Learning from Seahawks Greats, Salvon Ahmed Ready for Next Chapter in NFL
The 2020 NFL Draft will officially kick off on Thursday and former Washington running back Salvon Ahmed, like his college teammate tight end Hunter Bryant, has been groomed for this moment.
Since starting high school, Ahmed has been under the guidance and tutelage of trainer Tracy Ford, who owns Ford Sports Performance in Bellevue, Washington. He's also had a chance to work alongside with Seahawks linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright as well as 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein sees Ahmed being drafted in the sixth round, while some analysts such as Bryan Anthony Davis of behindthesteelcurtain.com have him going undrafted.
Zierlein did note that Ahmed faces an uphill battle to make an NFL roster and "suffers from a debilitating lack of vision and decisiveness that prevents him from reaching his athletic potential as a runner."
Ford, who has trained multiple NFL players over the years, recently shared what teams will be missing on if they decide to pass on Ahmed.
"They are going to get a pro. Salvon is a kid that understands how to be a pro and I believe his daily life as a pro goes from everything from his eating habits to how he walks and talks and that is the type of guy you want in your locker room," Ford said. "So, I think he is going to be very mature as far as conducting himself as a pro early on and I think those are the things that will help him get on the field early. That really allows him to play in this league for a very long time. He understands being a pro and he does listen to the veterans."
Though he posted a disappointing 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine, Ford thinks teams should dismiss that and instead focus on his ability to create explosive plays out of the backfield.
"It will become second nature for Salvon and I think teams that pass on him will be missing out on a dynamic play maker that can score from any point and anytime he touches the football from anywhere on the field. He can run, catch, and play a lot of special teams, and a lot of people do not know that if he wasn't a running back, he was one of the best cornerbacks that I have ever had to come out of our program."
"In high school, we groomed him as a DB, so he has a defensive mindset playing at the running back position, which I think is going to make him extremely valuable. So, again, I think he has a lot of attributes that a lot of people do not know that he had in his background."
This past season with the Huskies, Ahmed rushed 1,020 yards on 188 attempts and scored 11 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 16 passes for 84 yards in 12 games, according to Sports-reference.com.
I recently caught up with Ahmed to discuss how his life has changed over these past few months and getting an opportunity to hone his skills under the guidance of past Super Bowl champions.
Landon Buford (LB): Growing up you had the opportunity to train with Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, and K.J. Wright at Ford Sports Performance in Bellevue, Washington. Can you share with us how instrumental those individuals have been throughout your career at Juanita High School and the University of Washington?
Salvon Ahmed (SA): Growing up and being able to train with those guys, you learn how to be a pro at a young age. So, for me, I remember I was 15 or 16 the first time I start working out with Bobby [Wagner] and Richard [Sherman]. We were doing our drills and we were warming up and I remember it stopped for a quick second right before were running 10 yards and I stopped maybe at the nine-yard line. That is when he [Bobby Wagner] asked me how old I was and then I told him.
Then he told me that he could tell and shared as a pro you finish, and it is the little things that set you apart. That was the turning point for me, I told myself the way do the little things is how you are going to approach all things. So, it is little things like that I have picked up from Bobby being first in line and being that leader. That is something that has to come naturally, so I have learned a lot from Bobby that I have been able to take with me to college, and obviously transitioning into the next period of my life.
(LB): Tracy Ford owns the facility - can you talk about some of the things that he has provided you as a mentor throughout your career?
(SA): Since I started training with Tracy, I think the one thing that I would say that he gave me is that competitive edge. We have a saying called "Competition Thursday," which includes 28 reps of whatever agility drill that we are doing that day and you must win. So, I think, comes down to the will to win and the will that you want to be better than that next guy. That's the one thing that I think as far as being a football player, that transition is not only in life and in football, it's that will to win and doing what it takes, and I think that is something that Tracy has given me.
(LB): How have you been able to prepare for the upcoming draft with the stay-at-home order that is in effect in Washington in terms of working out?
(SA): I still train with Tracy. We meet up in the mornings and do our work out. So, we still do what we can, and I am thankful that he is helping through this process.
(LB): The draft is coming fast. How has your agent Henry Organ, who some have compared him to a young Rich Paul, prepared you for the draft process?
(SA): One of the things that I took from Nipsey Hussle was to empower your own people. I have known Henry since I was 16. It felt natural to go with somebody I know and that was going to shoot me straight and tell me the truth. He has always been there for me and he is really involved with this process. He also very smart, ambitious, and hungry for success as he has been handling all the phone calls, making things easier for me so I can focus on the football sides of things. He is focused on the things that he needs to take care of as an agent, but he's more than just an agent to me. He has been more of a big brother to me and we have a really close relationship.
(LB): How have these few months changed your life knowing that you are a draft hopeful?
(SA): It has changed my life because I know what that next step is, and you know your life is about to change. Yes, there is a lot of uncertainty, but you what you have been working for your whole life. I know that my life is about to change soon and like I said, I have been around Pro Bowlers and Super Bowl champions since I was 16 years old. So, I know that I am ready for it.
(LB): What has all this training and preparation taught you?
(SA): It's taught me that recovery is more important sometimes than the training itself, I think really at the combine week over each night, I over-prepared, I over thought it. It has also taught me that you must pay attention to details. Everyone is going to be super athletic, strong, but I think what sets you apart is how well do you pay attention to details.
