T. J. Ford

Ford was also the South Regional MVP while leading Texas to its first Final Four since 1947.

At the end of the season, the consensus First Team All-America selection won the prestigious Naismith College Player of the Year and John Wooden awards, and was named Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, ESPN.com and CBS SportsLine.

To honor Ford, his #11 jersey was retired by his university, making him the fourth University of Texas athlete in any sport (and the first basketball player) to have such an honor, joining Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, and Roger Clemens.

Terrance Jerod Ford Sr. (born March 24, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player.

From a young age, Ford dreamed of being a basketball player, having also witnessed his home team Houston Rockets win back-to-back championships in the 1990s.

Ford first played competitive basketball at Willowridge High School, and helped Willowridge to a 75–1 win–loss record (including a 62-game winning streak) in his final two seasons, earning a pair of Texas Class 5A state titles in the process.

Subsequently, Ford was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, but he went on to play basketball for the Texas Longhorns for the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons.

In his first season at Texas, Ford not only led the team in steals and minutes per game, he became the first freshman player in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists (8.27 per game).

Ford's play ensured that Texas made it to the Sweet Sixteen, while he recorded 15 double-digit assist games, and was named a consensus Big 12 Freshman of the Year.

Having been awarded numerous top basketball accolades in high school and college, Ford entered the 2003 NBA draft and was selected eighth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.

In 2003, the sophomore was third in the nation in assists (7.7 per game), and led the Longhorns in scoring, assists and steals.

Having felt he had nothing more to prove at college level, Ford decided to turn professional after his second year of college to enter the 2003 NBA draft, and was heralded by NBA.com as having "the prescient ability to see the play before it happens, like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird".

Ford was picked eighth in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks in a very strong draft class, which featured future NBA All-Stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony.

In his first season, he led the Bucks in assists with 6.5 assists per game, while tallying 7.1 points per game (ppg).

Ford was also selected to the NBA All-Rookie 2nd Team.

Off the court, Ford set up the T. J. Ford Foundation in 2004 to help participants achieve their academic, personal and civil goals.

Born in Houston, Texas to Leo and Mary Ford, Terrance Jerod Ford was nicknamed "T. J." at birth by his mother.

However, he played in only 55 games that season before an injury forced him to miss the final 26 games of the regular season and the 2004 NBA Playoffs.

The injury occurred on February 24, 2004, during a home game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves where he fell on his tail bone after being fouled by center Mark Madsen.

He suffered a contusion of the spinal cord, a career-threatening injury.

Ford sat out the entire 2004–05 season due to his spinal cord injury.

Ford's recurring back injuries resulted in him missing many games in his three seasons with the Bucks, but in 2005, it was announced that he was fit to play basketball again.

In June 2005, a statement was released by Dr. Robert Watkins of the Los Angeles Spine Surgery Institute that said Ford had made a complete recovery.

The point guard had trained intensively for months in his hometown of Houston under the supervision of former NBA player John Lucas; together they worked on Ford's shooting, stamina, and strength.

Ford rejoined the Bucks when training camp opened, and in his first game back on the court on November 1, 2005, he was one rebound shy of a triple double (with 16 points, 14 assists and 9 rebounds in 34 minutes of play) in a 117–108 Milwaukee road win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

As the season progressed Ford showed almost no effects from his injury, playing with the same intensity and hustle as he did in his rookie season.

He ended the regular season with 12.2 ppg and 6.6 apg, but found that the Bucks had abandoned a fast-paced style of offense.

New coach Terry Stotts was beginning to rely more on the jump shooting of Michael Redd, the post play of Andrew Bogut and Jamaal Magloire, and the playmaking of developing point guard Mo Williams, so that Ford became a less important component of the team.

Following the 2005–06 season, newly appointed Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo overhauled Toronto's roster in preparation for the 2006–07 season.

He was looking for a true point guard, and acquired Ford in exchange for promising Raptors forward Charlie Villanueva.

This trade was initially criticised by basketball observers as "lopsided" due to Ford's injury history, but Ford was installed as the starting point guard for the Raptors, and together with Chris Bosh, the duo formed the centerpiece of the Raptors' offense.

Ford also forged a solid partnership with sophomore and fellow point guard José Calderón, the latter backing him up when Ford was injured for several games in the middle of the season.

Ford was traded to the Raptors prior to the 2006–07 NBA season, and established himself as the starting point guard, helping the team win the Atlantic Division crown and reach the 2007 NBA Playoffs.

On December 20, 2006, he scored the winning basket against the Los Angeles Clippers and two days later, converted almost every shot in overtime and provided the vital assist in the win against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Following an injury sustained in the 2007–08 NBA season, however, Ford had difficulties reclaiming the starting spot and was traded to the Indiana Pacers.

Apart from his quick speed (Ford was voted the fastest player in the NBA in a 2007 Sports Illustrated survey of 271 NBA players), Ford's clutch play was instrumental for the Raptors throughout his inaugural season.

Ford's clutch play was again evident in a 120–119 overtime win against the Seattle SuperSonics on March 11, 2007, when he scored almost all of the team's overtime points.

He signed with KK Zagreb of Croatia during the 2011 NBA lockout where he appeared in three games.

On December 9, 2011, Ford signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs.

In 2017, he finally graduated from the University of Texas, earning a bachelor's degree from Texas in youth and community studies, with a minor in educational psychology.