"It was hard to adjust from playing end to tackle," says the articulate government major. "I didn't have the confidence to play against bigger guys until late in the season."

He returned junior year with his newfound confidence, determined to devote himself tn football, and opened the season with a strong performance in the Crimson's 43-14 victory over Columbia. Then in the second quarter of the UMass game, what promised to be Ford's best season became his most frustrating.

"I had tackled the back for no gain when his knee or his foot when into my gut." Ford recalls. "Five of my teammates were behind me and fell on top of us. It hurt a lot, and as I stood up I felt dizzy and nauseous. I lined up for the next play but when the ball was snapped. I crumpled up like a ball to protect myself and left the game when the play was over."

The injuries he had received to his spleen and colon forced him to spend the next four days in the hospital and the next three weeks on the sidelines. Though he returned to play in four of the Crimson's final five games, including last year's Yale game, he had lost between 15 and 20 pounds and never fully regained his strength.

The injury changed his attitude towards the game. "It was very difficult last year. During the second part of the season I was underweight and weak," he says.

"My goal this year was to stay healthy," he adds. "If I could do that, I figured that everything else would come."

And almost everything else has come, except perhaps for sole possession of Ivy crown. But, despite last Saturday's disappointing loss to Penn, Ford doesn't foresee any problems heading into this weekend's showdown.

"This is THE Game," he emphasizes. "I've never lost to yale as a varsity player and I don't intend to now. Although Penn was for the championship, this is the rivalry. There won't be any letdown."

Ironically, four years ago, Ford was contemplating playing for the team he is now determined to beat. After earning High School, Ford was heavily recruited by a number of schools ranging from Holy Cross to Penn State. But, in the end, his choice came down to Harvard or Yale.

"My junior year in high school I was planning on a basketball career, Penn was my first choice, "the two-time high school basketball captain explains. "But when I realized that I wasn't going to play college basketball, my changed."

Former Eli and Dallas Country star Calvin Hill did his best to convince Ford that New Haven was the place to be, but in the end family pressure and Cambridge bridge got the best of him.

"My brother Brian Harvard in '80 and my parents fell love with the place," he explains, "I also didn't want to spend four years in New Haven."

So after four years as a Crimson standout. Ford will hang up his clents after tomorrow's, game and will turn My attention to the many other appear of his life.

The government major says he'll spend much of his free time working on his thesis, a critique of nuclear strategies, and as Class Marshal he'll be busy organizing the Senior Class commencement activities.

After graduation, Ford hopes to travel in West Africa and eventually to attend law school. Though he speaks optimistically about the future, he admits it's difficult to picture the future without football.

"I won't miss it this year, But next football season will be the first fall in 11 years that I haven't played.

"Maybe, I'll take up racquet half..." he sighs.