BOB WARD

National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame (1980)

Bob Ward weighed all of 165 pounds throughout his four-year playing career at Maryland and, even in the early 1950s, that was no size for a lineman. Especially a lineman who was a first team All-America middle guard on defense as a junior in 1950 and a first team offensive guard as a senior in 1951.

The forte of the Maryland teams of the early 1950s was consistency—a winning consistency. During Ward’s four years, the team was a combined 32-7-1, winning two bowl games (1949 Gator over Missouri, 1951 Sugar over Tennessee to complete a perfect 10-0 season).

The awards and honors Ward earned as a Maryland player belie physical stature, but speak volumes about the man. He was the MVP of the 1949 Gator Bowl, Maryland’s first bowl victory. He was the only player ever to earn All-America honors as both an offensive and defensive position player. He earned Southern Conference Player of the Year honors as a senior and was chosen Lineman of the Year by the Washington Touchdown Club and the Philadelphia Sports writers Association in 1951.

Bob Ward was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in 1980.