By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine/TV
A big time sleeper athlete will play football this year for Alexandria Senior High. Omarion Ford is a linebacker/defensive back who goes 5-11, 185 pounds with legit 4.5 speed in the forty.
Not many high school players can match his experience. This is a kid who started as an eighth-grader for Marksville.
In his sophomore season, he ran for 718 yards and six touchdowns at Marksville, before he transferred to ASH and sat out last season, his junior year.
This is a kid who has a chance to be a college football player as a defensive back as a nickel corner or at safety.
I saw Ford play when he was at Marksville and he was a difference maker two years ago. If he has a good senior season for the Trojans competing in a high-level Class 5A program, he has a chance to really improve his stock as a player.
Ford knows the ASH program has a rock-solid foundation in the Trojans’ head coach.
“I believe coach Thomas Bachman is a great coach,” said Ford, “and coach is someone you have to respect even if you don’t like him. That’s all because he is a real genuine coach and wants the best for his players.
“I trust him to lead us to a great season and I’m willing to do whatever he says we need to do, because I know he wouldn’t lead us astray. I’m just ready to follow him to a great first, and last, season with him.”
Ford is benefitting from playing under ASH defensive coordinator Josh Mercer, who is also his position (safety) coach.
“He’s probably the smartest coach I have ever played for and has taught me a lot and made my postion switch easy and smooth,” said Ford.
Ford did attend a few summer camps, but doesn’t have an offer yet, probably because he didn’t play last year, but it’s just a matter of time before he shows up on tape and college coaches notice. In a dream scenario, he has his top shelf possibilities in mind.
“My favorite colleges are Ole Miss, LSU, Auburn, Louisiana Tech and Baylor,” he said. “I grew up watching LSU, Alabama and Clemson as my favorite college teams.”
He does have his priorities in mind. With a 3.6 grade point average, he is considering majoring in exercise science in college.
Growing up, Ford idolized one of the greats of the game – Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens.
“Every day before and on game day, I watched him when I was little. He’s a great player, a hard hitter like me and one of the best motivational speakers I’ve heard,” said Ford.
His father played football and ran track at Marksville, and earned a reputation his son is trying to live up to. “I always hear stories from people about how good he was in his day.”
I believe Ford is going to have a senior season that will change his status from sleeper to standout.
Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com
Lee Brecheen has operated Louisiana Football Magazine for over 30 years and is one of the state’s foremost experts on high school football and especially recruiting. Based in Baton Rouge, Lee travels statewide to watch practices and games and has broken down film and tape since the late 1980s. He has converted the printed product to an online website (Lafootballmagazine.com) that will preview every high school and college football program in the state before kickoff this fall. Lee also hosts a football-centric TV show on YouTube, The Sports Scouting Report, on weekdays.