Greg Ward

Last updated

Greg Ward
Greg Ward 2021.jpg
Ward in January 2021
Personal information
Born: (1995-07-12) July 12, 1995 (age 29)
Tyler, Texas, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school: John Tyler (Tyler, Texas)
College: Houston
Position: Wide receiver
Undrafted: 2017
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:88
Receiving yards:768
Receiving touchdowns:10
Player stats at PFR

Gregory Mario Ward Jr. (born July 12, 1995) is an American professional football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Houston as a quarterback, and converted to wide receiver after going undrafted following his college career. He was a member of the Eagles' practice squad in 2017 when they won Super Bowl LII. He also played for the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2019.

Contents

Early life

Gregory Mario Ward Jr. was born and raised in Tyler, Texas. One of four children, Ward grew up in a "modest ranch house." [1] Ward's father worked as a truck driver and Pentecostal pastor. [1]

Ward graduated from John Tyler High School in 2013. As a senior, he passed for 4,202 yards, 39 touchdowns along with 861 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, and also won Player of the Year in Texas High School football. As a junior, he threw for 3,596 yards and 32 touchdowns and rushed for 1,212 yards with 18 touchdowns. He played wide receiver his sophomore year and recorded 53 receptions for 667 yards with eight touchdowns. Ward was rated as a three-star recruit and committed to the University of Houston to play college football. [2] [3]

College career

Greg Ward Jr. in 2016 Greg Ward Jr. in 2016.jpg
Greg Ward Jr. in 2016

As a true freshman at Houston in 2013, Ward appeared in 10 games as a backup quarterback and wide receiver. He passed for 310 yards with a passing touchdown, rushed for 176 yards with two touchdowns and had 95 receiving yards and a touchdown. Ward started his sophomore year as a starting wide receiver, recording 15 receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown. In October, Ward took over as the starting quarterback, replacing the benched John O'Korn. [4] [5] He started the final eight games, completing 177-of-263 passes for 2,010 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also added 573 rushing yards with six touchdowns. Ward remained Houston's starter his junior year in 2015. [6] [7] He was named the MVP of the 2015 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game after rushing for 148 yards and two touchdowns. [8] On December 31, 2015, Ward helped the Cougars win the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against No. 9 Florida State and was named Offensive Player of the Game.

College statistics

PassingRushing
YearTeamGPCmpAttPctYardsTDsIntYardsAvgTDs
2013 Houston 10192965.5310101763.92
2014 Houston 1317726367.32,0101275734.96
2015 Houston 1423134567.02,8271761,1145.721
2016 Houston 1231946968.03,55722135182.610
Totals497461,10667.88,70452262,3814.339

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 10+3⁄4 in
(1.80 m)		186 lb
(84 kg)		31+1⁄8 in
(0.79 m)		9+7⁄8 in
(0.25 m)		4.59 s1.56 s2.69 s4.31 s6.90 s34.5 in
(0.88 m)		9 ft 7 in
(2.92 m)		10 reps
All values from NFL Combine and Pro Day [9] [10] [11]

Philadelphia Eagles (first stint)

Ward signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent on May 11, 2017. [12] He was waived on September 2, 2017 and was signed to the Eagles' practice squad the next day. [13] [14] He was released on September 12, 2017, [15] and was re-signed to the practice squad on September 18. [16] While Ward was on their practice squad, the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. [17]

Ward signed a reserve/future contract with the Eagles on February 7, 2018. [18] On September 1, 2018, he was waived by the Eagles and was signed to the practice squad the next day. [19] [20] He was released on September 7, 2018. [21]

San Antonio Commanders

On January 1, 2019, Ward signed with the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). He recorded 22 receptions for 214 yards in the eight games the league lasted. [22] [23]

Philadelphia Eagles (second stint)

Ward in a game against the Washington Redskins Greg Ward In 2019 (cropped).jpg
Ward in a game against the Washington Redskins

After the AAF suspended football operations, Ward re-signed with the Eagles for one year on April 9, 2019. [24] He was waived during final roster cuts on August 31, 2019, [25] but was re-signed to the team's practice squad the next day. [26] He was promoted to the team's active roster on September 21, following injuries to DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery. [27] He made his NFL debut in a Week 3 game against the Detroit Lions, but was waived again on September 24. [28] He re-signed to the team's practice squad again on September 26. He was promoted to the active roster again on November 23, 2019. [29] He caught six passes in the Eagles 17–9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, totaling 40 yards. [30] In Week 15 against the Washington Redskins, Ward caught seven passes for 61 yards and his first touchdown of his NFL career in the Eagles' 37–27 win against the Redskins. [31] Ward finished the 2019 season with 28 receptions for 254 yards. [32]

In Week 3 of the 2020 season against the Cincinnati Bengals, Ward caught 8 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown in the 23-23 tie. In Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers, Ward caught the first career touchdown pass thrown by rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts during the 30–16 loss. In Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals, Ward caught 4 passes including 2 touchdowns in the 33–26 loss. [33] Ward finished the 2020 season with 53 receptions for 419 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns in 16 games. [34]

Ward signed a one-year exclusive-rights free agent tender with the Eagles on March 29, 2021. [35] In 2021, Ward took a reserve role in the receiving corps after the Eagles drafted DeVonta Smith. He ended the season with 7 catches for 95 yards and 3 touchdowns, and he was used in trick plays as a passer, ultimately completing one pass for 2 yards. [36]

While he initially wasn't tendered by the Eagles in the 2022 offseason, Ward signed a new one-year deal with the team on March 15. [37] He was placed on injured reserve on August 30, 2022. [38] He was released on September 9. On October 24, he was brought back to the practice squad. [39]

On August 29, 2023, Ward was waived by the Eagles and re-signed to the practice squad. [40] [41] He was released on November 30 and re-signed to the practice squad on December 6. [42] [43] He was not signed to a reserve/future contract after the season and thus became a free agent when his practice squad contract expired. [44]

Indianapolis Colts

On August 14, 2024, Ward signed with the Indianapolis Colts. [45] He was released on August 25. [46]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

YearTeamGamesReceivingFumbles
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2019 PHI 73282549.138100
2020 PHI 1610534197.932620
2021 PHI 17079513.627300
Total4013887688.7381020
Source: NFL.com

Postseason

YearTeamGamesReceivingFumbles
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2019 PHI 113248.016000
2021 PHI 100000000
Total113248.016000
Source: NFL.com

Related Research Articles

Jaylen Watkins is a former American football safety. He played college football for the University of Florida. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft.

Anthony Dion Denham Jr. is a former American football tight end. He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He played college football at Utah.

Bryce Treggs is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at California, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent after the 2016 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Perkins</span> American football player (born 1993)

Joshua Perkins is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Washington and was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2016.

Rashard Markese Davis is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist who is a free agent. He played college football at James Madison University. Davis has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Tampa Bay Bandits, and New York Jets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Davis (wide receiver)</span> American football player (born 1995)

Robert Jamal Davis is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football at Georgia State, and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL draft. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deon Cain</span> American football player (born 1996)

Deon Cain is an American professional football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Clemson.

David Watford is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Virginia for three seasons before transferring to Hampton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Johnson (wide receiver)</span> American football player (born 1994)

Marcus Johnson is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He has played 6 seasons in the NFL for four different teams and won a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles following Super Bowl LII. After playing college football for Texas, he was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent following the 2016 NFL draft and spent part of the season on the practice squad before making the roster the next year. He has since then also played for the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deontay Burnett</span> American football player (born 1997)

Deontay Burnett is an American professional football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tennessee Titans in 2018. He played college football at USC. He has also been a member of the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Roughnecks, and Arlington Renegades.

Hunter Sharp is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Utah State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marken Michel</span> American gridiron football player (born 1993)

Marken Michel is an American professional football wide receiver for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at UMass before signing with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2016. Michel has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers and Washington Football Team / Commanders of the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hakeem Butler</span> American football player (born 1996)

Hakeem Butler is an American professional football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Iowa State, and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, BC Lions, Edmonton Elks, Pittsburgh Steelers, and St. Louis Battlehawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elijah Holyfield</span> American football player (born 1997)

Elijah Esaias Holyfield is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Georgia. He is the son of former heavyweight world champion boxer Evander Holyfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travis Fulgham</span> American gridiron football player (born 1995)

Travis Fulgham is an American professional football wide receiver who is a free agent. He most recently played for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Old Dominion and was selected in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Walker (American football)</span> American football player (born 1996)

Michael Walker is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Boston College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Swain</span> American football player (born 1998)

Freddie Swain is an American professional football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grayland Arnold</span> American football player (born 1997)

Grayland Arnold Jr. is an American football safety who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor.

Noah Togiai is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Oregon State and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Eagles in 2020.

Adrian Killins Jr. is an American football running back. He played college football at UCF. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) and Arlington Renegades of the XFL.

References

  1. 1 2 Thamel, Pete (August 15, 2016). "When opposites attack: Boisterous Tom Herman, quiet Greg Ward Jr. Jr. combine to put Houston in playoff conversation". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Greg Ward Jr". Yahoo! Sports.
  3. ↑ Sayles, Damon (June 20, 2012). "ATH Greg Ward Jr. commits to Houston". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  4. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (October 5, 2014). "Ward to replace O'Korn as UH's starting QB". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  5. ↑ Stukenborg, Phil (October 9, 2014). "Tigers brace for new, dual-threat Houston QB". www.commercialappeal.com. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  6. ↑ Khan Jr., Sam (November 13, 2015). "Houston Cougars quarterback Greg Ward Jr. is gaining attention". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  7. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (October 15, 2015). "Explosive UH QB Ward lands in Heisman discussion". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  8. ↑ Zwerneman, Brent (December 5, 2015). "UH's Greg Ward Jr. Jr. solidifies his role as game-breaker in AAC title game". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  9. ↑ "NFL Draft Scout: Greg Ward Jr". NFL.com. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Greg Ward Jr., Houston, WR, 2017 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Greg Ward 2017 NFL Draft Profile". NFL.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Check Out The Full Rookie Camp Roster". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. May 11, 2017. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Eagles Announce 17 Roster Moves To Get Down To 53 Players". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. September 2, 2017. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Eagles Announce 10-Man Practice Squad". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. September 3, 2017. Archived from the original on April 7, 2018.
  15. ↑ George, David (September 12, 2017). "Eagles Agree To Terms With K Jake Elliott; Place Caleb Sturgis On Injured Reserve". PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  16. ↑ Gowton, Brandon Lee (September 18, 2017). "Eagles cut practice squad tackle to bring back a wide receiver". BleedingGreenNation.com. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  17. ↑ Jones, Lindsay H. (February 4, 2018). "Eagles dethrone Tom Brady, Patriots for first Super Bowl title in stunner". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  18. ↑ George, David (February 7, 2018). "Roster Moves: Eagles Bring Back Six For 2018". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  19. ↑ McPherson, Chris (September 1, 2018). "Eagles Get To The 53-Player Limit". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  20. ↑ Foley, Graham (September 2, 2018). "Eagles Sign 10 Players To Practice Squad". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  21. ↑ Gowton, Brandon Lee (September 7, 2018). "Philadelphia Eagles cut three practice squad players, sign one". BleedingGreenNation.com. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Nick Temple trying to make big impression with Commanders". 210 Football. January 12, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  23. ↑ Luca, Greg (January 27, 2019). "Former Houston teammates Ward, Ayers reunited with San Antonio Commanders". San Antonio Express-News . Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  24. ↑ Berman, Zach (April 9, 2019). "Eagles sign three former AAF players: quarterback Luis Perez, receivers Greg Ward and Charles Johnson". Philly.com. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Eagles announce roster moves as team gets to 53-player limit". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. August 31, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  26. ↑ McPherson, Chris (September 1, 2019). "Eagles agree to terms with nine practice squad players". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  27. ↑ McPherson, Chris (September 21, 2019). "Eagles promote WR Greg Ward from the practice squad, place Jordan Mailata on Injured Reserve". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  28. ↑ Schaller, Olivia (September 24, 2019). "Eagles promote CB Craig James from the practice squad to the active roster". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  29. ↑ McPherson, Chris (November 23, 2019). "Eagles promote WR Greg Ward from practice squad, place S Rudy Ford on Injured Reserve". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Seahawks vs. Eagles - Game Summary - November 24, 2019 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Associated Press. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Eagles vs. Redskins - Game Summary - December 15, 2019 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Associated Press. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Greg Ward 2019 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers - December 6th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Greg Ward 2020 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  35. ↑ Alper, Josh (March 29, 2021). "Greg Ward re-signs with Eagles". NBCSports.com. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Greg Ward 2021 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  37. ↑ Gowton, Brandon Lee (March 15, 2022). "Eagles agree to terms with Greg Ward and Andre Chachere, reportedly won't tender Boston Scott". Bleeding Green Nation. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  38. ↑ McPherson, Chris (August 30, 2022). "Eagles announce initial 53-man roster". PhiladelphiaEagles.com.[ permanent dead link ]
  39. ↑ Gowton, Brandon Lee (October 24, 2022). "Eagles bring a familiar face back to the practice squad". SB Nation .
  40. ↑ Spadaro, Dave; McPherson, Chris (August 29, 2023). "Eagles announce initial 53-man roster". PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  41. ↑ "Eagles announce practice squad". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. August 30, 2023.
  42. ↑ Erby, Glenn. "Eagles announce 4 roster moves ahead of Week 13 matchup vs. 49ers". Eagles Wire. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  43. ↑ Boyle, Owen. "Eagles officially sign Shaquille Leonard, waive Christian Elliss". Philadelphia Eagles. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  44. ↑ Boyle, Owen (January 22, 2024). "Eagles sign 20 players to Reserve/Future contracts". Philadelphia Eagles.
  45. ↑ "Colts sign DE Derek Rivers, WR Greg Ward; waive S Kendell Brooks, waive-injured WR Ethan Fernea". Colts.com. August 14, 2024.
  46. ↑ "Colts make 9 roster moves". Colts.com. August 25, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.