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Oklahoma Sooners running back Keith Ford has been indefinitely suspended for academic and team rules violations, coach Bob Stoops confirmed Monday. Ford is no longer listed on the Sooners' online roster, and the team also announced the suspension on Twitter. The junior was the Sooners' starting running back for the 2014 season opener and scored six total touchdowns in OU's first three games before a leg injury against Tennessee forced him to miss five games. On Tuesday, Ford's parents, Keith and Mary Ford, released the following statement to ESPN.com. "Although we respect the decision of Coach Stoops to suspend our son from the football team the actions that prompted this decision were uncharacteristic of our son's behavior," the statement said. "We believe Keith never recovered completely (physically and/or mentally) from the injury that occurred in the Tennessee game. After speaking with several medical professionals we found that this is not uncommon among athletes after suffering an extensive injury. Therefore, we brought this to the attention of Coach Stoops and the OU Staff and they are actively engaged in helping Keith. When Coach Stoops told us 'I will never shut a kid out' he solidified our complete trust and confidence in the OU program. We are praying for the return of Keith Ford #21." True freshman running back Samaje Perine seized the opportunity to become the focal point of the Sooners' running game in Ford's absence, earning All-Big 12 honors and rushing for an FBS single-game record 427 yards against the Kansas Jayhawks. Perine's emergence forced Ford into a secondary role when he returned for the final five games. Ford finished the season with 71 carries for 392 yards and five touchdowns. Despite Ford's suspension, the Sooners' running back corps remains deep heading into the 2015 season with Perine, redshirt freshman Joe Mixon, junior Alex Ross and true freshman Rodney Anderson on the roster.
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