James Ford will go down in Rutgers history for an important first. Upon arriving ‘On the Banks’, Ford became the first African-American on the men’s lacrosse team. RU head coach Tom Hayes assured Ford that he would get the same opportunities as the other players if he attended Rutgers. After accepting the challenge, Ford brought his eagerness to rise to any challenge the moment he stepped on the field, and his progress within the sport of lacrosse showed as he become a team leader and captain. 

Ford finished his career as Rutgers’ all-time assist leader with 131 and is one of just four Scarlet Knights to surpass 200 career points. During his senior year he scored 73 points, the second-most all-time in one season at Rutgers. When he left RU, he held all of the team's the scoring records except for the single season assist and goal records. He was the first RU player to reach 200 points and his 73 points as a senior where then the most all-time.

Forty years later, he will be recognized among the University’s best all-time athletes as the newest member of the Hall of Fame. 

Growing up, Ford was a multi-talented athlete, competing in various sports such as basketball, football, and lacrosse. As a freshman at Hempstead High School on Long Island, Ford considered joining the lacrosse team. However, after one week, he decided it wasn’t worth all the running. Later that week, Ford was approached by the varsity coach, Henry Lunde, who asked him to play due to another player’s injury. The decision worked out, as Ford finished his high school lacrosse career with 56 goals and 62 assists, and was well known for scoring from long range, including behind the restraining line. 

Throughout his time as a Hempstead Tiger, Ford was awarded with 10 varsity letters from basketball, football, and lacrosse. He played under the guidance of head coach Alan Hodish alongside Hofstra lacrosse legend Phil Marino on the lacrosse field. Admitting he wouldn’t back down from a challenge, Ford was ready to take the next step. 

“My game had accelerated into the collegiate level,” Ford recalled. 

With the scholastic recognition he received for his amount of effort and dedication, he moved on to take his talents to Rutgers, where he would place his name among the all-time greats.

With Rutgers being one of the top lacrosse programs in the Tri-State area, Ford was happy to play for a team and thought Rutgers was the right place for him. He settled in ‘On the Banks’ to begin his prolific career. 

In particular, Ford’s senior season was full of highlights. On April 30, Rutgers defeated Princeton, 16-11, with Ford scoring six points in that game, resulting in a victory for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers rallied to take the victory against its longtime rival, providing the team captain with the last win of his collegiate career, and a special birthday gift. Ford was proud to be a part of this squad, learning many lessons along the way. 

Ford attributes his success to God and seeing his parents sacrifice and hard work in his youth, admitting that seeing his parents struggle to make a living for themselves really pushed Ford. 

“What you work for, you’ll appreciate even more compared to what is handed to you,” said Ford.  

Lacrosse isn’t the only part of Rutgers that holds a special place in his heart – it’s the relationships built. His late wife, Marcia, also attended Rutgers during the same time as Ford, where she was a track athlete. To this day, Ford and his teammates stay in contact with each other and kept close even after all these years. 

Ford feels honored to represent Rutgers as a Hall of Famer and proudly wears the block ‘R’ in his daily life. On an everyday basis, Ford sports Rutgers apparel and uses it as a conversation starter when someone asks if he attended and a chance to talk about his family – his teammates. 

“I’m very proud of my time at Rutgers and the opportunities I got,” said Ford. “It’s an honor to represent Rutgers. Rutgers brings people together. That is what I cherish about my experience.”

Walking in Ford’s footsteps are his children, Whitney, Simone, and Tyler. Whitney attended Boston University and was an All-America triple jumper. Simone ran track at Emmanuel College in Massachusetts and Tyler attended UMBC while majoring in Biology. Ford taught his children to excel academically and guiding them with this bit of wisdom: “Be humble. You’re going to lose more than you win, so when you do win, be sure to be humble.” 

Coming from humble roots, Ford made a great impact throughout his life. He made a great mark on the University and on those he crossed paths with, through hard work and determination to be great.