Lenny Ford Signs With Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES - (U.P.) - Lenny Ford, star defensive end on Michigan's 1947 football team, was lured away from the eager Detroit Lions today by the Los Angeles Dons of the rival All-America conference.
The Dons announced that the Giant Negro, still enrolled at the Ann Arbor campus, had signed a contract to play with the west coast club next fall. He will report to coach Jimmy Phelan July 14 when the Dons open summer training at Ventura, Calif.
Head coach Alvin N. (Bo) McMillin of the Detroit National Football league team said he was "a little disappointed" that Ford had decided to take the Los Angeles offer rather than one made by the Lions. Terms of Ford's contract were not revealed.
But McMillin said he still had hopes of signing Bob Mann, another end who also starred on the Wolverines' Big Nine championship team.