Boca Raton, Fla. (December 1, 2022) — Former NFL wide receiver and Clemson University athlete Jacoby Ford was awarded this year’s Palm Beach County Legends Award Presented by the David A. Burke Foundation. Ford will be recognized on December 19 at the Annual RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl luncheon filled with leaders from the state and county government, school board, local businesses as well as the Bowl’s matchup teams. Ford will also be honored during the bowl game on December 20 at 7:30 p.m. at FAU Stadium.

The purpose of the Palm Beach County Legends Award is to honor those in the county who have made notable achievements and contributions to the sport of football. Previous honorees include Howard Schnellenberger (2014), Reidel Anthony (2015), John Carney (2016), Steve Walsh (2017), Brad Banks (2018), Santonio Holmes (2019) and Pierre Garcon (2021).

“We are proud to recognize Palm Beach County native Jacoby Ford. We admire his dedication on and off the field as well as his accomplishments not only as a dual-sport athlete for Clemson but also as a player for three NFL teams,” said RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl executive director Doug Mosley.

Before Jacoby Ford could play little league football, he started his football career at the age of four by playing at the local recreational park. He was inspired to play by his father and after watching his brother Davy, who is nine years older, be recruited to play for the Florida State Seminoles Jacoby knew he also wanted to play at the collegiate level.

The Royal Palm native attended Cardinal Newman High School where he was a two-year letterman in football and a one-year letterman in track. As a senior Ford recorded 22 receptions for 550 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was also named MVP of the 2005 Palm Beach County All-Star game.

After graduating high school, Ford spent a semester on the football team at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, before transferring to Clemson in the spring of 2006. The wide receiver said Clemson was the right fit for him because the small town felt like home and his brother was only an hour away in Atlanta.

In his first year at Clemson, Ford focused on football and decided not to join the track team until he had the offense down. The spring of 2007 he joined the track team and learned how to juggle being a dual-sport student athlete. Although it was challenging going from spring football practices to track practices some days, Jacoby says the Clemson staff made sure his body was taken care of so that he could compete on both teams.

As one of Clemson’s greatest track athletes, Ford won the NCAA Championship in the 60 meters indoors in March of 2009 with a time of 6.52. The six-time All-ACC performer in men’s indoor and outdoor track also had a streak of 18 straight wins in 60 meter and 100 meter races over the indoor and outdoor season.

Ford also excelled on the football field. He finished his Tigers football career with 4,086 all-purpose yards and had 16 touchdown receptions. The wide receiver also ranked sixth in school history in career kickoff return yards with 1,124 and was eighth in punt return yards with 479. Furthermore, Ford played in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on January 30, 2010.

His favorite college football memory was in his senior year when Clemson traveled to play the University of Miami. The Tigers were down late in the game but had a chance to win towards the end. Ford drew up a play on the sideline that called for him to catch the game winning pass. Coach Dabo Swinney trusted Ford with the job and the team executed his play perfectly on the field, resulting in the Tigers taking down the No.10 team in the country at the time. It was a great memory for Ford because not only did the team defeat a conference rival, but he had won in his hometown.

After graduating with a degree in sociology in December 2009, Ford went on to play in the NFL for five years. During that time, he played with the New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders.

Although Ford is no longer playing, his passion for the game has led him to be a football coach at his alma matter, Cardinal Newman. This year his team went 11-1 with their only loss coming in the playoffs. His goal is to inspire the young men and help them be their best. Even though he is there to make an impact on the lives of his teenage players, Ford said they have had a greater impact on him than he could have imagined.

ABOUT THE ROOFCLAIM.COM BOCA RATON BOWL

The Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl is one of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN. The RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl debuted in 2014 and has been well received in the community through its first seven years. It has twice held the distinction of matching up two conference champions – Marshall University vs. Northern Illinois University (2014), and UAB vs. Northern Illinois (2018). In all, six conference champions and another three conference division champions have played in the game. Among the bowl’s alumni who have moved on to the NFL are current New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (BYU, 2020), Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary (FAU, 2017) and Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott (Memphis, 2016). For more information about the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl visit RoofClaimBocaRatonBowl.com or follow through social media on Facebook (Facebook.com/BocaBowl), Twitter (@BocaBowl), and Instagram (@BocaBowl).

ABOUT ESPN EVENTS

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.