NCAA footballs on groundNCAA footballs (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
The University of South Florida Football program is in mourning this week over the loss of Mike Ford.

The former running back passed away, according to Tampa Bay Times’ Joey Knight, on Tuesday afternoon. He was just 38-years-old.

Ford was regarded as one of the top prospects from the Sarasota-Bradenton area when he joined USF’s football team. For a stretch of eleven games, he ran for more than 200 yards.

Mike Ford was a Florida native who was a standout running back in high school. He was from Sarasota. Ford had his most outstanding season as a senior and was a five-star recruit at running back. In 2004, Ford gained 2,836 yards and 37 touchdowns from rushing. Ford had his most extraordinary performance with 368 yards of rushes against Naples Lely.

The ‘Built Ford tough’ running style was well-known for the former South Florida running back. In 2007, Mike Ford had a breakthrough season as a rookie, leading the Bulls to an Associated Press Poll ranking of number two. Ford scored 12 running touchdowns to lead the squad.

Ford, who played for the Bulls from 2007 to 2009, amassed 1,502 career running yards and 23 rushing touchdowns on 331 attempts over 34 games, which tied for the fifth-most in program history. Throughout his career, he averaged 10.4 yards per carry, which was the fifth-highest in program history, via GoUSFBulls.com.

Mike Ford Spent Brief Professional Football Career In Canada

Mike Ford (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
Despite the numbers he put up in high school and the University of South Florida, Mike Ford could never catch his footing in the NFL as he went undrafted and never signed on with any team.

After his time with the Bulls ended, Ford went on to play for Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Ford ended up playing adult amateur football after his brief Canadian Football League stint for the Sarasota Millionaires and Southwest Florida Gladiators.

In 2017, he would transition from the field to the boxing ring under the tutelage of Florida Boxing Hall of Fame coach Harold Wilen, per Yourobserver.com.