Q: All right, first impressions back out on the field…
Ford: I was excited. It's really good to get back out there, get back in the groove of things, and get back out there with my teammates. Couldn't ask for anything better than starting OTAs off back with the Raiders.
Q: How many of your teammates did you know?
Ford: Not a lot. Definitely starting to know a lot of the new guys that are coming in and you can see a chemistry starting to unfold here on offense and defensive side of the ball. It's definitely fun and it's good to get a fresh start and get new people up in here.
Q: How's your chemistry with Matt Flynn?
Ford: He's looking great. I think the chemistry is definitely coming along. We'll get more reps as OTAs get going. Everybody is out here getting better every day. We're just going to take it one day at a time.
Q: How hard is it to get used to a new quarterback?
Ford: I've had a lot of them here. It's just something you have to deal with. It's not too hard to do it. We've been working out together, so the chemistry is already starting to get there because we worked out at Laney over the summer before we even started OTAs. That chemistry started getting there; we started getting used to each other automatically.
Q: You bring in a guy like Josh Cribbs, you two are two of three players with three touchdowns [in the return game] in one season. How's it feel to be able to bounce things off of a guy like that?
Ford: It's exciting to have a guy like that come in and you know that he can help on both sides of the ball with special teams and on the offensive side. That's like extra knowledge just to get from somebody like him. For us to have him here, I'm excited to have him. I know he's going to help us tremendously on both sides.
Q: How do you feel like the two of you fit together in the return game?
Ford: I think it could be a dangerous combo. Don't know what we're going to do yet back there but I'm pretty sure we'll have some tricks up our sleeve.
Q: Have you done anything differently this off-season? How difficult it must have been to be out so long all last season, have you done anything different to make sure you stay on the field?
Ford: A lot of rehab. I definitely do a lot of rehab every day I just kind of make sure I stay on top of it and really just take care of my body and just work on little things after practice and just more flexibility, and just let everything come to me. Being on the field will all speak for itself when it needs to.
Q: This group that got together a lot in the off-season, and the Harlem Shake video, what was that about?
Ford: We were out here working out, right when it was hot, I think we saw the Miami Heat do it, we got together right after workouts and goofed around all day basically running around Alameda doing Harlem Shake videos. It was fun, you have to have fun with this a little bit, you can't always be uptight. We're young; we were just out there having fun that day.
Q: Seems to be a new kind of energy here, with all the new players, [Head Coach Dennis Allen's] second year, do you feel it out there in practice?
Ford: Definitely felt a lot of energy out there. Everybody was flying around today, first day, it's exciting. Everybody's happy to be back out on the gridiron together. Even with the rookies in here now, it's just a different chemistry, different energy that's going to be out there and guys that just want to be here and play for this Silver and Black.
Q: Are there particular players on this team that you feel like you are developing chemistry with?
Ford: You definitely have some players that are going to be a lot closer than others, for the most part like myself, Terrelle, and a couple of the wide outs, running backs like Darren and Marcel we're all pretty close. We have group chats to stay on top of each other a little bit. That goes a long way because we can get together and go eat dinner, go hang out somewhere. The chemistry is definitely there and it's going to show off on the field.
Q: Who's faster in the 40-yard dash, you or Josh?
Ford: Josh…Cribbs? Oh me, easily. There's nobody that's going to beat me.
Q: Case closed?
Ford: Most definitely.
