NORMAN — Trace Ford was already feeling pretty good. Then, it happened.
At Oklahoma’s Pro Day workouts Tuesday morning, before a few dozen NFL scouts, OU players, media and even some friends and family, Ford came down at 10-feet, 2-inches on the broad jump.
Not bad.
But on the next event, the vertical jump, something took over Ford from the inside.
Ford looked up at his target, swung his arms a couple of times, and launched himself — seemingly at the ceiling some 65 feet up.
Ford crouched and pounced, exploded, defeating gravity, accelerating, straining and swiping at the marker — his feet an astounding 36 inches off the turf.
Oklahoma Sooners Trace Ford
Oklahoma defensive end Trace Ford / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI
Most of the crowd inside the Everest Training Center — his teammates and fellow NFL hopefuls — cranked up the volume with a cacophony of applause.
Ford stood for a moment, staring up at what he’d done, smiling.
“Yeah, well, because I was hitting like a 31, 32 at training camp,” Ford said. “So I was like, ‘Shoot, if I can get a 33, I'll be happy.’ Just, I think the adrenaline took over kind of — 36 — I was pretty surprised. I did not expect that.”
It was a strong indicator that OU’s annual Pro Day — a job fair of sorts for former Sooners seeking career opportunities in professional football — would belong to Ford.
Oklahoma Sooners Trace Ford
Oklahoma defensive end Trace Ford / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI
Ford worked out for nearly three hours with 10 OU teammates — offensive tackle Spencer Brown, cornerback Dez Malone, tight end Jake Roberts, defensive tackle Davon Sears, linebacker Danny Stutsman, offensive tackle Michael Tarquin, defensive tackle Da’Jon Terry, quarterback Casey Thompson, defensive back Woodi Washington and defensive end Caiden Woullard — at all the usual pro day disciplines. Stutsman, Downs and Billy Bowman were guests at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, so they had a light day (Stutsman bench pressed, Downs ran some routes and caught some balls, Bowman just cheered.)
But it was Ford, the former Oklahoma State Cowboy and Bedlam turncoat, the former Edmond Santa Fe High School two-way star, the oft-injured but versatile defensive end/linebacker hybrid who likely earned himself some significant money with his pro day results.
“I wanted to prove a lot of people right — or wrong. You know?” Ford said. “On Twitter, a lot of people (say), ‘Oh, he's washed. Oh, he can't do this.’ You know, I kind of wanted to prove them wrong. Like, hey, I didn't perform the best at OU, but I still have a lot left in the tank, and I want to show people that. So that was the goal.”
Oklahoma Sooners Trace Ford
Trace Ford (30) and his Oklahoma teammates at OU Pro Day / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI
He certainly showed the NFL scouts.
At a chiseled 6-foot-2 and 249 pounds, Ford’s time in the 40-yard dash was 4.55 seconds. Among defensive ends who performed at the combine, that time would have ranked second (Tennessee’s James Pearce ran 4.47). Among combine linebackers, that would have ranked sixth (behind OU’s Danny Stutsman at 4.52 and OSU’s Nick Martin, among others).
Ford’s broad jump (10-2) would have been sixth among linebackers (Martin jumped 10-3) and eighth among defensive ends (OSU teammate Collin Oliver jumped 10-6) in Indianapolis, and his vertical (36 inches) would have been seventh among linebackers (Martin hopped 38) and eighth among defensive ends (Oliver went 39).
Oklahoma Sooners Trace Ford
Oklahoma defensive end Trace Ford / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI
In the agility drills, Ford ran a time of 7.17 in the 3-cone drill, a time that would have been fifth among linebackers and fifth among d-ends at Lucas Oil Stadium. He ran the 10-20-10 shuttle in 4.43, which would have ranked sixth among linebackers and fifth among ends.
Even his performance on the bench press (225 pounds) was good: 21 reps, which would have been 12th among the 15 d-ends who lifted in Indy, but tied for fourth among linebackers.
After Ford and Oliver played together for three years in high school and two more years in Stillwater, they were reunited again this spring as they worked out together to train for the draft. Afterward, before he knew his official 40 time, Ford said he was eager to text his old OSU teammate.
Oklahoma Sooners
OU Pro Day results / SoonerSports.com
“Hopefully I can see if my 40 is faster than his,” Ford said. “Because he told me he's gonna blow me out of the water. So I'm excited just to see how I compare with him. Because obviously, he's one of the best athletes I've ever met — ever been around. So I'm excited to see where he goes. You know, he's gonna be a high pick, high guy. I'm just excited to see what he has in store for him.”
When Ford was told that his 40 time actually beat Oliver’s he flashed a big smile.
“Oh really?” he said. “Cool.”
In addition to Twitter haters, Ford said his focus Tuesday was to simply show the NFL that he’s healthy enough to play big-time football again. After earning honorable mention All-Big 12 and Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year consideration in 2019, Ford lost parts of three seasons to knee injuries at OSU.
When he crossed Bedlam lines and transferred to Oklahoma, he was essentially a role player on Brent Venables’ defenses, playing 335 snaps on defense in 2023, then 322 last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Ford made 18 tackles in 2023 with 3.5 tackles for loss and an interception with no quarterback sacks. In 2024, Ford recorded 20 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Oklahoma Sooners Trace Ford
Oklahoma defensive end Trace Ford / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI
He wasn’t among the 329 prospects invited to the combine — what team wants an undersized backup defensive end with a history of injuries? — but he satiated any concerns about his health on Tuesday.
“I just wanted to show them I was healthy, that my knees are fluid and I can move fast still,” he said. “I think that was the biggest concern going in today, was if I could be healthy. I thought I can show them that, so that was my goal.”
How a Position Change Got Trace Ford Comfortable Again
Switching Bedlam Allegiances Created Doubts for Trace Ford
Ford said NFL personnel who talked with him said they’d be watching out for the same things he himself wanted to know.
“If I could still bend, if I could still run fast, if I still had all that movement going on,” Ford said. “Because, you know, I had a history, and so that was kind of like their biggest concern for me. And they're like, ‘Have a good pro day, and things will look up for you.’ And so, like, I did better than I thought.”
Now that Ford has caught their attention, expect NFL clubs to start inviting him to their facilities for more personal interactions before the NFL Draft begins in April.
Oklahoma Sooners Trace Ford
Oklahoma defensive end Trace Ford before the bench press / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI
“Fingers crossed,” he said.
And although Ford showed out in the Everest, he’ll need to submit to more intense scrutiny than just running and jumping. Team doctors and medical personnel — infamous for their thorough (if not invasive) probing in Indianapolis — want to literally get their hands on him now.
They’ll probably find some inflammation and scar tissue and the whole lot for someone who’s had multiple knee surgeries. Then, it will come down to a simple risk-reward assessment: is Ford’s risk of injury worth the reward of his impressive pro day performance?
“I think today helped a little bit,” he said. “But, just been kind of under the radar so far.”
Ford figures his most likely position in the NFL will be as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 alignment, but said he’s willing to play any position for any franchise.
“A Swiss Army knife,” he said. “You know, I can play anything. You put me at tight end, I'm gonna catch the ball. Put me at linebacker, I'm gonna make plays. Defensive end, I’ll make plays. I'm a special teams guy. I love special teams. I can play any special teams. So just, if I get a chance, I'll be able to play anything you want me to do.”
Oklahoma Sooners Trace Ford
Oklahoma defensive end Trace Ford after his bench press / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI
Ford said however his future unfolds, he’ll be OK with it.
“I know I’m the breadwinner. I chase money. I chase excellence,” he said. “So I know, like, if I didn't have a career in football, I would, you know, get into medical sales or something and be really competitive in that.”
He said after OU got back from the Armed Forces Bowl in late December, he became “very stressed out” about his future.
Oklahoma Sooners Trace Ford
Oklahoma defensive end Trace Ford / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI
“You know, anxiety every day,” he said. “And then one day my mom was kind of like, ‘It is what it is, you know? You got a master’s (degree from OU). So why you crying?’
“So I kind of just — I'm at peace with whatever happens. Even if I don't get drafted, even if I don't get picked up on a team, I'm happy where I'm at right now, happy with the performance I had today. I'm just happy to play football.
“It's been a roller coaster, for sure. But, you know, I enjoyed every moment. You know, the ups and the downs. I learned a lot. I became a man throughout the whole process — here and at Oklahoma State.”