By Harry Minium
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Alonzo Ford had his choice of quality football scholarship offers when he was a senior at Varina High School.
Florida State, Boston College and Wake Forest from the ACC beckoned the suburban Richmond native. So did Maryland from the Big Ten as well as Army, Air Force, Temple, East Carolina and 11 other Division I schools.
Yet Old Dominion had something that appealed to him you won't find at many universities – a campus with true diversity, a place where no matter where you're from, no matter your racial or ethnic identity, you will find people who look like you and share your life experiences.
ODU is the most diverse institution of higher education in Virginia, with 7,000 African American students, the largest number of any school in the commonwealth.
In all, 53 percent of ODU's undergraduate students are from ethnic minority groups and hundreds are from 97 countries.
"I loved the fact that there were a lot of cultures throughout the whole school," Ford said.
"On a lot of my visits to other schools, I didn't feel like I fit in socially. At ODU, I felt like I was at home, both with the students and with the guys on the team."
He's also found a home at nose guard for the Monarchs. Even though he's just a freshman, he started all 12 games and played a major role in ODU's late-season run that allowed the Monarchs to become bowl eligible.
After a 1-6 start, the Monarchs won their final five games and as a result, they meet Tulsa Monday at 2:30 p.m. in the Myrtle Beach Bowl in a game to be televised nationally on ESPN.
Defensive coordinator Blake Seiler, who coached 10 seasons at Kansas State, including one as defensive coordinator, said Ford has so far had a remarkable season.
"I've coached D line, I've played D line and for a true freshman to do what he did playing nose guard, I've never seen that before," Seiler said.
"He's a really smart guy and that really helped him pick up the scheme, but physically he's got a presence inside that's amazing. He can hold the point. I'm not just talking about in our conference. He did a great job against Wake Forest.
"That's just amazing for a freshman."
ODU's rushing defense is 27th among the nation's 130 FBS schools, allowing just 125 yards per game.
Ford had 35 tackles, including six in ODU's final home game, when the Monarchs defeated Charlotte, 56-34, to clinch a bowl bid.
Incredibly, somehow, someway, he did not make the Conference USA All-Freshman team, which is picked by the league coaches.
"I don't really understand what the qualifications are for the All-Freshman team if he's not on it," head coach Ricky Rahne said. "I don't know how you start every game and you're not on the all-conference team. That's insane to me, especially as well he played on run defense.
"His primary job is to stop the run and he did a heck of a job."
There is much more to Ford than just football. He graduated with honors from Varina and is a Dean's List student at ODU. He comes from a close-nit family and his parents are both educators who work with kids in the Richmond public schools who are among the most in need.
His mother, Ta'Neshia Ford, is principal at the school for the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center. His father, Alonzo Ford, is a program specialist in exceptional education who works with students with Individualized Education Program plans. IEP's, as they are known, are for kids with emotional, mental or physical disabilities.
"I really believe that's where God placed me," Ta'Neshia Ford said. "The kids need someone who's an advocate. I really try to hire the best teachers. In 2019, we had the Richmond teacher of the year.
"We really strive to give these kids the very best."
Ford grew up in a Christian home where helping others wasn't just expected, it was a given. As a teenager he worked as a lifeguard in a public housing complex close to the Richmond Detention Center.
When his mother would drive him to the pool, he always asked her to stop.
"He would tell me, 'Mom, we need to get biscuits for the kids who haven't had breakfast,'" she said.
He describes his childhood as idyllic. He grew up 10 minutes from downtown Richmond in an area of Henrico County that has plenty of open space. He would go four-wheel driving in the woods adjacent to his house as a teenager.
The family traveled a lot during the summer, including frequent trips to Myrtle Beach.
"I really like Myrtle Beach," he said.
Family played a big role in his decision to sign with ODU. He has four grandparents and two great grandparents who live in or near the Richmond area. His oldest sister, Khadijah, has a two-year old daughter upon whom Ford dotes.
Yes, he's just a college freshman, but at his sister's home, he's known as "Uncle Zo."
"We were really humbled with his college decision because he put family first," Ta'Neshia said.
ODU had something of a recruiting advantage when he was first contacted in 2019 by then head coach Bobby Wilder's staff – his sister, Ayana, was already enrolled at ODU.
"She talked a lot about ODU," he said. "I knew a lot about the school before I ever visited.
"To me, ODU was like a sweet spot. It's not the ACC or SEC, but it was in between everything. It was close to my family and that was important.
"We're playing Power 5 teams, so you can see how you compare to them and get a lot of exposure."
ODU hosts Virginia Tech and plays at Virginia next season and hosts Wake Forest and meets the Hokies on the road in 2023.
He credits much of his success this season to defensive line coach Victor Irokansi, who played and coached at Oklahoma State.
"Coach Vic is very particular about things," Ford said. "He likes us to be 15 minutes early to everything.
"It took a while for us to get used to it, but once we did, we saw the results from it."
Rahne said that while Ford has plenty of innate talent, it was his work on the practice field and weight room that prepared him to play so well.
"He had a terrific season because he had a terrific off-season, particularly a great summer that led to a great fall camp," Rahne said.
"He bought into the techniques and fundamentals that Coach Vic is coaching. And he knew the scheme cold and that allowed him to play fast and aggressive.
"He used his size and athletic ability to really disrupt the middle of the field."
At 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, he has NFL potential, but while he calls that a career option, he's not planning on it. The criminal justice major is thinking of law school, but if he doesn't become an attorney, he hopes to become an FBI agent.
"I always wanted to do something with law enforcement," he said. "Growing up, I watched a lot of the law enforcement shows with my mom.
"I'm a curious person. When I see a police care or a fire truck, I want to know what's going on."
As an African American, "If I go into law enforcement, I feel like I can help affect change, that I can do my part to make things better."
Varina has an active youth football community, and early on, Ford wanted to play on the gridiron. One of his idols was Davon Morgan, a first cousin who played safety for Virginia Tech.
His mom was a little freaked out at first.
"His sisters were both swimmers," she said. "I told him, 'Your sisters are swimmers, and you can be a swimmer, too.' But he said no. He just loved football."
She also describes him as fiercely loyal. Nearby Highland Springs High School has a special program that allows students to earn a two-year college degree while also earning a high school diploma, and that appealed to Ford.
But when he learned that he would have to play football for Highland Springs, and not Varina, the decision was simple.
"Some of his friends, they wanted him to go to Highland Springs so badly," Ta'Neshia said. "He has so many friends at both schools.
"But he said, 'No, I'm a Blue Devil.' When he makes a commitment, he's going to see it through."
That includes his commitment to ODU. When I asked him about the transfer portal, he smiled and shook his head before I had finished the question.
"I have no reason to leave," he said. "I like everything here.
"We've got great coaches. I love my teammates. We're playing great competition and we're going into a great conference."
ODU expects to join the Sun Belt Conference by 2023.
"He's not going anywhere," Ta'Neshia added. "He loves ODU."
Ta'Neshia is proud of the young man he's grown up to be.
"In my line of work, I see that one decision can change a life in a bad way," she said.
"He's so caring. He takes his grades seriously. He understands he's a role model, not just for his cousins and people in Varina, but also for the kids" at the Richmond Detention Center.
"When they met him, they all loved him.
"He's such a good kid. I'm so, so proud of him."
As she should.
Minium: Alonzo Ford Turned Down Big-Time Offers and Then Had a Big-Time Season for ODU
