Four Downs with ...

ELTON FORD Arkansas freshman free safety Elton Ford made up for fumbling the opening kickoff against Western Illinois to record eight tackles in his debut.

How would you assess your first college game? Some ups and some downs?

“The first time to experience college football, it was new to me. But practice feels like a game every day, so once I got out there in a game, (I) just get accustomed to it and play football. It’s the same sport you’ve been playing, so just play it.”



What were your emotions like in the locker room before the first game? Hey, it’s nothing new? Or hey, I’m about to go out in front of 70,000 fans, so it’s all new?

“Ah, it’s not new at all. It’s just a confidence factor. I was pretty confident, but also everybody’s got butterflies. I was nervous as well. After the first play, I felt better. And when the game went on, I started getting into the groove.”



Did you start to feel after you got your first hit and a few more after that that you could play at this level?

“Yeah, it started to feel more natural and it started to come to me. After the first hit, it just felt real.”



Was there anything that surprised you about your first game, whether it was something that you didn’t expect or something else?

“Really, I didn’t expect us to be down, first and foremost, especially by halftime. So I know in the second half we needed to come out and bust our butt. The fourth quarter, we’ve got a fist that represents 11-strong for four quarters. And you’ve got to bust your butt, get back in the game and win it.”