WWE.COM: Your NXT tenure hasn’t been as long as Dawkins’, but how did your background prepare you to join the sports-entertainment world and get acclimated quickly?
FORD: My mom and my sister were always strict and kept me on my toes. They always were on me, from my school work to my safety. Growing up on the south side of Chicago, all the way to Anson County, N.C., I've literally seen it all. My mom, my sister and I have all been through a lot together, from the death of my sister, Kenesha, to the passing of my grandmother, Eula. There was even a point of time when my mom got hurt from her job and got laid off. There were not a lot of funds coming through the house. We had no power throughout winters, and my mom wasn't getting any help from her ex-husband. I would go to Wal-Mart, make mix CDs for everyone and sell them at school. I would also volunteer around the neighborhood to either cut grass or perform maintenance duties, just to help my mom. This was all the last two years of my high school era. I joined the Marine Corps and served from 2008-2012 and also had all three of my children by 2012, so I had to learn the balance between pursuing a career and being a father. I've learned, lost and experienced
so much at a young age, and I don't regret anything in the past because it's shaped me into the man I am today, and I thank God for everything.