Two plays into the second half of the 2021 Peach Bowl, new Browns running back Jerome Ford used a jump cut to get outside and outraced the Georgia Bulldogs defense for a 79-yard touchdown.
Then-Eastern Michigan assistant Darren Paige was at home watching on television and the dazzling play made him even more eager to sign on as Ford’s position coach at the University of Cincinnati.
Nine of the 14 Georgia defensive players selected in the past two NFL Drafts made a tackle in that New Year’s Day game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Bearcats were without top back Gerrid Doaks, so Ford was thrust into the spotlight.