Greg Ford grew up in a soccer family.

His two older brothers excelled in the sport in high school and went on to play in college. The youngest Ford also played soccer.

Ford’s parents, while being football fans, voted against their sons participating in the tackle sport. But after much persuading, Ford got his parents to relent halfway through his junior season at Steilacoom High School.

Once Ford reached his mandatory 10 practices he suited up and scored a touchdown on his first play on the field.

That was affirmation enough that football was Ford’s sport.

“It built my confidence to stay where I was,” said Ford, now a junior receiver at Pacific Lutheran University. “It let me know I could play because I wasn’t totally sure.”

Four years later, Ford continues to make big plays. After his short prep career, Ford signed a letter of intent to play at Eastern Washington University, but right before his freshman season began Ford changed his mind.

Lucky for PLU.

Ford has 32 receptions for 703 yards and six touchdowns in four games. He’s on pace to significantly improve on what he did last season, when he finished with 951 yards and 11 TDs.

More days like last Saturday and Ford’s numbers will be off the charts.

In a 34-33 loss to Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter, Minn., Ford gained 292 yards on 13 catches, breaking his own single-game record of 272 yards set last year. He was one catch shy of tying the PLU single-game reception record of 14. For his accomplishments, he was named Northwest Conference Player of the Week for the second consecutive week.

“He was the ultimate competitor (last weekend),” PLU coach Scott Westering said. “As the saying goes in sports, there’s no question he was in the zone. It was quite a day for Greg.”

But even Ford would admit Saturday’s feat was more than being “in the zone.”

“I’d come off and go to the sidelines and be ready to get back out there and do it again,” Ford said. “It’s hard to explain. You hear about being in the zone; this is more than that. It was a crazy feeling.”

Ford feels the Lutes (1-3) are headed in the right direction going into today’s game at Willamette.

“Our season definitely didn’t start off like we expected it to,” he said. “We feel like we have momentum on our side. We have a new belief that we haven’t had all season.”