For some, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, was just another day.
But for Opelousas High School running back D’Shaun Ford, it was anything but.
That day, during Week 6 of the high school football season, is a day he'll probably always remember.
It’s the day Charlotte gave Ford his first college scholarship offer.
"That was a big deal for me," Ford said. "After that offer, I knew that I just had to go put in more work."
Ford continued to work and went on to enjoy a standout sophomore season for the Tigers.
And the result was he has received more than a dozen scholarship offers since the end of the season.
Ford said he really hasn't been surprised by the amount of offers.
"I’ve been working really hard on the field, in the weight room and in the classroom," he said.
The Tigers’ star now has 16 college offers including those from LSU, Florida State, Miami, Auburn, and Mississippi State.
"I think he’s a four-star recruit right now, but by the time it is all said and done I think he is going to be a five-star," Tigers coach Jimmy Zachery said.
There’s a lot to like about the 5-foot-11, 225-pound Ford, who has a combination of size and speed (4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash) that college coaches covet, Zachery said.
"What the college coaches love about D’Shaun is his ability to finish off runs," Zachery said. "He finishes off runs with power and at the same time, he has that breakaway speed. He’s just a prototypical running back. D’Shaun is the total package."
Last season, Ford was the driving force behind the Tigers’ success as he rushed for 1,370 yards and 21 touchdowns in being named the District 5-4A Offensive Most Valuable Player and garnering honorable mention all-state honors.
"I know that I have to stay focused and continue to grind hard," Ford said. "I want us to win a state championship, and I want to rush for 2,000 yards or more this season."
While many want to talk about the things that Ford does well, the junior-to-be has spent the offseason working on things he has tabbed as weaknesses in his game.
"I know I can break a tackle, and I have the speed to run away from people," Ford said. "But I don’t want to get the big head. I have to stay humble and continue to work to improve. I’ve been working on my weaknesses like catching the football, improving my vision, and becoming shiftier. Those aren’t things that I was told, but it is things that I’ve seen from my perspective."
Ford’s focus, drive, and desire to get better comes as no surprise to Zachery.
"That’s typical D’Shaun," Zachery said. "The first thing that comes to mind when I think of D’Shaun is hard worker. His work ethic, character and integrity are all great. It’s easy to do things that you already do well. But if you really want to be good, you have to work to improve the things you don’t do well. By the time he’s a senior, D’Shaun is going to be one of the best in the state — if not the best."