Cole Ford
Encyclopedia
Cole Ford is a retired American football
placekicker
in the National Football League
. He was born in Tucson
, Arizona
and is the son of AlphaGraphics
founder Rodger Ford.
in Tucson, where he played for the Sabercats football
team.
by the Pittsburgh Steelers
.http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/years/1995
Ford played between 1995
and 1997
for the National Football League
's Oakland Raiders
. Those first 2 seasons were successful, but his performance declined in 1997 and he was cut after that season. He played one game with the Buffalo Bills the following year before disappearing from professional football.
Ford had this to say about professional football: “NFL players are in the environment of the Roman Coliseum. Sacrificing takes place. It’s possible that I didn’t want to become a successful athlete because then I would have been sacrificed.”
On September 21, 2004 police said that he fired a gun toward the house of entertainers Siegfried & Roy
. Ford was arrested and charged with three counts of felony firearms charges. At a January 2005 hearing, judge Jackie Glass ruled that Ford was incompetent to stand trial and ordered him sent to a state mental health facility to be evaluated. Ford argued that he was competent and wanted to plead guilty.
According to a psychiatrist's evaluation after the shooting, Ford stated that he did not intend to harm the performers, but wanted to "warn the world of the illusionists' unhealthy danger to them and to animals". The psychiatrist, Norton Roitman, wrote that "While watching Siegfried and Roy, he had a sudden realization that what was wrong with the world was linked to the illusionists' treatment, dominance and unhealthy intimacy he saw them having with their animals." Ford told Roitman that he believed the performers had a sexual relationship with their animals and it was a factor in the development of the AIDS virus.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was born in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and is the son of AlphaGraphics
AlphaGraphics
AlphaGraphics is a franchised chain of more than 260 independently owned and operated full-service print shops.AlphaGraphics business centers are franchised by AlphaGraphics, Inc., part of the UK-based Pindar Group. AlphaGraphics was founded by entrepreneur Rodger Ford in Tucson, Arizona, in 1969,...
founder Rodger Ford.
High school career
Ford attended Sabino High SchoolSabino High School
Sabino High School is located in Tucson, Arizona. It is located on the city's northeast side. Its current principal is Valerie Payne.- History :The school was established in 1972 in response to the boom of Tucson's east side in the 1960s and 1970s...
in Tucson, where he played for the Sabercats football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team.
Professional career
He was drafted in the seventh round (247th pick overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/years/1995
Ford played between 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
and 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
for the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Those first 2 seasons were successful, but his performance declined in 1997 and he was cut after that season. He played one game with the Buffalo Bills the following year before disappearing from professional football.
Ford had this to say about professional football: “NFL players are in the environment of the Roman Coliseum. Sacrificing takes place. It’s possible that I didn’t want to become a successful athlete because then I would have been sacrificed.”
Legal troubles
He moved to Las Vegas in 2004 to pursue a lawsuit against the Mirage casino, demanding $5 million in damages for what he perceived as exploitation of athletes from profiting off sports betting. The lawsuit was dismissed.On September 21, 2004 police said that he fired a gun toward the house of entertainers Siegfried & Roy
Siegfried & Roy
Siegfried & Roy are two German-American former entertainers who became known for their appearances with white lions and white tigers....
. Ford was arrested and charged with three counts of felony firearms charges. At a January 2005 hearing, judge Jackie Glass ruled that Ford was incompetent to stand trial and ordered him sent to a state mental health facility to be evaluated. Ford argued that he was competent and wanted to plead guilty.
According to a psychiatrist's evaluation after the shooting, Ford stated that he did not intend to harm the performers, but wanted to "warn the world of the illusionists' unhealthy danger to them and to animals". The psychiatrist, Norton Roitman, wrote that "While watching Siegfried and Roy, he had a sudden realization that what was wrong with the world was linked to the illusionists' treatment, dominance and unhealthy intimacy he saw them having with their animals." Ford told Roitman that he believed the performers had a sexual relationship with their animals and it was a factor in the development of the AIDS virus.