Former Edmond Santa Fe standout, current Oklahoma player Trace Ford ready for upcoming Texas game

NORMAN, OKLAHOMA - Trace Ford knew about the game. 

Growing up playing football in Oklahoma, there was no way he could have escaped not hearing about the Red River Rivalry (formerly called the Red River Shootout) involving Oklahoma against Texas. 

Even though the former Edmond Santa Fe standout’s path initially took him away from the University of Oklahoma, he always questioned whether the battle between the Sooners and Longhorns was actually as big as it had been made out to be.

However, after facing Texas four times with Oklahoma State, Ford is set to get his first taste of the Red River Rivalry as a member of the Sooners, who trail the overall series 63-50-5.

No. 12 ranked Oklahoma and No. 3 Texas, both of which come in with identical 5-0 records, will play at 11 a.m. Saturday in Dallas, at the historic Cotton Bowl.

“It's exciting,” Ford said. “I'm 3-1 (against Texas), so I'm just looking forward to another game. Nothing different for me, but I know it's a big rivalry and I'm excited to see the atmosphere down there.

"I heard it's wild, so I'm really excited about that.”

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Coming out of high school in 2019, Ford was a three and four-star rated weak-side defensive end who had 24 offers from programs around the country. However, that didn’t include the Sooners.

After signing with Oklahoma State, Ford, who once had aspirations of being a pro baseball player, spent the past four seasons with the Cowboys. That includes taking a medical redshirt in 2021.

During that time, he became a fixture on the Pokes' defensive front and one of their top players.

But after the 2022 season came to an end, Ford announced he was entering the transfer portal as a redshirt senior. While that wasn’t a huge shock, his intended destination was as he made his way to Norman after graduating from Oklahoma State with a degree in management.

Now, the 6-foot-2, 252-pound defensive lineman is having to learn an entirely new system and new way of playing the game.

“Personally, it's been different, for sure. It’s definitely a lot to have my hand in the ground all the time. It is different for me,” Ford said. “But I've been a tremendously better football player even though the stats don't show it.

"I've gotten tremendously better with the run, just tremendously better with a lot of things. And that's thanks to (OU head coach Brent) Venables and (defensive ends coach Miguel) Chavis, just learning how to play football and not just be an athlete. So, I've been getting a lot better by being coached by these guys.”

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Ford has also had to learn the true meaning of the Oklahoma and Texas game. After being in Stillwater for four years, his thinking on the rivalry hierarchy had to be adjusted.

“I mean, my whole life I watched the game on TV. I've never been, but I watched the game,” Ford said. “I know I have a lot of friends at OU that go to the game. All the players talk about that game and how it's way more important than OU and OSU.

"I thought OSU-OU was the biggest game of the year. I thought it was crazy. And then they're like, no, it’s Texas; Texas is that game for us. And so just seeing that, I'm excited.”

Ford is also enthused that his family and friends will be able to watch him play in his first-ever Red River Rivalry Saturday morning. They will be part of the 49,000 OU fans piled into one side of the Cotton Bowl Stadium screaming Boomer Sooner for the first time, as 49,000 UT fans respond in kind with Texas Fight.

But whether at Oklahoma State or Oklahoma, he has had the added luxury of being able to play in front of them throughout his collegiate career.

“It's been amazing," Ford said. “That's who I play for, my family and my friends. Especially my family. I have a lot of brothers and sisters (eight in all), and grandparents that come to every game.

"Even to Cincinnati (for OU's Big 12 Conference opener two weeks ago), I had 10 people drive up, and so it's just super fun. When I entered the portal, I wasn't going to leave Oklahoma; I knew it. I'm an Oklahoma boy, and so it's been super fun just playing 20 minutes from home. It's a blessing.”

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This weekend’s contest will be the final time the Sooners and Longhorns will match up as members of the Big 12 Conference. Next year, the rivalry will get a fresh SEC shine on it.

But that doesn’t change anything for the players who grew up in Oklahoma. Whether it’s playing in the Big 8, Big 12 or SEC, hating Texas is just a way of life.

While improving to 4-1 against the Longhorns is important to Ford, he is more excited to be on the field for his teammates who had to endure last season’s 49-0 pummeling at the hands of Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

“I think everyone on the team, including myself, now that I'm here, has had to take that all since last year,” Ford said. “They all had to take that.

"I know the guys are fired up and I'm a competitor. I think all the dudes that came in are really competitors and no one wants to lose to Texas. No one likes Texas. So, I think we're just excited.”

Photo of Trace Ford by Sue Ogrocki, Associated Press

-- Michael Kinney | @SBLiveOK