Q&A with a Razorback: Charity Ford

By Lauren HavilandArkansas Media RelationsThe ultimate team player, Charity Ford was the Southeastern Conference’s Sixth Woman of the Year last season as a junior and the Razorbacks expect that the Arlington, Texas, native will be even better in her final year. Coming off the bench, Ford averaged 7.3 points per game, and in conference action nearly averaged double digits with 9.7 points per game.What made Ford’s transformation into the best sixth-person last season even more impressive is that the 5-8 guard started every game of her sophomore year and 17 of her 30 games as a freshman. Ford knew what she needed to do to make the Razorbacks the best they could be and was eager to do what was best for Arkansas.MR: How did you choose the University of Arkansas?CF: Atmosphere, so much love here. MR: What major are you studying?CF: Kinesiology MR: What are your goals during your last year at the University of Arkansas?CF: I would love to play ball overseas but I’m not sure which country yet.MR: What goals do you hope to achieve in the next 20 years?CF: I want to be a junior high coach and move back home to Texas. MR: What have you learned under Coach Collen?CF: To stay calm, when games get tough I know I can get hyped, I can look over at him at any point and he is calm.MR: Being one of two seniors how are you helping lead your team this year?CF: I just have to keep my team together and being a leader in general and stepping up when I am needed. If I see a teammate down or not doing something right I will help out.MR: How was playing your first game in Bud Walton as a starting senior?CF: It was a great game and I think I played well. It is crazy to think three years ago I was stepping on the court as a freshman. Time really flew by when you think about it like that.MR: Which game do you look most forward too this year?CF: All the SEC games. A couple of the non conference games are different this year and that will help us a lot this year. Also, all the Big 12 teams.MR: Does your family plan to come and watch this year?CF: My mom will come up here. Definitely when we play at SMU I will have a lot of people watching there.MR: What’s you most missed meal from home?CF: Salmon croak heads and yams is what my mom makes every time I come home. I don’t know where she got it from, but I love it!MR: What song would be playing on your iPod if we turned it on right now?CF: Kerri Hilson, Intuition. I love that song.MR: What pumps you up for games?CF: Relaxing. I am not a big rah-rah person. I am ready to go once I step on the court. I don’t need music or anything to pump me up.MR: Have you attended any other University of Arkansas sporting events this year?CF: Football of course and basketball since it just started. I have also watched softball and soccer, but I really want to go watch swimming and diving so I need to go over and watch them sometime soon this year.MR: What is your favorite sport to watch?CF: NCAA basketball is definitely my favorite.MR: What is your favorite Razorback cheer or Hog call?CF: William Tell, the stampede! I love watching the student section get in to it.MR: After playing your first game with fans, how do you plan on preparing for your first away game this year?CF: Execute at practice and doing things right, focusing on the little things. The crowd at home always helps.MR: Is it hard playing at away games?CF: Yeah they don’t always say the nicest things but you just need to block it out. Nothing like Hog fans!