson. I played with Dale Ford & for John T.Ford in the early 70’s. There’s a special place in heaven for John T. Ford. He set the tone for thousands of young mens lives by the life lessons he taught on the football field. Lessons that could not be learned in the classroom. It would be easy to create a list a mile long below of the lessons learned, but in my life, it boils down to this (as Coach Gillies always said—“Boils down to this”); “If you have a team full of highly talented individuals who care more about themselves than they do about their teammates or the program itself, you will not have success. Conversely, if you have a team full of individuals who;
#1: Care more about their teammates than they do about themselves.
#2: Are honest & trustworthy.
#3: Are hard working.
#4: Buy into the program (believe in the program) 100%.
------------you will have success no matter what the skill level of the team is.”

These four basic traits have been the guiding force in my business, & family life since they were taught to me while playing for coach Ford. Most folks were told these values at some point in their lives. However, when you “live them” from day to day & nothing less is acceptable “day to day” as was the case in coach Fords program, you learn to really appreciate their value. My youngest boy ‘Blake’ was just married this past weekend, & I shared these values with both Blake & his bride Brittney. These very same traits are what make for a life long marriage & buying Into the program (in this case the institution of marriage) is the first step. Bottom line = “Coach Ford is standing side by side with the greatest coach that ever lived, our Lord & Savior “JESUS CHRIST”. Rejoice in this fact, & know that thousands upon thousands of folks on this planet were positively affected by having come in contact with your husband, father, grandfather, John T. Ford.

Yours truly,
Ron Wilson

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Fern,

First, I want to give you, T and Dale our very heart-felt condolences. Coach rated right up there with our parents; such a figurehead that would seem to outlive us all. I wish to express this, not only for those who had direct contact with the Ford's on San Anselene, but even for others to come along generations after who might have walked the halls of Lakewood High, or not. I will use my nephew JT, as an example, that came with me to visit the Ford household for the last couple of years. My nephew, JT, came away in admiration of this person the very first time he met Coach. This is the profound effect Coach had on people.

Coach could always, and I do mean always, connect with those who had an open mind, young or old. Personally, I think it was the twinkle in his eye and the smile he seemed to have for both his players and non-players alike. It has been agreed upon that "he played no favorites..." Hmmmm, I've always thought. Then why did Don Richardson, Tim Hoban, Tom Knudson and Cal Clack play every down, of every game on both offense and defense, for two years ?, ha!!! However, it was the "favorites in life in general" that Coach played no favorites...bigger than the game of football itself. What a remarkable human being, Coach, husband, father, friend, foe, you name it, as Coach was all things to all groups always making time for others.

Fern, we would be honored, your time permitting, if you would let us pick you up and have you attend the annual picnic with us again this year. I would also like to personally invite Coaches Collins, Stephenson, Gillies, Barnett and Alexander, and others if available, to participate with all of us. As well, we would all certainly enjoy having the Ford kids to join us. Also, along these lines, I know there is one former colleague who is quite excited to make the trip Westward with family to see you again...Tim Hoban. Tim, wife Bev and one son, Tommy, are looking forward to seeing all of Coaches boys again and giving Fern a great big 'ol Hoban hug!!!

Cal Clack
Class of 1969

"Practice starts Monday. I expect you there." --Coach Ford

Thursday, June, 22, 2006

Dear Fern,

You asked me to write something about John T or send what I had emailed to friends. I chose to write again to get in a few more thoughts. I wrote friends that I was sitting down having a mixed drink last Thursday night after John’s death. I know he would’t like the drink part, but I felt the need with such news. If you plan to give this to the folks who run the web site you told me about, a short explanation is needed. I was on John’s first high school football team in Rotan, TX. in 1952-53. For those of you who were at the funeral and saw the wreath with the banner 1953 Rotan Yellowhammers, I was the one that sent it in behalf of all my teammates. I suppose John’s ideas about coaching were only in their formative stage at that time. His intensity, just having graduated from Hardin-Simmons University where he was a Little All-American quarterback, was very real. He and I didn’t get off on the best foot. He moved to Rotan the summer of ’52 when I was a junior. I think I got into one kickoff play as a junior. I probably weighed 115 then. I spurted all the way to 125 as a senior. In the summer before the ’53 season we had touch football games during which he would quarterback one team and my best friend George, the other. Ford loved George. He was 6-6 and could throw the ball like a bullet, but he weighed only 160. He was Ford’s dream – a QB who could see over the line of scrimmage.

In those touch games, I was on George’s team. During the game I lined up wide on my side of the scrimmage, but faced the direction of John’s offensive team. When the ball was snapped, I yelled, “hey coach”. Of course he hit me right in the chest with the ball and I went 50-60 yards for the TD. I wasn’t fast, but neither was John. On the ensuing kickoff he sidestepped everyone but me and ran over me. Then he said, "that will teach you not to make a jackass out of me”. I replied, “coach we got six points out of the play.” I think that is when I got the nickname “Jarow,” from John. For those who don’t know, a jarow is a Mexican jackass. I started that season as a defensive halfback. Two games into the season our wide receiver could no longer operate on his two bad knees. Walter Miers was his name and a great guy. He was a tough blocker at 165 pounds, that I wasn’t at 125. But George and I grew up throwing the ball to each other and I could catch his bullets. I finally talked Coach Ford into letting me play the position. I was George’s backup at quarterback. I could run better, but George sure threw a lot better. Besides, I liked being a receiver.

"Coach Ford was our hero, our mentor, and the greatest Lancer of all and will be truly missed by so many who knew him." --Sally Mason Brayton, '67

We didn’t set the world on fire. We won our first four games in non-district, then lost all six in district. It was a very tough district in those days. Numerous players went on to play major college ball. Don Maynard of Colorado City went on to become the all-time leading receiver in the NFL with Joe Namath throwing to him. Our biggest player was 185. We learned early that Ford had a sense of humor and it was about the only thing he could remember about his days in Rotan. One afternoon in workouts one of our running backs, Lloyd Cross (130) got knocked out on a play. We had a young, very rotund kid as a manager and Ford sent him to the clubhouse to get the smelling salts. It took him a while. When he came out of the field house, coach Ford yelled, “forget the smelling salts and just bring a shovel”. The laughs were short-lived when Lloyd’s mother came racing from the stands and Coach got an earful of not so complimentary insults.

After 53 years I have come to realize that the Jarow nickname and his pushing and criticizing me were his motivational tools. He didn’t want a 16-year-old, 125-pounder to get killed out there. There was the game against Stamford, the league champ and state semifinalist. One of the first offensive plays of the game he called a deep fly pattern pass to me. Somehow I beat the defense and was wide open. George hit me right in the hands and I bobbled the ball. I must have bobbled it for 15 yards before I finally pulled it in and by then the defense caught up and tackled me about the 10. We never got a yard closer and we didn’t score in the 41-0 shutout. Coach Ford had a few well chosen words for me at halftime. But he didn’t feel as badly as I did. The real embarrassment came later in the season. One Saturday night he was supposed to have been out of town. He had a curfew of 11 p.m. We had a few guys on the team that enjoyed Saturday night dancing at the VFW, cigarettes and even a beer or two. I wasn’t one of them. But I worked at the local theater which I had done since my dad died when I was 11. I chose that night to stay for the midnight movie with a sophomore friend of mine. He had his truck parked behind the theatre and we could have gone out the back entrance and escaped smoothly. All I did was just stick my head out the front door with all those people leaving and who was driving in front of the movie but John T. Ford. And his eagle eye caught me.

"He taught me to never give up, to be gracious and a gentleman in winning and losing." --Rick Van Dyke, '65

He caught three or four others who had been to the dance. On Monday, he chewed out those guys. When he got to me he said, “and you, Waggoner, of all people!” It made me feel as if I had just murdered the Pope or something. I also have thought since then that, although he was mad, he may have seen that I wanted to win at any cost in that touch game and liked the gumption. I played no more football after high school – too little and too slow. I had dreams of being a major league baseball player. Didn’t for same reasons. So I tried the next best thing to stay close to athletics. I became a sports writer and had a marvelous career and lots of fun. I met a few other guys like John T, though there were few. My younger brother Jack was one of them. He coached until he was 66 and won one state championship and reached the finals another time. I was very fortunate to have worked four years with Tom Landry covering the Cowboys and he was the same type. I have an uncle who is in the Texas Coaches Hall of Fame. And there was a man named Joe Hedrick who coached a small school near my home here in Texas. He and John would have been bosom buddies. He died about three months ahead of John. He was 83. I’d bet they are coaching on the same team now. Joe, who made sketches of his friends, also wrote a little poetry. He wrote one bit before he died and which appeared on his funeral pamphlet handed out at the church. I’d like to think this holds true for John as well.

“If I were standing to be judged before that great white throne where I could hear the righteous sing and hear the sinner moan, I’d want no better advocate To state my final plea Than just some kid who’d say, “Gee, he did a lot for me”.

John, I hope you’ll select me for your team when I join you.

Jerry Waggoner, Former Player
Bryan, TX.

Thursday, June, 22, 2006

Dear Lancers,

I’m Jerry Waggoner who wrote the bit about John from the Rotan, TX. Yellowhammer point of view. Here is another from close friend Darrell Hale.

Jerry, Sorry to hear about John Ford. I don’t have many recollections of the man other than he was a taskmaster and demanded almost perfection from everyone. The only game I got to play in was the last game against Anson when the outcome was so far out of reach of Rotan winning that my involvement in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter was immaterial at best. The only other “close call” was in the Hamlin game when I was sent in with only seconds remaining and as the team approached the line of scrimmage, the game clock expired and the game was over. I don’t think they had to laundry my uniform the entire season. The idea of the floral spray was very good since John played a big part in our senior year experience, and just like back then, I’d like to be part of the team whether I got into the game or not.

Darrell Hale
Class of 1953, Rotan, TX.

Monday, June, 19, 2006

I just want to say I was very surprised to hear today of Coach Ford's passing. Just last month my brother Tim Hoban told me he had received a surprise call at his home in Florida from Coach Ford and had a nice conversation with him. Coach Ford asked about our dad Joe Hoban and was sad and surprised to hear that he had died almost 6 years ago at age 76. He and my dad knew and worked together for a long time at Lakewood High. It makes me sad to know another friend of the family has passed away. Ford was very good to my brother and to our family. He helped arrange the contract details of my brother's football scholarship to Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ back in the 60's. I think the first of it's kind back then, allowing a player to continue education even if injured playing football. Before that time if there was an injury to a player keeping him from being on the team that would effectively end the scholarship, the player would be sent home. My brother was guaranteed his education. That meant alot to our family and we were thankful to Coach Ford for that representation.

I wish to give Mrs. John Ford our deepest sympathy on behalf of our family. I will call my mother in Texas and Tim in Florida, and remaining two sisters in Texas and Utah to give them the sad news.

Regina (Hoban) Rogers
Class of '66

Saturday, June, 17, 2006

To his loving family,

I went to Lakewood High School from 1965 – 1968 and the memories of all the football games on Friday nights have stuck with me through all these years. Coach Ford was a wonderful man, Human Being and Role Model for so many boys that he guided through high school. He was very distinguished and tough at the same time. He is one of the persons that has also stuck out in my mind of my high school days. I was lucky to have known him for only a short time, but 38 years later I can remember him like it was yesterday, when I said good-bye to him leaving high school.

Linda Medina
Class of 1968

"His teachings both on and off the field have had the most direct effect on my daily life. He taught me true meanings of dedication, determination, discipline and desire." --Ron Ayala, '67 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |