BRIAN ACHATZ

bachatz@pnj.com

After a career as a two-year starter at the University of South Alabama, Tate High grad Qudarius Ford has been aggressively pursuing a chance to continue to play the game he loves.

His big day came Monday, when he announced on Facebook that he had signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

His post:

“I’m blessed to be able say that I officially signed to play professional football for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football league (CFL). I’ve been through so much to finally reach this point and I truly believe this is just the beginning. God makes no mistakes. Friends & family thank you for the love and support along the way. ‪#GODSPEED‪#blessed.”

Pensacola News Journal

No stranger to adversity, Ford battled for a starting spot at South Alabama after walking on in 2010.

By 2012, he was a standout starter for the Jaguars, and head coach Joey Jones referred to Ford as “one of the best corners in our league.”

Ford combined for 109 total tackles in his final two seasons with the Jaguars, in addition to 11 pass break-ups and two interceptions.

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Ford recorded a 4.44 second 40-yard dash at his pro day (March 30, 2015), accented with a 36.5-inch vertical jump and 14 repetitions of 225-pounds on bench press.

At Tate, Ford recorded three 1,000 all-purpose yard seasons and was a district champion in the 100 meter dash.