Len Ford
Encyclopedia
Leonard Guy Ford, Jr. was an American football
defensive end
. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1976.
He played two years for the Los Angeles Dons
of the All-America Football Conference
. When the AAFC disbanded in 1949, only three teams from the league - the Cleveland Browns
, San Francisco 49ers
, and Baltimore Colts
- were merged into the NFL. Ford was selected by the Browns out of a special draft pool created for teamless former AAFC players. In Cleveland, he became a ferocious defensive player for a very strong Browns team that dominated the NFL during the 1950s, playing in five championship games and winning three.
Ford played for the Browns through 1957 and then spent one year with the Green Bay Packers
before retiring.
He played college football
for one year at Morgan State University
before transferring to the University of Michigan
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1976.
He played two years for the Los Angeles Dons
Los Angeles Dons
The Los Angeles Dons were an American football team in the now defunct All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949 that played in the Los Angeles Coliseum....
of the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
. When the AAFC disbanded in 1949, only three teams from the league - the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, and Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
- were merged into the NFL. Ford was selected by the Browns out of a special draft pool created for teamless former AAFC players. In Cleveland, he became a ferocious defensive player for a very strong Browns team that dominated the NFL during the 1950s, playing in five championship games and winning three.
Ford played for the Browns through 1957 and then spent one year with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
before retiring.
He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for one year at Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
before transferring to the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.