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University of Minnesota Athletics
An Unquestioned Defensive Leader: Senior Safety Eli Ward
10/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
He had a break-through season in 2002 after suffering a season-ending knee injury against Michigan during his sophomore season. Ward battled back and knew not to take his opportunity to play for the Maroon and Gold for granted. He reflected on his football career as a Golden Gopher, expressing gratitude and respect for his teammates and coaching staff. Ward is the type of student-athlete that will finish his career at Minnesota as someone who has learned and grown from his experiences on and off the football field.
Ward is in his second season as the Maroon and Gold's starting free safety. However, he had the luxury of following in the footsteps of some of Minnesota's finest in All-Big Ten free safeties Tyrone Carter and Jack Brewer. Carter was an All-American in 1998 and 1999 and earned the Jim Thorpe Award in 1999 as the nation's finest defensive back. He recorded 528 career total tackles, becoming the NCAA's all-time leader in total tackles for a defensive back. Brewer earned All-Big Ten honors in 2001 after leading the team in tackles. Both players have gone on to play in the NFL, Carter with the New York Jets and Brewer with the Minnesota Vikings. More importantly, Ward had the chance to see these key players help Minnesota gain national respect and become one of the finest programs in the Big Ten.
"Tyrone Carter helped give an identity to Minnesota," defensive coordinator Greg Hudson stated. "Eli has done a good job of continuing to lead the defense in the right direction."
Ward takes little credit when it comes to talking about his leadership qualities. He attributes his success as a leader to the lessons that he learned from Carter and Brewer.
"Tyrone and Jack were great student-athletes who showed a lot of class in the way that they presented themselves," Ward said. "They showed good leadership and were good role models. Tyrone took the time out of his busy schedule to show me the right way to do things and really carried over after he left. To be the best you have to learn from the best."
The level of play, both on and off the field, that Carter and Brewer set has been uplifted and held to an even higher standard. Ward has taken the dedication, hard work, determination and leadership that he learned from his elders to a higher level and he works to instill that in the younger players on the team. He has become the unquestioned leader of the secondary after leading the team in tackles last season with 116. Ward is a leader who backs up his words by example, both on and off the field. The Minnesota coaching staff has seen the growth and maturity that he has accomplished during his career at Minnesota.
"Eli Ward is our force on the defense," Hudson commented. "He's a guy who makes key plays for us, just like the interception that he had last week against Northwestern. At a pivotal time during a game, a senior made a key play. He's a good tackler and a big hitter who leads by example. That's leadership; that's Eli Ward."
Last week's comeback victory against Northwestern was a true test in leadership, maturity and confidence for Minnesota.
"In past years we probably would not have been able to come back from such a deficit, but this team is different," Ward said. "We believe in ourselves and the coaches believe in us. Bad things are going to happen in a game, but the way a team overcomes adversity shows a lot in respect to their leadership and maturity."
His leadership on defense has been a key ingredient in the success for the Golden Gopher football team during the 2003 season. The fans and media don't necessarily recognize the senior's irreplaceable role on the field, but the coaching staff certainly does.
"Eli understands the defense and he has a good football mind," Hudson stated. "He has courage and no fear when he is on the football field."
Ward may have courage and no fear on the field, but the pressure of being a captain both on and off the field can sometimes be overwhelming.
"The pressure of being a leader sometimes gets to me because you have to focus on individual growth as well as team growth," Ward said. "Being a captain, you have to make sure that the younger guys are doing what they are supposed to be doing. You have to be a good role model for them and I think that I am handling all that being a leader means in a good way."
Ward hopes to show more of what being a leader means, academically and athletically, by adding to his accomplishments of two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, All-Big Ten selection, and the Carl Earl Award winner as the team's outstanding defensive player. But these external awards and recognitions do not even compare to the internal satisfaction that Ward has experienced during his career at Minnesota.
"My years at Minnesota have been tough, but enjoyable," Ward commented. "The toughest part has been managing time between academics and athletics. Overall it has been an enjoyable experience."
The experience is far from over and his teammates and coaches know how important Ward is to Minnesota's defense and continued success throughout the 2003 season. Minnesota has established a 6-0 record and has reached its highest national ranking since 1999. They understand that his main focus is on the team's success, not individual satisfactions. Minnesota will face a tougher test this week as they face Michigan and down the road in its Big Ten schedule.
"Michigan is a good team that we have not beaten since I have been here," Ward stated. "This game is just another stepping stone in our quest to win a Big Ten title. We believe that we can beat any team in the conference. In the past I do not think that we had that type of confidence."
With half a season still left to play, Ward has every chance to test his limits and show more of the confidence, maturity and leadership that his years at Minnesota have given to him. With Saturday's win at Northwestern, Minnesota became bowl eligible for the fourth time in five years, giving Ward and the rest of the Minnesota football team a chance to prove itself as one of the nation's top programs.
Written by Media Relations Assistant Lisa Hardy. She welcomes comments at gophers@umn.edu.
Eli Ward is a captain and member of Minnesota's dominating and constantly improving defense. With the guidance of two of the greatest defensive backs in school history and a desire to improve, Ward has become one of the nation's finest safeties.
He had a break-through season in 2002 after suffering a season-ending knee injury against Michigan during his sophomore season. Ward battled back and knew not to take his opportunity to play for the Maroon and Gold for granted. He reflected on his football career as a Golden Gopher, expressing gratitude and respect for his teammates and coaching staff. Ward is the type of student-athlete that will finish his career at Minnesota as someone who has learned and grown from his experiences on and off the football field.
Ward is in his second season as the Maroon and Gold's starting free safety. However, he had the luxury of following in the footsteps of some of Minnesota's finest in All-Big Ten free safeties Tyrone Carter and Jack Brewer. Carter was an All-American in 1998 and 1999 and earned the Jim Thorpe Award in 1999 as the nation's finest defensive back. He recorded 528 career total tackles, becoming the NCAA's all-time leader in total tackles for a defensive back. Brewer earned All-Big Ten honors in 2001 after leading the team in tackles. Both players have gone on to play in the NFL, Carter with the New York Jets and Brewer with the Minnesota Vikings. More importantly, Ward had the chance to see these key players help Minnesota gain national respect and become one of the finest programs in the Big Ten.
"Tyrone Carter helped give an identity to Minnesota," defensive coordinator Greg Hudson stated. "Eli has done a good job of continuing to lead the defense in the right direction."
Ward takes little credit when it comes to talking about his leadership qualities. He attributes his success as a leader to the lessons that he learned from Carter and Brewer.
"Tyrone and Jack were great student-athletes who showed a lot of class in the way that they presented themselves," Ward said. "They showed good leadership and were good role models. Tyrone took the time out of his busy schedule to show me the right way to do things and really carried over after he left. To be the best you have to learn from the best."
The level of play, both on and off the field, that Carter and Brewer set has been uplifted and held to an even higher standard. Ward has taken the dedication, hard work, determination and leadership that he learned from his elders to a higher level and he works to instill that in the younger players on the team. He has become the unquestioned leader of the secondary after leading the team in tackles last season with 116. Ward is a leader who backs up his words by example, both on and off the field. The Minnesota coaching staff has seen the growth and maturity that he has accomplished during his career at Minnesota.
"Eli Ward is our force on the defense," Hudson commented. "He's a guy who makes key plays for us, just like the interception that he had last week against Northwestern. At a pivotal time during a game, a senior made a key play. He's a good tackler and a big hitter who leads by example. That's leadership; that's Eli Ward."
Last week's comeback victory against Northwestern was a true test in leadership, maturity and confidence for Minnesota.
"In past years we probably would not have been able to come back from such a deficit, but this team is different," Ward said. "We believe in ourselves and the coaches believe in us. Bad things are going to happen in a game, but the way a team overcomes adversity shows a lot in respect to their leadership and maturity."
His leadership on defense has been a key ingredient in the success for the Golden Gopher football team during the 2003 season. The fans and media don't necessarily recognize the senior's irreplaceable role on the field, but the coaching staff certainly does.
"Eli understands the defense and he has a good football mind," Hudson stated. "He has courage and no fear when he is on the football field."
Ward may have courage and no fear on the field, but the pressure of being a captain both on and off the field can sometimes be overwhelming.
"The pressure of being a leader sometimes gets to me because you have to focus on individual growth as well as team growth," Ward said. "Being a captain, you have to make sure that the younger guys are doing what they are supposed to be doing. You have to be a good role model for them and I think that I am handling all that being a leader means in a good way."
Ward hopes to show more of what being a leader means, academically and athletically, by adding to his accomplishments of two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, All-Big Ten selection, and the Carl Earl Award winner as the team's outstanding defensive player. But these external awards and recognitions do not even compare to the internal satisfaction that Ward has experienced during his career at Minnesota.
"My years at Minnesota have been tough, but enjoyable," Ward commented. "The toughest part has been managing time between academics and athletics. Overall it has been an enjoyable experience."
The experience is far from over and his teammates and coaches know how important Ward is to Minnesota's defense and continued success throughout the 2003 season. Minnesota has established a 6-0 record and has reached its highest national ranking since 1999. They understand that his main focus is on the team's success, not individual satisfactions. Minnesota will face a tougher test this week as they face Michigan and down the road in its Big Ten schedule.
"Michigan is a good team that we have not beaten since I have been here," Ward stated. "This game is just another stepping stone in our quest to win a Big Ten title. We believe that we can beat any team in the conference. In the past I do not think that we had that type of confidence."
With half a season still left to play, Ward has every chance to test his limits and show more of the confidence, maturity and leadership that his years at Minnesota have given to him. With Saturday's win at Northwestern, Minnesota became bowl eligible for the fourth time in five years, giving Ward and the rest of the Minnesota football team a chance to prove itself as one of the nation's top programs.
Written by Media Relations Assistant Lisa Hardy. She welcomes comments at gophers@umn.edu.
