Greg Ward
 | |
| Houston Cougars – No. 1 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Class | Senior |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 12, 1995 Tyler, Texas |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Tyler (TX) John Tyler |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Gregory Mario Ward Jr. (born July 12, 1995)[1][2] is an American football quarterback for the Houston Cougars.
Early years
Gregory Mario Ward Jr. was born and raised in Tyler, Texas. One of four children, Ward grew up in a "modest ranch house."[3] Ward's father worked as a truck driver and Pentecostal pastor.[3]
Ward graduated from John Tyler High School in 2013. As a senior, he passed for 4,202 yards and 39 touchdowns with 861 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. 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.[4][5]
College career
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.[6][7] 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.[8][9] He was named the MVP of the 2015 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game after rushing for 148 yards and two touchdowns.[10] 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.
References
- ^ Tweet on July 12, 2016 retweeted by Ward
- ^ https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VDWN-KC7
- ^ a b Thamel, Pete (August 15, 2016). "When opposites attack: Boisterous Tom Herman, quiet Greg Ward Jr. combine to put Houston in playoff conversation". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ^ "Greg Ward".
- ^ "ATH Greg Ward commits to Houston". ESPN.com.
- ^ "Ward to replace O'Korn as UH's starting QB". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ "Tigers brace for new, dual-threat Houston QB".
- ^ "Houston Cougars quarterback Greg Ward Jr. is gaining attention". ESPN.com.
- ^ "Explosive UH QB Ward lands in Heisman discussion". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Brent Zwerneman (December 5, 2015). "UH's Greg Ward Jr. solidifies his role as game-breaker in AAC title game". Houston Chronicle.