BULLS

Freshman RB Ford Arrested

By BRETT McMURPHY

Published: Jul 7, 2007

TAMPA - University of South Florida freshman running back Mike Ford, who had an outstanding warrant from three citations in the past 16 months, was arrested for contempt of court early Friday morning in his hometown of Sarasota.

Ford, 20, received citations on March 31, 2006 and Feb. 23, 2007 for driving without a license. On May 29, Ford was charged with driving with a suspended license and driving an unregistered motor vehicle, according to Sarasota County records.

Ford then failed to show for a June 12 court appearance, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Ford was arrested at 12:07 a.m. Friday by the Sarasota Police Department. He was released Saturday morning from the Sarasota County jail after posting $2,000 bail, a Sarasota Police Department spokesman said.

As a senior at Sarasota High in 2004, Ford (6-foot-1, 222 pounds) was rated as one of the nation’s top running backs after rushing for 2,836 yards with 37 touchdowns. He signed with Alabama out of high school, but did not qualify. He is one of the highest-rated recruits to sign with USF.

Ford could not be reached for comment. USF coach Jim Leavitt was unavailable for comment.