By Catherine Slonksnis
GoldenGrizzlies.com contributor

It's a delicate balance finding the right athletic trainer for any athletic department. Keeping the same one is even more difficult, but the Oakland University Athletics Department found just the right combination in Tom Ford nearly 27 years ago. For the coaches and players, Ford keeps (and gets) athletes healthy, but the effects of his behind-the-scenes role remain well beyond the results within the game.

"I didn't realize that I would be here for 27-plus years when I first came to Oakland University," said Ford. "But I have witnessed some tremendous growth at this university, including the move from Division II to Division I. I have also been fortunate enough to work with so many great student-athletes over the years."

After spending the summer with the Dallas Cowboys in 1982, serving as the club's Assistant Athletic Trainer in Dallas, Ford spent more than five years as the Head Athletic Trainer for Cypress Creek High School in Houston. Soon after, Ford was hired by Oakland University in 1988 to be their head athletic trainer.

Head coach, Greg Kampe, had been leading the men's basketball program for four years when Ford took the position with Oakland. A member of the National Athletic Trainers Association for 42 years and counting, Ford said what has kept him with Oakland hasn't been the coaches, the athletic department, or the money. It's been the student-athletes and what he sees them accomplish on a daily basis.

"I feel like they're my family," Ford said. "I am thankful to my wife Kathy, and my children Tom Jr., Travis and Keriann. They have sacrificed quite a bit so dad could play athletic trainer."

Sports medicine was Ford's passion since the age of 14. It was what he wanted to pursue, to help athletes succeed outside of the walls of a clinic. Ford knew he didn't have the ability to play competitive sports himself, but he loved athletics and medicine so being an athletic trainer allowed Ford to combine a love of two worlds.

"Tom didn't assume he knew what was wrong with me, he always asked my opinion and was able to help me deal with my injuries when I ran there," said former cross country All-American and 2007 Hall of Honor inductee Scott Collins (1997 Oakland graduate). "Despite being the only athletic trainer and dealing with all of our sports, he still had an ability to make you feel like you were the only one he was working on."

In all their years, Kampe and Ford have never had an argument about the health of a player or his ability to play. The level of trust the two share is unmatched. The same goes for former players and family members who still come to Ford for advice even after they've moved on from the university. Ford's dedication and passion for helping others has been a constant on the lists of those honored by Oakland for past accomplishments.

"Tom (Ford) does a great job of making them feel comfortable, and like family," Kampe said. "I think there's a respect there because of his age difference."

As much as the Oakland University trusts Ford with the health of its student-athletes, that same trust extends to the students, even when that means hearing difficult news. Over the years, Ford has given up countless hours with his family in an effort to keep athletes healthy, but not every story has ended with positive news.

Such was the case when Ford had to inform Nik Dragicevic, a 7-foot-3 Canadian basketball player who was recruited by Oakland during the 2000-01 season, that he had a heart defect. Dragicevic passed away in 2013 at the age of 31 due to cancer, but Ford said that remains one of the most difficult pieces of news he's ever had to give a student.

"The hardest thing was, for me, to tell him that he would never play basketball again, and tell his parents that he would never be able to play basketball again," Ford said. "That was a difficult time."

Amid the difficult news and long hours, however, there have been countless bright moments. Most recently, Nick Daniels, the Golden Grizzlies' shooting guard for the men's basketball team, had missed time due to a broken left foot. Daniels, who spent eight weeks in a boot, is still completing rehabilitation steps while playing on the court. Yet, only one day after his boot was removed, Daniels was in the game on limited playing time, a testament to how well Ford works with the athletes.

"You know, Tom and I have been together for 27 years," Kampe said. "And when you work that closely in a competitive environment, you would think that, especially when he's in a position to shut an athlete down -- you would think there would be some conflict, but we've never once had conflict. It's because I have such great respect for him and I know how good he is, that I let him do his job and I just believe in trusting him."

Athletes who have attended Oakland and later returned to coach with the university years later, such as Jeff Tungate, who played baseball in 1993 while attending Oakland, remain close with Ford. Tungate, who currently serves as the head coach for the women's basketball team, said Ford is more than the university's athletic trainer.

"Tom is loved by both the players and alumni, and has a passion for his job." Ford does that on a daily basis without seeking recognition. Despite that, he still has a Fathead of himself in the stands at the men's basketball games, which Ford finds funny because the version taped on a stick is a much younger version of himself.

Ford may be the university's athletic trainer, but his work goes beyond sports medicine. For that, Ford is treasured as Oakland's long-time athletic trainer, and the Golden Grizzlies (and Ford) wouldn't want it any other way.

"He may not have won a championship individually, but he had a part in every single one at Oakland University," said Collins. "To this day, I always seek him out when I am on campus or at an event, because he has that ability to make you feel special."

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