The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2013
- Class:
- 2017
One of the most decorated basketball players in UT history, Ford's No. 11 jersey was retired on Feb. 8, 2004. Ford was a two-year starter at point guard for the Longhorns in 2001-02 and 2002-03. He led Texas to an appearance in the "Sweet 16" as a freshman, earning National Freshman of the Year honors by the United States Basketball Writers Association. Ford became the first freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists (8.27 apg) and was the consensus Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year. He returned to lead the Longhorns to their first Final Four appearance since 1947 during his sophomore campaign and won the Naismith and Wooden Awards as the top player in college basketball. He also was named National Player of the Year by Chevrolet, CBS SportsLine.com, ESPN.com, The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. A consensus first-team All-American as a sophomore, Ford led the team in scoring (15.0 ppg), assists (7.7 apg), steals (2.0 spg), free-throw percentage (.820) and minutes played (33.6 mpg). Ford finished his collegiate career in second place on UT's all-time career assists list (527) and held the top two single-season assists marks in school history (273 in 2001-02 and 254 in 2002-03). Ford turned professional following his sophomore season and was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks as the eighth-overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He went on to play eight years in the NBA with the Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs before retiring during the 2011-12 season. Ford currently sponsors and coaches a Houston-based AAU program, T.J. Ford Elite, which emphasizes basketball training and development along with life skills and college preparation. He also continues to be heavily involved with the T.J. Ford Foundation, an organization created in 2004 to help participants achieve their academic, personal and civil goals. Ford and his wife, Candace, reside in Houston with their three children, sons, T.J. and Austin, and daughter, Peyton.
