MIAMI — Super Bowl Opening Night is typically a light affair. For Dee Ford, that wasn’t exactly the case.
The former Chiefs defensive end was grilled by reporters about his now infamous mistake of lining up offsides in last year’s AFC Championship Game, a gaffe which kept the Patriots alive and ultimately cost Kansas City the game.
Ford was asked specifically about Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark’s comments from 10 days ago, when Ford’s replacement called the play “inexcusable.”
Ford agreed with that assessment, but pointed out that everybody makes mistakes.
“He’s right. It’s inexcusable, but don’t we all do it?”
Ford then explained how he got over the mistake.
“It was hard for a brief period of time,” Ford said. “Just like anything else I’ve got to get over that, I’ve got to have a short memory, because I’ve got to be able to help my team get back in that position. That’s sports man. You get caught in situations, but at end of the day. I had to do what it took to get back and get right.”
Finally, after being asked again if he was still frustrated by the play, Ford said slowly and directly.
“I have to let it go, in order to move forward.”
A big performance in Sunday’s game will go a long way into making up for that mistake, and quieting Clark.
