Northwestern University Athletics
One-on-One With Marvin Ward
10/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | General
Oct. 29, 2004
By Michael Griffin
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Most college football players arrive on campus as freshmen with an eye-popping highlight film packed with a variety of spectacular plays from high school. It's a good way for teammates to see how they stack up against one another. All of the tapes are good, but some are downright legendary.
Enter senior cornerback Marvin Ward. Ward came to Evanston with such a videotape -- a tape that captures his body doing things that make you swear you're watching deleted scenes from the movie, The Matrix. But, instead of marathon-interception returns for touchdowns on the football field, Ward's tape was laced with soaring, rim-rattling dunks on the basketball court.
You see, before coming to Northwestern, Ward only played one year of high school football -- his senior year. Until then, he was completely committed to his dream of playing basketball in college and possibly the NBA. Ever since he started playing competitively at age seven, Ward was eating, sleeping, and drin... well, let's just say he was playing a lot of basketball. He played year-round, logging serious miles on the court with his high school team in the winter, as well as playing with an AAU squad during the off-season.
When he got to Eleanor Roosevelt High School, his aerial acrobatics on the basketball court had the school's football coach, Rich Houchen, drooling. Houchen desperately tried to get Ward into a football uniform since his sophomore year.
But Ward and his mother, Mattie Ward, thought it would be best if he stayed away from the violent football field to avoid risking injury and jeopardizing his basketball career. Like any good mother, she was looking out for her son's health. After playing his junior year with the basketball team though, his feelings changed.
"Later on in high school, basketball just wasn't fun anymore," Ward said. "The football coaches had asked me to join the team for three years, so I made the decision with my mom to play football my senior year."
Having hung up his sneakers, Ward proved to be just as talented in cleats by picking off five passes for the Raiders' on their way to a 12-1 record. He also was a key factor in his team winning the Maryland 4A state title with a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown.
That one year playing organized football was all it took to draw the attention of NU football coaches. When then-NU wide receivers coach Howard Feggins came to recruit Ward, Houchens gave Feggins one basketball and one football highlight tape. Feggins only need to see one. After seeing Ward's skills on the hard court, the NU coach called him the next day with a scholarship offer -- before even watching his football highlights.
The NU coaching staff saw potential in Ward's raw talent, but with limited experience under his belt, they knew it would take some time. He redshirted his freshman year, learning from seasoned veterans like Harold Blackmon and Marvin Brown, who showed him the ropes during the Wildcats' 2000 Big Ten Championship season.
Once Ward's sophomore year rolled around though, he was ready to go. He started the final seven games for the `Cats, finishing with 55 tackles and a team-leading 10 pass breakups. In his first collegiate start, Ward burst onto the Big Ten scene with seven tackles (six solos) and four pass deflections against Minnesota and was named the team's Defensive Player of the Game.
Over the past four years, Ward has worked tirelessly in the film and weight room facilities to catch up on the experience he missed by only focusing on basketball for so long. It's safe to say the hard work has paid off. In the 2004 season-opener against TCU, Ward made his presence known early and often by recording a team-high eight solo tackles and forcing a fumble that was recovered by fellow defensive back Dominique Price.
Seeing Ward's name at the top of the tackle chart in the box score was hardly shocking as he was named the Big Ten's "Best Run Support Cornerback" by The Sporting News coming into this year.
That was an honor, because I definitely pride myself on being a physical cornerback," Ward said. "I love to hit."
When it comes to hitting, Ward can more than hold his own if a thick running-back busts a run to the outside. His 5-foot-11, 205-pound frame put up 315 pounds on the incline press in the off-season. Combine that kind of power with a blazing 40-yard dash time of 4.38 seconds, and it's no surprise Ward has caught the eye of NFL scouts.
One thing is for sure, though. After his career at NU, Ward will have a lengthy football highlight tape to show them.
