Rod Wood, whom the Lions will introduce as team president Friday afternoon, said Friday morning he likely will not be involved in personnel moves but will play a role in managing the team’s salary cap.
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“It was critical to me and my family to fill the President’s position as soon as possible, provided we identified the right person”, Mrs. Ford said in a statement. He will oversee the business side of the organization and report directly to Ford, according to the release.
Prior to his new position as team president, Wood was the president and CEO of the Ford Estates, which is a private company that works directly with the Ford’s. Sheldon White is handling those duties on an interim basis since the dismissal earlier this month of team President Tom Lewand and GM Martin Mayhew.
The two will join with four other Ford children in a Search Advisory Board for a permanent General Manager. He doesn’t appear to be too much of a stranger to the Lions; Jim Caldwell professes to seeing Rod Wood around. While he’ll handle the business side of running the organization, finding the right general manager will be key for the franchise.
“I would probably not be directly involved in personnel decisions”, Wood said. “But what’s important is to put a winning team on the field, not only for the city, the organization and our fans, but for the Ford family”.
Mrs. Ford also said that the team’s Advisory Board would continue to use the resources available at the National Football League for their GM search, specifically the NFL’s Career Development Advisory Panel. “I am confident Rod is the right person”.
Still, what does he know about running an National Football League team?
Or maybe, just as the Fords reversed course on hiring a search firm, they won’t hire a General Manager.
They’ll be seeing Wood around there a lot more, and who else they see will hinge on the decisions and recommendations made by a guy who is getting a crash course in one of the most fascinating industries in America.
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He’s graduated from the University of MI and Goodrich High School.
