LOS ANGELES — One hurdle generated sparks in Thomas Ford’s eyes.

The wiry Palmdale High tailback leaped over an oncoming defender before turning on the afterburners and taking the ball 65 yards to the house. He was the type of gem you’d dream of unearthing when recruiting at a school such as Idaho.

Undersized with just one Division I offer, but possessing the speed and grit – the type of grit that NBA star Paul George often references from growing up in the 661, an area code that encompasses Palmdale, Lancaster and much of the Antelope Valley – Anthony Woods was ready to make an immediate impact.

“Hey, there’s a kid out here in Palmdale,” Ford remembers then-Washington recruiting assistant Vernon Hamilton telling him.

Ford, who spent 2022 and 2023 as Idaho’s running backs coach, rememb

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