Ford wins Empire 8 Scholar-Athlete Award
Brad Ford ’14, a four-year standout for the Nazareth men’s basketball team, was named the 2013-14 Empire 8 Conference Senior Scholar-Athlete Award winner. The award, voted on by the conference faculty athletic representatives, honors one male and one female student-athlete who best exemplify what it means to efficiently combine athletics and academics over the course of their college careers.
Ford, of Victor, N.Y., earned an array of honors for the Golden Flyers during the past four seasons, including first-team Academic All-America honors in 2014 from the College Sports Information Directors of America. He also was recognized as a first-team Empire 8 Conference all-star and was a first-team all-East Region selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and d3hoops.com.
A 6-foot-4 forward, Ford was a four-year starter for the Golden Flyers who amassed 1,519 points (sixth all-time) and 944 rebounds (second all-time) with 146 three-point baskets. He set a school record for best career rebounding average at 9.3 per game. For the 2013-14 season, Ford was the Golden Flyers’ leading scorer (18.8 ppg.) and rebounder (10.2 rpg.). He posted 15 double-doubles (points-rebounds) to elevate his career total to 39. He was twice honored in 2014 as Empire 8 Conference Player of the Week.
In the classroom, Ford had a grade-point average of 3.84 as a business administration major with concentration in human resource management. He was the recipient of the Robert A. Kidera Scholar-Athlete award that recognizes academic and athletic achievement and has been named to the Empire 8 President’s List.
Joining Ford as a Kidera Scholar-Athlete Award winner was former tennis standout Alison Tepas ’14. A native of Orchard Park, N.Y., Tepas was a four-year tennis player for the Golden Flyers who carried a 3.42 grade-point average as a physical therapy major.
On the tennis court, Tepas won 123 career matches to rank sixth all-time at Nazareth. In the fall of 2013 she became Nazareth’s first New York state singles champion in 19 years as she won four matches at the state tournament. She also is a four-time first-team Empire 8 Conference all-star in both singles and doubles.
To be eligible for the Kidera Award, student-athletes must hold a grade-point average of 3.0 or better while exhibiting positive character and leadership skills in campus activities. The award was established in honor of the late Robert A. Kidera, a charter member of the Nazareth Sports Hall of Fame and the college’s president from 1976 to 1984.
Brad Ford '14