Carl Ward

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name =

| image = Carl Ward (1964).png

| alt =

| caption = Ward in 1964

| number =

| position = Halfback, Defensive back, Return specialist

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|7|26|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Hartford, Alabama, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height_ft =

| height_in =

| weight_lbs =

| high_school =

| college = Michigan

| draftyear = 1967

| draftround = 4

| draftpick = 83

| pastteams =

Cleveland Browns (1967–1968)
New Orleans Saints (1969)

| highlights =

First-team All-Big Ten (1965)
2× Second-team All-Big Ten (1964, 1966)
Longest kickoff return in Cleveland Browns history

| statlabel1 = Games

| statvalue1 = 30

| statlabel2 = Return yards

| statvalue2 = 907

| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries

| statvalue3 = 6

| pfr = WardCa20.htm

}}

Carl Davis Ward (born July 26, 1944) is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a halfback for the Michigan Wolverines from 1964 to 1966 before playing in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints from 1967 to 1969.

Early years

Ward was born in Hartford, Alabama, in 1944.{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WardCa20.htm|title=Carl Ward |publisher=pro-football-reference.com|accessdate=July 16, 2011}} He attended Taft High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Michigan

In 1964, Ward helped lead the Wolverines football team to their first Big Ten Conference championship since 1950,{{cite web|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/football.htm|title=U of M Football|publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan|accessdate=March 10, 2020|date=May 26, 2007}} breaking the longest championship drought in school history. The 1964 Wolverines outscored their opponents 235–83, finished the regular season 8–1,{{cite web|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1964fbt.htm|title=1964 Football Team|publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan|accessdate=November 25, 2007|date=March 31, 2007}} and narrowly missed an undefeated season with a 21–20 loss to a Purdue Boilermakers team led by sophomore Bob Griese.{{cite web|url=http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/gametot.php?gkey=146|title=Versus Purdue October 17, 1964|publisher=Regents of the University of Michigan|accessdate=November 24, 2007|year=2003|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050513023541/http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/gametot.php?gkey=146|archivedate=May 13, 2005}}

The Wolverines (ranked No. 4) advanced to the Rose Bowl where they defeated Tommy Prothro's Oregon State Beavers, 34–7, on New Year's Day. Ward gained 88 rushing yards on 10 carries in the 1965 Rose Bowl, including a 43-yard touchdown run.{{cite news|title=Rose Is 'Lemon Bowl' 34–7|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=January 2, 1965|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wVgmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_nwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2144,639686&dq=carl-ward+rose&hl=en}}

Ward continued as one of the Wolverines' leading yard gainers for three consecutive years from 1964 to 1966. He was the team's leading rusher in 1965 with 639 net rushing yards and the leading kickoff returner with 193 yards on 10 kickoff returns. In a September 1966 game that matched Michigan against its 1965 Rose Bowl opponent, Ward scored to touchdowns in a 31–0 victory over Oregon State.{{cite news|title=Michigan Speed, Power Overwhelm Oregon State|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=September 18, 1966|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BatWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qugDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7250,1100807&dq=carl-ward+michigan&hl=en}}

From 1964 to 1966, Ward totaled 2,266 all-purpose yards for Michigan, including 1,673 rushing yards, 396 yards on kickoff returns, and 188 receiving yards.{{cite web |title=Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page |publisher=University of Michigan |url=http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112175906/http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php |archivedate=November 12, 2007 }} His biggest single-game performances for Michigan were as follows:

class="wikitable" width="70%"
align="center" style="background:#121849;color:#F8E616;" \| Date	Opponent	Rushing yards	Receiving yards	Kickoff return yards	All-purpose yards
align="center" bgcolor="" \| November 6, 1965	Illinois	139	6	27	165
align="center" bgcolor="" \| November 5, 1966	Illinois	131	4	21	156
align="center" bgcolor="" \| November 20, 1965	Ohio State	104	0	8	112
align="center" bgcolor="" \| January 1, 1965	Oregon State	88	0	20	108
align="center" bgcolor="" \| October 24, 1964	Minnesota	108	0	0	108
align="center" bgcolor=""

Professional football

Ward was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 4th round (83rd overall pick) of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft and signed with the Browns in July 1967.{{cite news|title=Brows Sign Four Including Barnes|newspaper=Toledo Blade|date=July 8, 1967|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QcowAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sQEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4768,2157749&dq=carl-ward+browns&hl=en}} In the Browns' final pre-season game, Ward returned a kickoff 85 yards against the Minnesota Vikings.{{cite news|title=Browns Wallop Vikings, 42–14, in Exhibition|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 11, 1967|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1967/09/11/93872505.pdf}} During the 1967 regular season, he returned 22 kickoffs for 546 yards and 6 punts for 62 yards, ranking 8th in the NFL in punt and kickoff return yardage. The highlight of Ward's rookie season came on November 26, 1967 when he returned a kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown against the Washington Redskins.{{cite news|title=KELLY SPARKS BROWNS' WIN|newspaper=The Sun, Baltimore, Md.|date=November 27, 1967|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1730228612.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+27%2C+1967&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=KELLY+SPARKS+BROWNS%27+WIN&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131224442/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1730228612.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+27,+1967&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=KELLY+SPARKS+BROWNS'+WIN&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013}} His 104-yard return was the longest in Cleveland Browns franchise history and remains tied for the 15th-longest in NFL history.{{cite web|title=NFL Single-Season Longest Kick Returns Leaders|publisher=pro-football-reference.com|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/kick_ret_long_single_season.htm}}

During the 1968 season, Ward returned 13 kickoffs for 236 yards.

In September 1969, the New Orleans Saints acquired Ward off waivers from the Browns.{{cite news|title=Saints Kick Out Kicker to Get Defensive Help|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=September 18, 1969|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/586070482.html?dids=586070482:586070482&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+18%2C+1969&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Saints+Kiek+Out+Kicker+to+Get+Defensive+Help&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107112236/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/586070482.html?dids=586070482:586070482&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+18,+1969&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Saints+Kiek+Out+Kicker+to+Get+Defensive+Help&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2012}} Ward appeared in only two games for the Saints during the 1969 season, returning 3 kickoffs for 58 yards.

Notes

Category:1944 births

Category:Living people

Category:Michigan Wolverines football players

Category:Cleveland Browns players

Category:New Orleans Saints players

Category:Players of American football from Alabama