Built Ford tough

When DeNique Ford became an Eastern Washington University Eagle in 2004, he took an opportunity to learn under the wings of multi-year starting cornerbacks Jesse Hendrix and Isaiah Trufant.

Now, with the duo out of EWU uniforms and into the NFL combine, Ford has an opportunity to have a standout senior season.

"I'm going to have to step my game up a lot to fulfill the holes left by Isaiah Trufant and Jesse Hendrix," said Ford. "One of the biggest things they've taught me is how to use my speed. They both had a lot of speed and were really athletic."

Last season, Ford experienced a significant amount of playing time after an injury in the second game to Trufant. Through the course of his junior season, Ford accumulated 58 tackles (33 solo), one interception and broke up six passes.

"Last year I worked really hard learning two positions(cornerback/safety)," said Ford. "That was pretty hard. Now that I only have one position to work at, it's a lot easier."

EWU Head Coach Paul Wulff believes Ford gained a ton of experience, but needed to be better.

"His man-cover skill is something he needs to continue to improve on," said Wulff. "When we do play man coverage it's going to be a big benefit for him. If he can provide consistency in his assignments and technique, it will make him more of a complete player."

This summer, Ford isn't heading to his hometown of Moreno Valley, Calif. Instead, he plans to stay in Cheney to work on his speed and strength.

"I know that last year I was pretty good but needed to get better," he said. "For the summer I'm going to stay here, train and work out every day. I know that's really going to help me out."

Standing a mere 5 feet 9 inches, Ford acknowledges that competing against a new era of taller receivers is a given, but that's not intimidating him. According to Ford, the ability to jump higher, run faster and be stronger is how to gain the advantage against a taller opponent.

Fortunately, he has been able to test his abilities against last year's top quarterback and receiver tandem of the I-AA, whom are also out of the EWU football program, Erik Meyer and Eric Kimble.

"Those guys are obviously NFL quality," said Ford. "Going against those guys every practice really helps your game out. It lets you see how you stack up against possibly a professional athlete. That really helped me last year, and I think it will this year too."

With the 2006-07 season less than a half year away, coach Wulff knows that this year's secondary, with some hard work and fine tuning, can be great, especially with Ford's presence.

"DeNique is our most experienced player. He's a fifth-year senior, a veteran player, a mature kid and we need him to be a leader back there," said Wulff. "From an experience standpoint, there's no question that he should be one of the better players in the league at the position."

Soaring into his final season as an Eagle, Ford hopes to exceed his dreams and contribute to a potential three-peat in the Big Sky for the EWU Eagles.

"My number one dream was to play college football," said Ford. "When I was in high school both my parents passed. After that, it really gave me motivation to fulfill my dream. Being here is the best thing I could ever hope for."