WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A member of the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024, Bob Ford will be officially inducted on Friday.
Ford is a three-year letterwinner for Purdue Men's Basketball who earned First Team All-Big Ten honors as a senior in 1972.
He became just the third Academic All-American in school history and ranks 10th in program history for both scoring average and rebounding average.
Ford is already a Hall of Famer, in fact, since he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1997.
He was the 11th Boilermaker to surpass 1,000 career points scored with 1,244 points during an era in which freshmen did not play in varsity action.
Ford was a member of the World University Team in 1970 and the Pan-American Team in 1971.
Additionally, he used to be the host and emcee of the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony in the early years of its establishment.
Q: How would you describe your approach to your athletic and academic pursuits during your time at Purdue?
Ford: I was given an extraordinary opportunity to grow both athletically and academically at Purdue. The support structure available to student-athletes at Purdue is second to none, and I knew if I worked hard both on the basketball court and in the classroom that success was well within reach.
Q: What did you learn during your time at Purdue that has been the most valuable for you?
Ford: Building teams has always been important to me. Whether it be on the basketball court or in the workplace, a good, strong team can overcome almost any obstacle. I was fortunate enough to have good teammates on the basketball court and in the workplace that allowed me to be successful.
Q: What advice would you give current student-athletes that you wish someone had given you during your time at Purdue?
Ford: No matter how hard you work, there is always someone somewhere who's working just as hard with the same desire for success that you have. Give it your best every day so that you know at the end of the day you have done the very best that you can.
Q: What is your favorite Purdue Athletics memory?
Ford: After a summer of playing on the World University team behind an individual from Kentucky, we traveled to Lexington and defeated Kentucky and coach Adolph Rupp in their own holiday tournament.
Ford is a three-year letterwinner for Purdue Men's Basketball who earned First Team All-Big Ten honors as a senior in 1972.
He became just the third Academic All-American in school history and ranks 10th in program history for both scoring average and rebounding average.
Ford is already a Hall of Famer, in fact, since he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1997.
He was the 11th Boilermaker to surpass 1,000 career points scored with 1,244 points during an era in which freshmen did not play in varsity action.
Ford was a member of the World University Team in 1970 and the Pan-American Team in 1971.
Additionally, he used to be the host and emcee of the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony in the early years of its establishment.
Q: How would you describe your approach to your athletic and academic pursuits during your time at Purdue?
Ford: I was given an extraordinary opportunity to grow both athletically and academically at Purdue. The support structure available to student-athletes at Purdue is second to none, and I knew if I worked hard both on the basketball court and in the classroom that success was well within reach.
Q: What did you learn during your time at Purdue that has been the most valuable for you?
Ford: Building teams has always been important to me. Whether it be on the basketball court or in the workplace, a good, strong team can overcome almost any obstacle. I was fortunate enough to have good teammates on the basketball court and in the workplace that allowed me to be successful.
Q: What advice would you give current student-athletes that you wish someone had given you during your time at Purdue?
Ford: No matter how hard you work, there is always someone somewhere who's working just as hard with the same desire for success that you have. Give it your best every day so that you know at the end of the day you have done the very best that you can.
Q: What is your favorite Purdue Athletics memory?
Ford: After a summer of playing on the World University team behind an individual from Kentucky, we traveled to Lexington and defeated Kentucky and coach Adolph Rupp in their own holiday tournament.