Leonard Guy Ford Jr. (February 18, 1926 – March 14, 1972) was an American professional football player who was an offensive and defensive end from 1948 to 1958.

Ford was an all-city athlete at his high school in Washington, D.C., and attended Morgan State University after graduating in 1944.

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.

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 fumbles.

[2][3] As a teenager, Ford attended Armstrong Technical High School, where he played football, basketball and baseball.

[4] As a high school athlete, he aspired to play fullback in football, but he later recalled, "I started to grow, and I grew right out of the backfield.

"[5] 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.

[4][6] 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.

[8] Ford left Morgan State and joined the U.S. Navy in 1945, but stayed in the service only briefly as World War II came to an end.

[4][8][9][10] After the war, Ford transferred to the University of Michigan to play football in a bigger program than Morgan State's.

[12] Ford played as a backup at the left end for the 1945 Michigan football team that compiled a 7–3 win–loss record under head coach Fritz Crisler.

[16][21] Nicknamed the "Mad Magicians", the Michigan squad finished with a 10–0 record, capped by a 49–0 victory in the Rose Bowl over USC on New Year's Day.

[16] 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 Michigan State.

After the Wolverines' 21–0 victory over the Buckeyes, The Michigan Daily wrote: For the defense it was big Len Ford, who sparked a forward wall that never let the Bucks threaten.

[28] 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.

[41] Cleveland head coach Paul Brown converted Ford into solely a defensive end as two-platoon systems gained popularity after 1950.

[43] Cleveland sports writer Chuck Heaton later recalled that Ford was "a leader, particularly with the black players on the squad.

"[44] Led by an offense that featured Motley, quarterback Otto Graham and ends Mac Speedie and Dante Lavelli, the 1950 Browns finished the regular season with a 10–2 record and won the 1950 NFL Championship Game over the Los Angeles Rams.

[8] Ford's facial injuries were so severe that a plastic surgery procedure was required, "virtually rebuilding the big end's face.

[50] 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.

"[44] 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: I'll always remember one three-play sequence where he threw Vitamin Smith for a 14-yard loss on a reverse, sacked [Bob] Waterfield for another big loss and finally smothered Glenn Davis on an end run.

[32] 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.

[32] Willis and Motley retired after the 1953 season, but Ford and Don Colo continued to anchor the defense alongside Lahr in the secondary.

[55] 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.

[8][56][57] 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.

[32] The 1955 Browns compiled a 9–2–1 record in 1955 and won the 1955 NFL Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, helped by a strong defensive effort and six interceptions of quarterback Norm Van Brocklin.

[8][58] Ford was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the UPI, the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) and the New York Daily News.

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.

[6][80][81] Sports writer Chuck Heaton wrote that Ford's life was "pretty much down hill" after he retired from professional football.

"[44] 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.