April 19, 1993
Nearly five months after he was hired, Arkansas football coach Danny Ford began the first leg of what would become a two-part, 48-stop tour of the state.
Riding in an RV, Ford’s tour began at the airport in Lake Village. Required to speak at Razorback Clubs in some larger towns, it was Ford’s idea to stop in some of the state’s small towns that might not otherwise see a coach of his status.
After Lake Village, Ford’s stops included small towns such as McGehee, Dumas, Malvern, Nashville, Mena and Waldron, at establishments ranging from pizza joints to banks, churches, courthouses and car dealerships. An Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter was embedded with Ford for the first 21 stops over four days in south and west Arkansas.
He completed the second part of his tour in early May when he visited 27 towns in the eastern and northern parts of the state.
“I’ve never cared much for folks who didn’t have time for people,” Ford said when describing his idea to tour the state’s smaller towns.
“It’s good to…get out and see the people. I think I’ve learned a lot on the road. I’ve seen the lay of the land, how the people live, how much the Razorbacks mean to them.”
Ford’s Razorbacks went 5-5-1 in his first season.