View source for Len Ford

{{Short description|American football player (1926–1972)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = Len Ford
| image         = Len Ford from 1948 Michiganensian.jpg
| caption       = Ford from the 1948 ''Michiganensian''
| alt           = A portrait of Ford from the 1948 Michigan yearbook
| number        = 50, 53, 80, 83
| position      = [[Defensive end]] <br> [[End (gridiron football)|End]]
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1926|2|18}}
| birth_place   = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1972|3|14|1926|2|18}}
| death_place   = [[Detroit|Detroit, Michigan]], U.S.
| height_ft     = 6
| height_in     = 4<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/players/len-ford/ |title=Len Ford Stats, News and Video - WR |website=NFL.com |access-date=July 17, 2023 |archive-date=July 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230717151347/https://www.nfl.com/players/len-ford/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| weight_lb     = 245
| high_school   = [[Friendship Armstrong Academy|Armstrong]] (Washington, D.C.)
| college       = [[Morgan State Bears football|Morgan State]]<br />[[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]]
| undraftedyear = 1948
| pastteams     =
* [[Los Angeles Dons]] (1948–1949)
* [[Cleveland Browns]] ({{NFL Year|1950|1957}})
* [[Green Bay Packers]] ({{NFL Year|1958}})
| highlights    =
* 3× [[NFL champion]] ([[1950 NFL Championship Game|1950]], [[1954 NFL Championship Game|1954]], [[1955 NFL Championship Game|1955]])
* 4× First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1951 All-Pro Team|1951]]–[[1954 All-Pro Team|1954]])
* 4× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1952 Pro Bowl|1951]]–[[1955 Pro Bowl|1954]])
* [[NFL 1950s All-Decade Team]]
* [[Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor]]
* [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|National champion]] ([[1947 Michigan Wolverines football team|1947]])
* Second-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1947 College Football All-America Team|1947]])
* Third-team All-American ([[1946 College Football All-America Team|1946]])
* Second-team [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Nine]] ([[1947 All-Big Nine Conference football team|1947]])
| statleague    = NFL/AAFC
| statlabel1    = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue1    = 3
| statlabel2    = [[Fumble]] recoveries
| statvalue2    = 20
| statlabel3    = [[Reception (gridiron football)|Reception]]s
| statvalue3    = 67
| statlabel4    = Receiving yards
| statvalue4    = 1,175
| statlabel5    = Total [[touchdown]]s
| statvalue5    = 9
| pfr           = F/FordLe00
| HOF           = len-ford
}}

'''Leonard Guy Ford Jr.''' (February 18, 1926 – March 14, 1972) was an American professional [[American football|football]] player who was an offensive and defensive [[End (American football)|end]] from 1948 to 1958.  He played [[college football]] for the [[University of Michigan]] and professional football for the [[Los Angeles Dons]], [[Cleveland Browns]] and [[Green Bay Packers]]. He was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1976 and the [[University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor]] in 1996.

Ford was an all-city athlete at his high school in [[Washington, D.C.]], and attended [[Morgan State University]] after graduating in 1944. After a brief stint in the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] the following year, he transferred to Michigan, where he played on the [[Michigan Wolverines football]] team as an offensive and defensive end. He played for Michigan from 1945 to 1947 and was a member of the undefeated [[1947 Michigan Wolverines football team|1947 team]] that has been selected as the best team in the history of Michigan football.

Ford was passed over in all 32 rounds of the [[1948 NFL draft]], but was selected by the Los Angeles Dons of the rival [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC), where he played for two seasons as an offensive and defensive end. After the AAFC dissolved in 1949, Ford played eight seasons as a [[defensive end]] for the Cleveland Browns.  During those eight seasons, the Browns advanced to the NFL championship game seven times, won three championships, and allowed the fewest points in the NFL six times. Ford was one of the dominant defensive players of his era, having a rare combination of size and speed that helped him disrupt opposing offenses and force [[fumble]]s. He was selected as a first-team All-NFL player five times and played in four Pro Bowls. He was also one of two defensive ends named to the [[National Football League 1950s All-Decade Team]].

Ford was traded to the Packers in 1958, but played there just one season before retiring. He worked for the Detroit recreation department from 1963 to 1972.  He suffered a heart attack and died in 1972 at age 46.

==Early life==

Ford was born in [[Washington, D.C.]], in 1926.  His father, Leonard G. Ford Sr., was a Virginia native who was employed as a "skilled laborer" by the federal government in 1920 and as a printing operator at the [[United States Government Printing Office|Government Printing Office]] in 1940. His mother, Geraldine, was also a Virginia native who worked as a [[social worker]] in a [[settlement house]] in 1940.  Ford had an older sister, Anita, and a younger brother, Claude.<ref>1930 U.S. Census for Leonard G. Ford and family. Census Place: Washington, Washington, District of Columbia; Roll: 302; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0338; Image: 245.0; FHL microfilm: 2340037. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line].</ref><ref>1940 U.S. Census for Leonard Ford and family. Census Place: Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia; Roll: T627_569; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 1-460. Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line].</ref>

As a teenager, Ford attended [[Armstrong Manual Training School|Armstrong Technical High School]], where he played football, basketball and baseball.<ref name="Coffin Corner article">{{cite journal|last=Smith |first=Don |title=Len Ford |journal=The Coffin Corner |year=1984 |volume=6 |issue=7&8 |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/06-07-187.pdf |access-date=September 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218231351/http://profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/06-07-187.pdf |archive-date=December 18, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As a high school athlete, he aspired to play [[Fullback (American football)|fullback]] in football, but he later recalled, "I started to grow, and I grew right out of the backfield."<ref>{{cite news|title=Len Ford, Wolves' Ace End, 'Grew Right Out of Backfield'|newspaper=The Milwaukee Journal|date=October 9, 1947|page=2|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19471009&id=8CwaAAAAIBAJ&pg=6390,4767803|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120114254/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19471009&id=8CwaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AiUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6390,4767803|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> He was chosen by local sportswriters as an all-city athlete in all three sports in his senior year, and he served as captain of all three teams for one season each.<ref name="Coffin Corner article" /><ref name=CPDO>{{cite news|title=Len Ford of Browns Fame Dies|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=March 14, 1972|pages=D1, D4}}</ref>

After he graduated in 1944, Theodore McIntyre, Ford's high school football coach, suggested he attend [[Morgan State University]], a historically black college in [[Baltimore, Maryland]].<ref name="MSU page">{{cite web|title=Len Ford |url=http://www.morganstatebears.com/sports/2003/8/14/LFord.aspx |publisher=Morgan State University |access-date=September 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808055059/http://www.morganstatebears.com/sports/2003/8/14/LFord.aspx |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="JockBio bio">{{cite web|title=Len Ford |url=http://www.jockbio.com/Classic/Ford/Ford_bio.html |publisher=JockBio |access-date=September 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808060114/http://www.jockbio.com/Classic/Ford/Ford_bio.html |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ford played for the [[Morgan State Bears football]] team for one year under head coach [[Edward P. Hurt]], while also starring as the [[center (basketball)|center]] on the school's basketball team.<ref name="JockBio bio" /> The basketball team won its league's championship in 1944.<ref name="JockBio bio" />  Ford left Morgan State and joined the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] in 1945, but stayed in the service only briefly as [[World War II]] came to an end.<ref name="Coffin Corner article" /><ref name="JockBio bio" /><ref>{{cite book|author1=Anton, Todd W. |author2=Bill Nowlin |title=When Football Went to War|year=2013|pages=112–113|publisher=Triumph Books |isbn=9781600788451}}</ref><ref>Bloomfield, Gary L. ''Duty, Honor, Victory: America's Athletes in World War II''. Guilford, Conn: Lyons Press, 2003, page 250, {{ISBN|1592280676}}</ref>

==College career==
[[File:Len Ford and Bob Mann (1947).png|right|thumb|200px|Ford (at left) and [[Bob Mann (American football)|Bob Mann]] of [[Omega Psi Phi]] both went on to play in the NFL.]]
After the war, Ford transferred to the [[University of Michigan]] to play football in a bigger program than Morgan State's.<ref name="JockBio bio" /> He wanted to "get a shot at playing in the [[Rose Bowl Game|Rose Bowl]] one day", he later said.<ref name="Coffin Corner article" /> While attending Michigan, he was a member of [[Omega Psi Phi]], an all-black fraternity whose membership also included [[Bob Mann (American football)|Bob Mann]], another Michigan end who went on to play in the NFL.<ref>1947 Michiganensian, p. 269.</ref>

===1945 and 1946 seasons===
In 1945, Ford was Michigan's tallest player at {{convert|6|ft|5|in|cm}} and 190 pounds.<ref>{{cite web|title=1945 Football Roster|publisher=Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan|access-date=August 5, 2014|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/search.php?data=football&year_option=equals&year=1945&sortby=lastname%2C+firstname%2C+year&find=FIND|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808054923/http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/search.php?data=football&year_option=equals&year=1945&sortby=lastname%2C+firstname%2C+year&find=FIND|archive-date=August 8, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>  Ford played as a backup at the left [[end (American football)|end]] for the [[1945 Michigan Wolverines football team|1945 Michigan football team]] that compiled a 7–3 [[Winning percentage|win–loss record]] under head coach [[Fritz Crisler]].<ref name=t45>{{cite web|title=1945 Football Team|publisher=Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan|access-date=August 5, 2014|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1945fbt.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110922080427/http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1945fbt.htm|archive-date=September 22, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>  When Ford caught a pass from [[Wally Teninga]] in Michigan's 26–0 victory over [[1945 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team|Minnesota]] in early November 1945, ''[[The New York Times]]'' took note and referred to Ford as "a six-foot, five-inch giant."<ref name="Ford in 1945 at Michigan">{{cite news|title=Michigan Downs Minnesota, 26 to 0; Wolverines Take To The Air In Little Brown Jug Game |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1945/11/04/archives/michigan-downs-minnesota-26-to-0-wolverines-take-to-the-air-in.html |access-date=September 4, 2013 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 4, 1945 |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312193356/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10617FE3B5A16738FDDAD0894D9415B8588F1D3 |archive-date=March 12, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

As a junior in 1946, Ford had gained 16 pounds and weighed 206 pounds.<ref>{{cite web|title=1946 Football Roster|publisher=Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan|access-date=August 5, 2014|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/search.php?data=football&year_option=equals&year=1946&sortby=lastname%2C+firstname%2C+year&find=FIND|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140919172535/http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/search.php?data=football&year_option=equals&year=1946&sortby=lastname%2C+firstname%2C+year&find=FIND|archive-date=September 19, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>  That year, Ford and Bob Mann shared the left end position, with Ford starting four games and Mann two.<ref name="t47"/>  The [[1946 Michigan Wolverines football team|1946 Michigan team]] finished with a 6–2–1 record.<ref name="t47">{{cite web|title=1946 Football Team|publisher=Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan|access-date=August 5, 2014|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1946fbt.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519150945/http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1946fbt.htm|archive-date=May 19, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>  During the 1946 season, Ford established himself as a tenacious tackler on defense and was also a receiving threat as an end on offense.<ref name="JockBio bio" /> In the first game of the 1946 season, a 21–0 victory over [[1946 Indiana Hoosiers football team|Indiana]], Ford recovered an Indiana [[fumble]] and then scored the game's second touchdown on a 17-yard pass from [[Pete Elliott]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Purdue, Indiana To Seek First Conference Wins|newspaper=Kokomo Tribune|date=September 30, 1946|page=7|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/indiana/kokomo/kokomo-tribune/1946/09-30/page-7?tag=len+ford&rtserp=tags/?ndt=bd&pd=1&pm=9&py=1946&pe=31&pem=12&pey=1946&pep=len-ford|access-date=October 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030305/http://newspaperarchive.com/us/indiana/kokomo/kokomo-tribune/1946/09-30/page-7?tag=len+ford&rtserp=tags%2F%3Fndt%3Dbd&pd=1&pm=9&py=1946&pe=31&pem=12&pey=1946&pep=len-ford|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> "leaping high in the air to grab the pigskin with one hand from the two backs guarding him in the end zone."<ref name=MD46>{{cite news|title=Ford Familiar Figure To Football Fans This Fall: Husky End Looks To Coaching or Pro Football After Obtaining Degree in Physical Education|newspaper=The Michigan Daily|author=Jerry Alexander|date=November 14, 1946|page=3|url=https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071756212/295|via=[[Bentley Historical Library]]|access-date=February 11, 2020|archive-date=July 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714184738/https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071756212/295|url-status=live}}</ref>  Later in the season, he scored a touchdown against [[Wisconsin Badgers football|Wisconsin]] on an [[end-around]], a play Michigan employed frequently with Ford.<ref name="Ford scores vs. Wisconsin">{{cite news|title=Wolverines Keep Title Hopes Alive|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LRZJAAAAIBAJ&pg=3134,722243&dq=len+ford+michigan&hl=en|access-date=September 5, 2013|newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator|date=November 17, 1946|agency=United Press International|location=Ann Arbor|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120132947/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LRZJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=i4MMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3134,722243&dq=len+ford+michigan&hl=en|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Ford also developed a reputation for forcing opponent fumbles with his technique of "punching at the ball".<ref name=MD46/>

===1947 season===
By 1947, Ford had grown to 215 pounds, 25 pounds heavier than he had weighed in 1945.<ref>{{cite web|title=1946 Football Roster|publisher=Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan|access-date=August 5, 2014|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/search.php?data=football&year_option=equals&year=1947&sortby=lastname%2C+firstname%2C+year&find=FIND|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808055030/http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/search.php?data=football&year_option=equals&year=1947&sortby=lastname%2C+firstname%2C+year&find=FIND|archive-date=August 8, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>  Led by [[All-America]]n [[halfback (American football)|halfbacks]] [[Bob Chappuis]] and [[Bump Elliott]], the undefeated [[1947 Michigan Wolverines football team|1947 Michigan team]] has been selected as the best team in the history of Michigan football.<ref name=t47/><ref>{{cite book  | last = Jones  | first = Todd | editor= MacCambridge, Michael | title = ESPN Big Ten College Football Encyclopedia |chapter=Michigan | publisher = ESPN Enterprises | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-1-933060-49-1 |pages=60 }}</ref> Nicknamed the "Mad Magicians", the Michigan squad finished with a 10–0 record, capped by a 49–0 victory in the [[1948 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]] over [[1947 USC Trojans football team|USC]] on New Year's Day.<ref name="t47"/> Ford started only one game in 1947, as Bob Mann was the starting left end in eight of Michigan's 10 games.<ref name=t47/>   Even with reduced playing time, Ford caught a 35-yard touchdown pass in the first game of the season and had two receptions for 82 yards in the 55–0 win over [[1947 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]].<ref name="1948 Michiganensian">{{cite journal|title=Sports|journal=The Michiganensian|year=1948|volume=52|pages=92–106|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L9HmAAAAMAAJ|access-date=September 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506041544/https://books.google.com/books?id=L9HmAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0|archive-date=May 6, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> He scored again in a game against [[1947 Pittsburgh Panthers football team|Pitt]].<ref name="1948 Michiganensian" /><ref>{{cite news|title=End Len Ford Bids To Become One of M's Greats|author=John F. Mayhew|newspaper=The Owosso Argus-Press|date=October 9, 1947|page=17|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1978&dat=19471009&id=xD0lAAAAIBAJ&pg=4428,1043978|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120134354/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1978&dat=19471009&id=xD0lAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4KoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4428,1043978|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>  Ford's defensive performance was credited with shutting down [[1947 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]] in the final game of the 1947 season.  After the Wolverines' 21–0 victory over the Buckeyes, ''[[The Michigan Daily]]'' wrote:
[[File:Lenny Ford Tells the Home Folks About California.png|thumb|left|225px|Ford speaks to fans in Michigan after victory in [[1948 Rose Bowl]]]]

<blockquote>For the defense it was big Len Ford, who sparked a forward wall that never let the Bucks threaten. His end was practically impregnable.  He smashed Ohio interference time and again, he continually harassed Dick Slager and [[Pandel Savic]], the Ohio passers, and he made life miserable for Pete Perini, blocking one punt and rushing the Buckeye punter on nearly all of his kicks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Maize and Blue Downs Scrappy Buckeyes, 21-0|newspaper=[[The Michigan Daily]]|date=January 1, 1948|page=9|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2706&dat=19471210&id=mwNgAAAAIBAJ&pg=2759,3997464|access-date=2015-11-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120134632/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2706&dat=19471210&id=mwNgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oR4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=2759,3997464|archive-date=2015-11-20|url-status=live}}</ref></blockquote>

Michigan finished first in the [[AP Poll]] and won the 1947 [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|college football national championship]], sharing the honor with [[1947 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]], which had been first in the polls before the Rose Bowl.<ref name="Michigan national championship">{{cite news|last=Bagnato|first=Andrew|title=1947: When Michigan And Notre Dame Both Finished No. 1|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/09/25/1947-when-michigan-and-notre-dame-both-finished-no-1/|access-date=September 6, 2013|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=September 25, 1997|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120003104/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-09-25/sports/9709250069_1_college-football-notre-dame-michigan|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>  After the 1947 season, the [[Associated Press]] (AP) selected Ford as a third-team All-American end and named teammate Bob Mann as a second-team All-American end.<ref name="Ford All-American 1947">{{cite news|last=Smits|first=Ted|title=Notre Dame, Michigan Dominate AP All-America|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z_lOAAAAIBAJ&pg=1621,712695&dq=lenny+ford+michigan&hl=en|access-date=September 3, 2013|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=December 3, 1947|agency=Associated Press|location=New York|page=20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120134126/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z_lOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6U4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1621,712695&dq=lenny+ford+michigan&hl=en|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The AP also named Ford a second-team all-[[Big Ten Conference|Big Nine Conference]] end.<ref name="Big Nine squad">{{cite news|last=Chamberlain|first=Charles|title=Michigan Lands Four Places on AP's All Big-Nine Grid Team|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5j0lAAAAIBAJ&pg=6299,6191871&dq=len+ford+michigan&hl=en|access-date=September 5, 2013|newspaper=The Owosso Argus-Press|date=November 24, 1947|agency=Associated Press|location=Chicago|page=14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120134737/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5j0lAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4KoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6299,6191871&dq=len+ford+michigan&hl=en|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> In the summer of 1948, he accepted an invitation to play for the college team in the [[College All-Star Game]], a now-defunct annual matchup between the champion of the professional [[National Football League]] (NFL) and a selection of the country's best college players.<ref name="Ford selected for all-stars">{{cite news|title=10 Michiganders On Star Eleven|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_TEuAAAAIBAJ&pg=4425,49171&dq=len+ford+michigan&hl=en|access-date=September 5, 2013|newspaper=The Miami News|date=June 16, 1948|agency=International News Service|location=Chicago|page=5B}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Professional career==

===Los Angeles Dons===

Despite his accomplishments in college, Ford was passed over in all 32 rounds of the [[1948 NFL draft]] during a time when most professional teams did not employ blacks.<ref name="JockBio bio" /> (The following year, [[George Taliaferro]] became the first black player to be selected in an NFL draft.<ref>{{cite web|title=African-Americans in Pro Football: Pioneers, Milestones and Firsts|publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame|access-date=August 4, 2014|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/african-americans.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926053830/http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/african-americans.aspx|archive-date=September 26, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>)  He was selected, however, by the [[Los Angeles Dons]] of the rival [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC) in the third round of the [[1948 AAFC Draft]].<ref name="JockBio bio" /><ref name="1948 AAFC draft">{{cite encyclopedia|title=1948 AAFC Draft |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/AAFC/1948_AAFC_Draft.pdf |encyclopedia=All-America Football Conference Encyclopedia |publisher=Pro Football Researchers |access-date=September 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617132907/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/AAFC/1948_AAFC_Draft.pdf |archive-date=June 17, 2013 |page=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  He signed with the Dons in April 1948.<ref>{{cite news |title=Len Ford of Michigan Signed by Los Angeles |newspaper=The Milwaukee Journal |date=April 16, 1948 |page=13 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19480416&id=7x0aAAAAIBAJ&pg=4374,295377 |access-date=November 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120071554/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19480416&id=7x0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JCUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4374,295377 |archive-date=November 20, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Playing as a right end opposite [[Joe Aguirre]], Ford had 31 catches for 598 yards and seven touchdowns in 1948.<ref name="PFR stats">{{cite web|title=Len Ford NFL Football Statistics|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FordLe00.htm|publisher=Pro Football Reference|access-date=September 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819182227/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FordLe00.htm|archive-date=August 19, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>  As was the case at Michigan, Ford also worked on defense and was one of the AAFC's most successful pass-rushers.<ref name="JockBio bio" />{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=153}} The Dons, meanwhile, finished the regular season with a 7–7 record, good for third place in the AAFC West.<ref name="1948 Dons stats">{{cite web|title=1948 Los Angeles Dons Statistics & Players|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/lda/1948.htm|publisher=Pro Football Reference|access-date=September 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922075846/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/lda/1948.htm|archive-date=September 22, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Ford played basketball in the off-season for the [[New York Renaissance]], an all-black professional team in the [[National Basketball League (United States)|National Basketball League]].{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=299}}<ref name="Ford on Rens">{{cite news|title=Rens Tackle Syracuse|url=http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/New%20York%20NY%20Age/New%20York%20NY%20Age%201949-1950%20%20Grayscale/New%20York%20NY%20Age%201949-1950%20%20Grayscale%20-%200088.pdf|access-date=September 6, 2013|newspaper=The New York Age|date=January 29, 1949|page=11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002153049/http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/New%20York%20NY%20Age/New%20York%20NY%20Age%201949-1950%20%20Grayscale/New%20York%20NY%20Age%201949-1950%20%20Grayscale%20-%200088.pdf|archive-date=October 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> He did not play basketball at Michigan, the [[Big Ten Conference]] having maintained racial segregation of basketball until 1950.<ref name="Ford on Rens" />

Ford had 36 catches for 577 yards and one touchdown in 1949, while the Dons fell to 4–8.<ref name="PFR stats" /><ref name="1949 Dons stats">{{cite web|title=1949 Los Angeles Dons Statistics & Players|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/lda/1949.htm|publisher=Pro Football Reference|access-date=September 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922152337/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/lda/1949.htm|archive-date=September 22, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> The AAFC struggled financially during Ford's time with the Dons.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=140–144}} Its teams competed with NFL franchises for fans' attention and player talent – the Dons shared a city with the NFL's [[Los Angeles Rams]].<ref name="JockBio bio" /> By late 1949, team owners came to an agreement under which the [[Cleveland Browns]], [[San Francisco 49ers]] and [[Baltimore Colts (1947–50)|Baltimore Colts]] joined the NFL and the rest of the league's teams, including the Dons, folded.<ref name="JockBio bio" />{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=83, 140–144}}

===Cleveland Browns===

[[File:Len Ford, American football defensive end, on a 1955 football card.png|thumb|right|185px|Ford pictured on a 1955 football card, while with the Browns]]

====1950 season====
After the AAFC disbanded, the Browns selected Ford in the second round of the [[1950 AAFC dispersal draft]], created to reallocate former Dons, [[Buffalo Bills (AAFC)|Buffalo Bills]] and [[Chicago Hornets]] players.<ref name="1950 AAFC dispersal draft">{{cite web|title=Allocation Draft |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/AAFC/Allocation_Draft.pdf |publisher=Pro Football Researchers |access-date=September 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617135418/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/AAFC/Allocation_Draft.pdf |archive-date=June 17, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ford signed with the Browns in July 1950.<ref>{{cite news|title=Len Ford Signs With Pro Browns|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=July 12, 1951|page=10|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19500712&id=D1pIAAAAIBAJ&pg=2460,3960170|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120133803/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19500712&id=D1pIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Uk4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2460,3960170|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

Cleveland head coach [[Paul Brown]] converted Ford into solely a defensive end as two-platoon systems gained popularity after 1950.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=153}} Ford bulked up to 260 pounds and quickly became a fixture of Cleveland's defense alongside [[linebacker]] [[Bill Willis]] and [[defensive back]] [[Warren Lahr]].{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=153–154}} He was one of five black players for Cleveland – the others were Willis, [[punter (football)|punter]] [[Horace Gillom]] and [[fullback (American football)|fullback]]s [[Emerson Cole]] and [[Marion Motley]] – at a time when many other teams had never signed a black player.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=158}} The Browns, in fact, had roughly a third of the black players in the NFL on their roster.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=158}} Cleveland sports writer [[Chuck Heaton]] later recalled that Ford was "a leader, particularly with the black players on the squad."<ref name=CH/>

Led by an offense that featured Motley, [[quarterback]] [[Otto Graham]] and [[end (American football)|end]]s [[Mac Speedie]] and [[Dante Lavelli]], the [[1950 Cleveland Browns season|1950 Browns]] finished the regular season with a 10–2 record and won the [[1950 NFL Championship Game]] over the [[1950 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]].{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=180–181}}<ref name="1950 Browns stats">{{cite web|title=1950 Cleveland Browns Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1950.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 14, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053720/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1950.htm |archive-date=September 21, 2013 }}</ref>

In a mid-October game against the [[1950 Chicago Cardinals season|Chicago Cardinals]], an elbow by [[Pat Harder]] broke Ford's nose, cheekbone, and [[maxilla]] (upper jaw), knocked out two teeth, loosened several teeth and chipped another.<ref name=Surgery/> Ford, who had been fighting with Harder throughout the game, punched him following the play, resulting in a penalty, his ejection from the game and a $50 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|50|1950}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) fine.<ref name="JockBio bio" /> NFL commissioner [[Bert Bell]] withdrew the fine when the damage to Ford's face was revealed.<ref name="JockBio bio" /> Ford's facial injuries were so severe that a plastic surgery procedure was required, "virtually rebuilding the big end's face."<ref name=Surgery>{{cite news|title=Bell Rescinds Slugging Fine When Notified Ford Undergoes Facial Surgery: Browns' Star Out Indefinitely|author=Howard Sauerbrei|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=October 17, 1950|page=27}}</ref>  The Browns' long-time team doctor, Vic Ippolito, described Ford's injuries as "a sickening sight."<ref name=Doc>{{cite news|title=A doctor's diary|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=January 29, 1978|page=3-2}}</ref>

Ford started only four regular-season games in 1950 because of the injury.  However, he asked to be reinstated for the [[1950 NFL Championship Game]].  Head coach Paul Brown agreed to allow Ford to suit up after receiving approval from the team doctor and arranging for a special mask to be built to protect Ford from further injury.  Ford had been on a liquid diet until late November and dropped from 240 to 215 pounds, though he was back up to 223 pounds shortly before the championship game.<ref>{{cite news|title=Len Ford Rejoins Browns, May See Action In Title Game Sunday: Star End to Don Mask For Battle|author=Harold Sauerbrei|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=December 21, 1950|page=27}}</ref>  As the championship game got underway, Ford sat on the bench as the Rams moved the ball 82 yards down the field for a touchdown. Browns head coach Paul Brown knew the defense had to tighten, and he called on Ford to enter the game.   The ''Cleveland Plain Dealer'' later called this "one of Len Ford's great moments."<ref name=Clary/>  Paul Brown stated that Ford "showed me that day he really was a man."<ref name=CH/>  Brown later recalled that Ford was the team's "only real hope of plugging a hole" and recalled one sequence as a defining moment in the game:

{{blockquote|I'll always remember one three-play sequence where he threw [[Vitamin Smith]] for a 14-yard loss on a reverse, sacked [[Bob Waterfield|[Bob] Waterfield]] for another big loss and finally smothered [[Glenn Davis (halfback)|Glenn Davis]] on an end run.  That turned the game around for us.<ref name=Clary>{{cite news|title=December 24, 1950: A Great Day for the Browns|author=Jack Clary|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=December 21, 1980|pages=166–170}}</ref>}}

The Browns' defense held the Rams scoreless in the fourth quarter, and the Browns won the championship game by a 30–28 score in their first season in the league.<ref name=Clary/>

====1951 season====
Ford continued to excel as a pass-rusher in 1951, when the [[1951 Cleveland Browns season|Browns]] again advanced to the [[1951 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship Game]] but lost to the [[1951 Los Angeles Rams season|Rams]].{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=230–234}} He recovered four fumbles during the season and was named a first-team [[All-Pro]] by both the [[Associated Press]] (AP) and the [[United Press International]] (UPI).<ref name="PFR stats" /> He was also named to the [[1952 Pro Bowl|Pro Bowl]], the NFL's all-star game.<ref name="PFR stats" /> Ford's dominating play allowed Brown to assign him to two offensive linemen, giving Cleveland the latitude to put four men on the line and use three linebackers in what is now known as the [[4–3 defense]].<ref name="JockBio bio" /> Cleveland's defensive coach [[Blanton Collier]] later recalled the thinking behind moving Ford: "We knew we had to get him in closer where his talents as a pass rusher could best be utilized, so we moved both tackles in and dropped the linebackers off the outside.  It may have been the beginning of today's 4–3 defense."<ref>{{cite news|title=Grid Hall of Fame taps Ford|author=Chuck Heaton|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|page=1-C}}</ref>  Collier also noted that "Len was very aggressive and had that touch of meanness in him that you find in most defensive players."<ref name="JockBio bio" />

====1952 season====
The [[1952 Cleveland Browns season|1952 Browns]] had eight regular-season wins and won the NFL's East Division, but lost to the [[1952 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]] in the [[1952 NFL Championship Game]].<ref name="JockBio bio" /> Ford, meanwhile, extended his run of dominance against opposing offenses in an era before the [[quarterback sack]] was a recorded statistic.<ref name="JockBio bio" /> For the second consecutive year, he was named a first-team All-Pro by both the AP and UPI and was selected for the Pro Bowl.<ref name="PFR stats" />

====1953 season====
The [[1953 Cleveland Browns season|1953 Browns]] compiled an 11–1 record and again advanced to the [[1953 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship Game]], losing to the [[1953 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1953 Cleveland Browns|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]]|access-date=August 2, 2014|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1953.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726061954/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1953.htm|archive-date=July 26, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>  For the third consecutive year, Ford was named a first-team All-Pro by both the AP and UPI and was selected for the Pro Bowl.<ref name="PFR stats" />

====1954 season====
Willis and Motley retired after the 1953 season, but Ford and [[Don Colo]] continued to anchor the defense alongside Lahr in the secondary.<ref name="JockBio bio" /> The [[1954 Cleveland Browns season|1954 Browns]] lost two of their first three games, but finished the season with a 9–3 record and returned to win the [[1954 NFL Championship Game]] over the [[1954 Detroit Lions season|Lions]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1954 Cleveland Browns|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=August 2, 2014|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1954.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710182608/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1954.htm|archive-date=July 10, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Ford had two interceptions in the Browns' 56–10 win over the Lions, including one which he returned 45 yards to set a new NFL playoff record.<ref name="JockBio bio" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Browns Set 13 Playoff Records|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|date=December 24, 1954|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19541224&id=W9UeAAAAIBAJ&pg=1870,2590465|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120063326/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19541224&id=W9UeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vk0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1870,2590465|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Len Ford Sets Record In NFL Title Game|publisher=Jet|date=January 6, 1955|page=53|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SrIDAAAAMBAJ&q=%22len+ford%22&pg=PA53|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603192814/https://books.google.com/books?id=SrIDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53&dq=%22len+ford%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=JILdU93DG8z0oAS6n4GIDw&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=%22len%20ford%22&f=false|archive-date=June 3, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Ford recovered a career-high five fumbles in 1954, and he was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the AP and UPI for the fourth year in a row.  He was also selected to play in his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl.<ref name="PFR stats" />

====1955 season====
The [[1955 Cleveland Browns season|1955 Browns]] compiled a 9–2–1 record in 1955 and won the [[1955 NFL Championship Game]] against the [[1955 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]], helped by a strong defensive effort and six interceptions of quarterback [[Norm Van Brocklin]].<ref name="JockBio bio" /><ref>{{cite web|title=1955 Cleveland Browns|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=August 2, 2014|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1955.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710164916/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1955.htm|archive-date=July 10, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>  Ford was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the UPI, the [[Newspaper Enterprise Association]] (NEA) and the ''[[Daily News (New York)|New York Daily News]]''.  He was named a second-team All-Pro by the AP.<ref name="PFR stats" />

====1956 and 1957 seasons====
Graham and many of the players that had helped propel the Browns to a series of championship game appearances retired before the 1956 season.<ref name="JockBio bio" /> The [[1956 Cleveland Browns season|1956 team]] finished 5–7 that year,<ref>{{cite web|title=1956 Cleveland Browns|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=August 2, 2014|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1956.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802140346/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1956.htm|archive-date=August 2, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> their first losing record.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=366–367}}

By 1957, there was speculation that Ford, then age 31, might not make the Browns' roster.<ref name=CH2>{{cite news|title=Ford's Comeback Is One of the Bright Spots for Browns|author=Chuck Heaton|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=December 18, 1957|page=31}}</ref> Ford arrived at training camp well above his playing weight, and rookie [[Bob Mischak]] was given Ford's spot in August.  When Mischak withdrew from the team, the spot was awarded to another rookie, [[Paul Wiggin]].  Ford worked to shed pounds during training camp and worked to train the young defensive players, including Wiggin and [[Bill Quinlan]].<ref name=CH2/> Rookie running back [[Jim Brown]] recalled that Ford pulled him aside during the 1957 training camp and gave him advice on dealing with the Browns' head coach Paul Brown.  Ford advised the rookie to keep his mouth shut and do as the coach set during practice and waiting until game day: "Run it your way in the game and hope it works, and if it does, don't say anything. Just make your yardage and act like it was a mistake."<ref>{{cite news|author=Jim Brown|title=Jim Brown's Own Story: "Off My Chest"|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=November 15, 1964|page=C-1}}</ref>

Ford was slowed for several weeks during the [[1957 Cleveland Browns season|1957 season]] by a severely bruised shoulder,<ref>{{cite news|title=Wiggin May Play Key Role Sunday: Rapidly Improving Defensive End Set to Replace Ailing Lenny Ford at Detroit|author=Chuck Heaton|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=December 6, 1957|page=35}}</ref> but the Browns, led by Jim Brown, reached the [[1957 NFL Championship Game]], losing to the [[1957 Detroit Lions season|Lions]].<ref name="JockBio bio" /> Cleveland's defense allowed the fewest points in the NFL in six of Ford's eight seasons with the team.<ref name="HOF page">{{cite web|title=Len Ford |url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PLAYER_ID=69 |publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame |access-date=September 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216090904/http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PLAYER_ID=69 |archive-date=December 16, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Green Bay Packers===

In May 1958, the Browns traded Ford to the [[Green Bay Packers]] in exchange for a draft choice.  Green Bay coach [[Ray McLean]] said at the time that he acquired Ford for his talent at putting pressure on the quarterback and noted that "he's one of the toughest guys in the league to block because of his speed, size and agility."<ref>{{cite news|title=Packers Acquire Browns' Ford|newspaper=The Milwaukee Sentinel|date=May 19, 1958|page=Pt. 2, pg. 2|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19580519&id=eGtQAAAAIBAJ&pg=3694,4972122|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120111829/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19580519&id=eGtQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WhAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3694,4972122|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Ford traded">{{cite news|title=Browns Trade Lennie Ford to Packers|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3y5aAAAAIBAJ&pg=2717,2766399&dq=len+ford+green+bay&hl=en|access-date=September 6, 2013|newspaper=St. Joseph Gazette|date=May 20, 1958|agency=Associated Press|location=Cleveland|page=7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120134652/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3y5aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MkwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2717,2766399&dq=len+ford+green+bay&hl=en|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[1958 Green Bay Packers season|1958 Green Bay team]] won just one game in Ford's lone season there.<ref>{{cite web|title=1958 Green Bay Packers|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=August 2, 2014|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/gnb/1958.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016121205/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/gnb/1958.htm|archive-date=October 16, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Ford suffered multiple broken fingers before the last game of the 1958 season, and, because he was unable to play, the Packers refused to pay Ford the final $916.66 due on his contract.  In 1961, Ford sued the Packers in Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit to collect the $916.66 plus $10,000 for alleged damage to his reputation caused by the Packers' releasing him.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lenny Ford Files Suit|newspaper=The Owosso Argus-Press|date=December 20, 1961|page=17|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1978&dat=19611201&id=q2YiAAAAIBAJ&pg=1818,7420859|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120091938/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1978&dat=19611201&id=q2YiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g6wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1818,7420859|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Len Ford sues Packers for 10G|newspaper=The Baltimore Afro-American|date=January 6, 1962|page=17|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2205&dat=19620106&id=yGVGAAAAIBAJ&pg=4715,85453|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120055757/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2205&dat=19620106&id=yGVGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=auUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4715,85453|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Career statistics and legacy===
Ford recovered 20 fumbles in his career, an NFL record at the time he retired as a player.<ref name=DFPHOF>{{cite news|title=Len Ford of U-M Fame Joins Hall|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=January 27, 1976|pages=1C, 5C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44049450/len_ford_of_um_fame_joins_hall/|access-date=February 11, 2020|archive-date=September 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918173510/https://www.newspapers.com/article/44049450/len_ford_of_um_fame_joins_hall/|url-status=live}}</ref> He was successful in part because of his combination of quickness and size.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=300}} Few players of his era who were as tall and big as he was could move as fast; only [[Larry Brink]] of the Rams was close to him in proportions.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=300}}

In 1969, Ford placed second in voting for the greatest defense end in NFL history.  He was edged out by [[Gino Marchetti]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Unitas, Brown, Sayers Make All-Time NFL Team|newspaper=The Sunday Times|date=September 7, 1969|page=43|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44050220/unitas_brown_sayers_make_alltime_nfl/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=February 11, 2020|archive-date=September 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918173603/https://www.newspapers.com/article/44050220/unitas_brown_sayers_make_alltime_nfl/|url-status=live}}</ref> He and Marchetti were selected as the defensive ends on the [[National Football League 1950s All-Decade Team]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Graham, Huff on All-1950s Pro Football Selections|newspaper=Racine Sunday Bulletin|date=August 31, 1969|page=6C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4582506/graham_huff_on_all1950s_pro_football/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=February 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204195202/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4582506/graham_huff_on_all1950s_pro_football/|archive-date=February 4, 2020|url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref>

In 1976, Ford was posthumously inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]. He was selected for induction by the 27-man media board that had responsibility for selections at that time.<ref name=DFPHOF/>

He was also inducted into the [[University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor]] in 1996.<ref name="Michigan HOF page">{{cite web|title=Athletic Hall of Honor |url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/misc/hallhon.htm |publisher=Bentley Historical Library |access-date=September 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909015745/http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/misc/hallhon.htm |archive-date=September 9, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Family and later years==
In 1951, Ford married Geraldine Bledsoe Ford (1926–2003),<ref name="Ford in Encyclopedia of Cleveland" /> who was a lawyer in the 1950s,<ref name=Jet/> and in the mid-1960s became the first black woman to serve as a judge in Michigan.<ref>{{cite news|title=So-Called White Backlash Not Shown in Maryland|publisher=Jet|date=November 24, 1966|page=11|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=krgDAAAAMBAJ&q=%22lenny+ford%22&pg=PA11|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506082051/https://books.google.com/books?id=krgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11&dq=%22lenny+ford%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hoPdU5WdGYvzoASuvYK4Cg&ved=0CF0Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=%22lenny%20ford%22&f=false|archive-date=May 6, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> They had two daughters, Anita and Deborah,<ref name=WHT/> and divorced in 1959.<ref name="Ford in Encyclopedia of Cleveland" />

While playing in the NFL, Ford worked during the off-season in a Detroit real estate office. He developed a reputation for being "cagey with the dollar" and told ''[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]'' magazine in 1955: "In what other sport can a boy just graduated from college make $5,000 in his first six months, then have a half-year left to make more money?"<ref name=Jet>{{cite news|title=Inside Sports|author=A. S. "Doc" Young|publisher=Jet|date=September 15, 1955|page=57|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=57EDAAAAMBAJ&q=%22len+ford%22&pg=PA57|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160517081633/https://books.google.com/books?id=57EDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA57&dq=%22len+ford%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=S3_dU9yYK8XZoATVn4BQ&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22len%20ford%22&f=false|archive-date=May 17, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>  After retiring from football, Ford attended the [[Detroit College of Law]] for a year-and-a-half,<ref name=WHT>{{cite news|title=Whatever happened to ... Lenny Ford|author=Dennis Lustig|newspaper=The Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=December 6, 1970|page=4-C}}</ref> but never received a law degree.<ref name=CH/>  From 1963 until his death, Ford worked as the assistant director at Considine Recreation Center, the largest recreation center in Detroit.<ref name="JockBio bio" /><ref name="Ford in Encyclopedia of Cleveland">{{cite web|title=Ford, Leonard "Lenny" |url=http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=FLL |publisher=The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History |access-date=September 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808035833/http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=FLL |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=DFPobit/>  At the time of his death 16 months later, he was described in obituaries as the assistant recreation director for the City of Detroit.<ref name=CPDO/><ref name=TSNobit>{{cite news|title=Leonard (Len) Ford|newspaper=The Sporting News|date=April 1, 1972|page=46}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Heart Attack Kills Len Ford, Ex-Packer|newspaper=The Milwaukee Journal|date=March 14, 1972|page=16|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19720313&id=u00aAAAAIBAJ&pg=6477,3012707|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120125717/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19720313&id=u00aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZCkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6477,3012707|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sports writer [[Chuck Heaton]] wrote that Ford's life was "pretty much down hill" after he retired from professional football.  Heaton recalled that, in his later years, Ford seemed in poor physical condition, "only a shadow of the mighty end he once was."<ref name=CH/>  Ford still aspired to obtain his law license, but, according to Heaton, "appeared to have lost the drive which made him such a great football player."<ref name=CH/> [[Don Newcombe]], who became good friends with Ford, was more blunt.  Interviewed in 1980, Newcombe said that Ford's life was "decimated" because of alcohol.  Newcombe added: "He became a wino, stumbling around in alleys. He gave up his life for alcohol."<ref>{{cite news|title=Newcombe is upset about alcohol abuse|author=Gregory S. Simms|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=October 23, 1980|page=3-D}}</ref>

Ford suffered a heart attack in early March 1972 and died the following week at [[Detroit Receiving Hospital|Detroit General Hospital]].<ref name=DFPobit>{{cite news|title=Heart Attack Proves Fatal To M's Lennie Ford at 46|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=March 14, 1972|page=4C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44224311/obituary_for_lcnnie_ford_aged_46/|access-date=February 14, 2020|archive-date=February 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214062303/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44224311/obituary_for_lcnnie_ford_aged_46/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=CH>{{cite news|title=Len Ford Rates with the Greatest|author=Chuck Heaton|author-link=Chuck Heaton|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=March 15, 1972|page=E1}}</ref>  He was age 46 at the time of his death.<ref name=CPDO/><ref name=LFGE>{{cite news|title=Lenny Ford Great End|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review (AP story)|date=January 27, 1976|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19760126&id=pPMjAAAAIBAJ&pg=2243,4280458|access-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120100830/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19760126&id=pPMjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b-0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2243,4280458|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> He was buried at [[Lincoln Memorial Cemetery (Suitland, Maryland)|Lincoln Memorial Cemetery]] in Suitland, MD.

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Bibliography===

{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Piascik|first=Andy|year=2007|title=The Best Show in Football: The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns|publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing|location=Lanham, MD|isbn=978-1-58979-571-6}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{Find a Grave|7390106}}
*{{commonscatinline}}

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