Dee Ford buys guitar for teen.

[gr82be 14,401]

https://www.al.com/sports/2019/12/dee-ford-surprises-teen-guitarist-with-spur-of-the-moment-purchase.html

By Mark Inabinett | minabinett@al.com

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Dee Ford had never seen the 17-year-old guitar player who was practicing in the Guitar Center in Bradenton, Florida, but the former Auburn standout was impressed by what he heard this week.

So impressed that Ford brought Adam Birmingham a guitar.

Already a drummer and a keyboard player, Ford is learning to play the guitar and visited the store to see about buying one for himself

“I was just buying a guitar,” Ford told reporters on Thursday. “I like playing guitar when I’m at hotels because I’m learning how to play. So I was just there playing. I saw this kid. He was really, really good. He was really good. He reminded me of myself when I first learned how to play a keyboard. He was very passionate, and I just ended up asking him ‘Would you believe me if I said I would buy it for you?’ And he didn’t believe it, so I ended up buying it for him.”

Ford said the guitarist had “no clue” that he was an NFL player.

“It’s a pretty cool story,” Ford said. “I didn’t think everybody would end up finding out. I found out when I was going to check out that that was his dream guitar. He had been playing that guitar for a couple of years in that store. It was a good opportunity for me. It’s Christmas time, you know? Might as well.”

Birmingham told NBC Sports Bay Area that he thanked Ford “100 times. I didn’t know what to say.”

Ford said he heard Birmingham play “a couple of Metallica songs.”

“My message to him was to keep that passion,” Ford said. “Don’t let nobody take that from you. Keep working at what you’re doing. He’s young, and a lot of people are trying to find their purpose in life and they’re 28, 29, 30 and on. It’s a blessing to have your purpose that early, but you got to take care of it, meaning you got to work at it.”