RB Jerome Ford (8.31.23)
How you feeling, Jerome?
“Pretty good.”
Do you feel like if they need you to do anything on September 10 in terms of third down, whatever you need to do, you’re ready to roll?
“Yes, ma’am.”
Was it disappointing not to get reps in preseason?
“It was. Just seeing everybody compete and not being able to be out there and compete and have fun with the team and gel with everybody while playing football, it was definitely disappointing.”“`
Were you worried that it was going to be something that would keep you out part of the regular season?
“No, we got a pretty good training staff, so I didn’t think it was going to be.”
And you feel back to normal?
“Yeah.”
How did you stay on top of everything just in terms of playbook, game plan, blitz pickup, all the things that you need to do?
“Meeting with coaches and the fact that if you don’t show up to meetings, you get fined. So definitely trying to avoid fines, but also, of course, wanting to stay in pretty much phase with everybody and what everybody else is learning–going to meetings, taking notes and still keeping the same routine even though I’m not practicing.”
Did it mean anything to you that the organization just really wasn’t concerned about your role while you were going through that injury?
“Can you repeat the beginning?”
Just the fact that they didn’t waver in you even though you got banged up in camp, they said you were the second running back. Just what did that mean to you?
“It meant a lot to me. Ever since I got here, Coach (Kevin) Stefanski, AB (Andrew Berry), they always been in my ear, always a help with anything that I need, and that’s just a good thing. I’m grateful for them.”
Are you fixing to be the kick returner against Cincinnati?
“I don’t know yet. I don’t think we figured it out yet, but we’ll see next week.”
You up for that? You like that?
“Definitely.”
When we talked to Stump (Mitchell) the last time, he was talking about how last year you had to learn how to become a teammate, a better teammate. Can you elaborate a little bit on what he meant by that and what have you gotten better at that way?
“Just whenever I come somewhere new, I’m usually quiet, try to feel everybody out first. I’m probably not like the outgoing just speak to everybody type person. I’m a little more reserved and kind of chill. I’m not really, ‘hey, how you doing?’ I speak every time I see someone, but I’m not like, ‘hey, let’s go out and do something immediately.'”
Jerome, we’ve seen some fumble exchanges out of the RPO play. Is there an adjustment to this running game out of the shotgun?
“I don’t think it’s really an adjustment. We go through I forget what we call it. I’m brain farting right now, but we go through a center–quarterback–running back exchange before practice every day. So it’s just getting back out of there, getting used to playing in general. I don’t think the gun had anything to do with it.”
You talked about being the new kid, new guy in a place. Pierre’s (Strong Jr.) now that guy. What have you done to kind know, welcome him here? And I know you say you’re kind of quiet, but what have you done to try to help him get up to speed?
“My first year here, just pointing him in the right direction, where to go for extras if you ever need something. We actually went through the draft process together, so I actually knew him a little bit. I think we did a visit together, so I kind of knew him as soon as he came, and he’s like, ‘Yo, man, what up?’ So his outgoing has brought me to be like, all right, what’s up? And just whatever he asks me, he needs something, I’m there.”
When we talked to you last time, you talked about as a rookie learning how to do the off the field things and be a pro with the film and the studying and everything like that. Do you feel like even though it’s unfortunate to miss time, obviously that you were better prepared to go through and do those sort of things this year while you were out?
“I was able to build a routine early, even with being injured. And last year I had an injury also that took me away for a little bit, and it kind of messed up my routine. But with getting into it so early and being able to create a routine even though I was injured, I feel like it was a big step from where I was last year.”
In terms of Nick Chubb, you know, he and Kareem (Hunt) were so close. Kareem seemed to have a good way of kind of keeping things light for Nick and making him laugh and all that kind of stuff. How do you feel like the chemistry is? How’s the relationship between you and Nick? Are you guys really getting close and developing that bond you’ll need to carry over?
“Yeah, I think pretty much we all young in the room, so we all look at Nick as our big brother. So any questions we have about life, football, anything we ask Nick. And I feel like it kind of helped keep him on his toes, too, even with the playbook. Be like, ‘Yo, Nick, what we got on this?’ And he’ll get us back. If he know it, he’d tell us right then and there. And if it’s something new that we just might have just went over, he’d be like, ‘Yo, coach, what’s this?’ You know for new guys who ain’t ready to just be like, yo, coach, what I got in the middle of a meeting in front of everybody, he’ll ask for you, stuff like that.”
Do you have a good sense for when we get to that opener, what your role is going to be? If it’s going to be mostly third downs or just spelling Nick from time to time?
“I don’t know the role yet but whatever role I’m given, I’m ready to do. Coach been preparing all of us for everything. Whether Nick’s helmet come off or something or he will need a shoe tied on the sideline, we’ll be ready for whatever the situation is.
Jerome, what do you think is the most important lesson you’ve learned from Nick so far?
“How to be a pro. Nick do every – you guys heard coach talk. Nick does literally everything the right way. Like I told you before, I don’t think Nick ever had a fine. The way he warm up, get ready for practice, he’s there late, ice tub, cold tub, pretty much everything. The way he carries himself. I’m just starting to be able to get into a groove where I can be like this is what I need to do before practice. I know I got to get here a little bit earlier and I’m going to stay a little bit later.”
You’ve mentioned it a couple of times, the fines and stuff. Were those things you were having issues with showing up on time and stuff?
“No, not really. But it is pretty scary. Find out somebody taking some money out your check. It ain’t fun at all.”
Jerome is being in shape and being in game shape. You haven’t been able to play in a game. Are you confident you could get there before Cincinnati game?
“Definitely. Like we were talking about with Nick being a pro, you see every play Nick run, he run about 40 yards after the play even though the play is over with and that’s us getting in game shape and that’s something that he taught us to do. So I feel like I do enough of that throughout the days and I kill myself through practice this week–I should be ready to.”
It should be a hard week practice-wise, right?
“Right.”
If that Kansas City game was a regular season game, do you think you’d have been able to go in that one?
“I don’t know.”
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