USA Football

Andre Ford surveys the Marshall Heights section of southeast Washington, D.C. and he sees progress.

He sees a drop in gang violence. He sees more two-parent homes. He sees kids taking pride in themselves.

And he feels proud because he has played a significant role in improving his community and giving hope to those who once had none.

Ford is president of the Marshall Heights Youth Development Program. He also coaches the dominant Marshall Heights Bison, who have qualified for the Pop Warner Super Bowl in Orlando in four of the last seven years and captured the title in 2006.

In both capacities he is able to positively affect the future of area youths by instilling within them a positive outlook and sense of hope.

“This community has changed quite a bit,” says Ford, who played football in those very neighborhoods in the 1970s. “When I first started coaching seven years ago there were not a lot of role models. But now the community is on the upswing. Still, even those with fathers in their lives look at me as a pretty solid mentor and role model.

“It feels good when I see kids I’ve worked with come back as decent citizens in the community or when they’ve received their degree. I feel like I’ve played a part in helping them become decent young men.”

Ford’s philosophy in working with kids was strengthened by none other than the late Bill Walsh. He met the brilliant, innovative football strategist and coach of the Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers at an NFL Youth Football Summit.

Ford also gives credit to DeMatha High School coach Bill McGregor, whose program is among the most respected in the United States.

“I’ve had the good fortune of spending time with quite a few great coaching minds,” Ford says. “I’ve worked with Bill Walsh and Dennis Green and Marvin Lewis. I’ve picked quite a few brains. I’m always getting an invitation to something.

“I’d put McGregor in with the best coaching minds in the country,” Ford says. “Not from an X’s and O’s perspective, but from how he handles young men. And Bill Walsh imparted to me that you always want to give kids a chance. We don’t know anything until we give them a chance to learn and play the game. That’s why I try to keep it simple and keep it fun.”

While Ford’s work off the field has sparked pride and optimism in Marshall Heights youths, his performance on the sideline has translated into four trips to Disney country. The Bison reached their ultimate goal last December when they earned the Pop Warner Super Bowl championship with a 21-12 victory over a team from Anchorage, Alaska.

Ford has coached football in Marshall Heights for 23 years, first in independent local leagues, then in Pop Warner. The affiliation with Pop Warner provides an extra incentive for the coaches and players because the championship tournament is played in Orlando.

“Now it’s easier to convince the kids that if they dot their i’s and cross their t’s, the have a chance to go to Disney. But it also takes discipline and respect for each other. Plus you can’t play Pop Warner for me without solid academics.”

Ford’s league has also benefited from a solid foundation provided by USA Football. One reason his team has sent many players into Division I college programs is because it teaches sound fundamentals. He believes strongly that the organization has strengthened that approach.

“USA Football has helped by providing an atmosphere that allows us to develop their skills,” Ford says. “The clinics that USA Football runs also give kids a chance to enhance their football skills.”

Add those football skills to the life lessons Ford has provided and you have one major factor in the improving world for the kids of Marshall Heights.