Trailblazing WVU Football Alum Garrett Ford Sr. Dead at 80

WVU football alum Garrett Ford Sr., who made Mountaineer history spanning multiple decades, has died.

Ford passed away late Sunday night in Charlotte, N.C. at the age of 80 after a battle with an extended illness.

In addition to becoming the first Mountaineer to run for over 1,000 yards  – he totaled 1,069 as a junior in 1966, Ford was also the first to surpass 2,000 yards on the ground for a career.

Ford was named a Second Team All-American for his historic 1966 season. He accumulated 2,167 rushing yards from 1965-67 while scoring 20 total touchdowns and being a key member of two conference championship teams (1965, 67).

Following his playing career, Ford was selected in the third round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. But after a brief professional career, he then made more WVU history just two years later.

Ford returned to Morgantown in 1970 to work under Hall of Famer Bobby Bowden, becoming first African American assistant coach in program history. He also spent yeas working for WVU in various academic administration roles before retiring in 2011.

Ford was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. His son, Garrett Ford Jr., played for the Mountaineers from 1988-92 and his grandson, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, played wide receiver for West Virginia from 2018-22.

Find more coverage of the WVU football program at WV Sports Now.