Hawk-Item – – Moved from defensive back to outside linebacker during 2016 fall camp.
2017 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten for third year . . . Permanent Team Captain, defense . . . Hayden Fry Award, special teams . . . Reggie Roby Special Teams Award, overall . . . 2017 – – saw action on special teams in 24-3 win over Wyoming, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 233 yards total offense . . . saw action on special teams in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State, but had no statistics . . . saw action on special teams in 31-14 win over North Texas, but had no statistics . . . saw action on special teams in 21-19 loss to #4 Penn State, recording career-high two assisted tackles . . . saw action on special teams in 17-10 loss at Michigan State, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 45-16 win over Illinois, but had no statistics . . . started at outside linebacker for first career start in 17-10 OT loss at Northwestern . . . collected career-best four tackles at Northwestern, with three solo stops and one assist . . . saw action in 17-10 win over Minnesota, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 281 yards total offense . . . saw action in 55-24 win over #3 Ohio State, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 38-14 loss at #6 Wisconsin, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 24-15 loss to Purdue, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 56-14 win at Nebraska, but had no statistics as defense allowed 67 rushing yards and just 267 yards total offense . . . saw action in 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 21 net rushing yards and 102 yards total offense in the second half.
2016 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten for second year . . . Reggie Roby Special Teams Award, specialist . . . 2016 – – Saw action in all 13 games, recording eight solo tackles, two assists and one pass break-up . . . saw action in 45-21 win over Miami, recording one solo tackle and one assist . . . saw action in 42-3 win over Iowa State, recording one solo tackle and one assist as defense allowed just 291 yards total offense . . . saw action in 23-21 loss to North Dakota State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 14-7 win at Rutgers, but had no statistics as defense allowed just one touchdown . . . saw action in 38-31 loss to Northwestern, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 14-7 win at Minnesota, recording first career pass break-up as defense allowed just 102 net rushing yards and 268 yards total offense . . . saw action in 49-35 win at Purdue, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 47 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 17-9 loss to #10 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 41-14 loss at #12 Penn State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 14-13 win over #2 Michigan, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 201 yards total offense . . . saw action in 28-0 win at Illinois, recording two solo tackles as defense allowed just 61 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . saw action in 40-10 win over #15 Nebraska, recording two solo tackles as defense allowed just 90 net rushing yards and 217 yards total offense . . . saw action in 30-3 Outback Bowl loss to #17 Florida, recording one solo tackle.
2015 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten . . . 2015 – – Saw action in 31-14 win over Illinois State, but had no statistics as defense allowed 35 net rushing yards and 231 yards total offense . . . saw action on special teams in 31-17 win at Iowa State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 27-24 win over Pitt, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 55 net rushing yards and 282 yards total offense . . . saw action in 62-16 win over North Texas, recording career-best three solo tackles, including one tackle for loss . . . saw action on special teams in 10-6 win at Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action on special teams in 29-20 win over Illinois, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 46 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 40-10 win at Northwestern, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . saw action in 31-15 win over Maryland, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 35-27 win at Indiana, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 40-35 win over Minnesota, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 40-20 win over Purdue, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 28-20 win at Nebraska, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 16-13 loss to Michigan State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 45-16 Rose Bowl loss to Stanford, but had no statistics.
2014 – – Did not see action in first half of season due to injury . . . saw action in 48-7 win over Northwestern, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 180 yards total offense.
2013 – – Redshirted after joining program as a walk-on.
High school honors – – Earned first team all-conference and all-area honors as a senior . . . Career – – Helped prep team advance to state playoffs as a junior and senior . . . recorded 82 tackles as a senior . . . returned one of two interceptions for a touchdown and recovered two fumbles . . . also had eight punt returns for 112 yards . . . recorded 88 tackles as a junior, along with two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries . . . two-year football letterman who also lettered three years in track (400-meters).
Personal – – Born 12/12/94 . . . open major . . . member of National Honor Society and High Honor Roll as a prep . . . earned academic all-state honors . . . parents are Laurel and Brian Ward . . . his father, Brian, played college football at Illinois . . . one of two players from Homer Glen on the Iowa roster . . . attended same high school as TE Nate Vejvoda . . . high school coach was Mark Coglianese.