2015 Football Roster
Roster
DeAndre Ward
- Position:
- LB
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 217
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Wetumpka, AL
- High School/Previous School:
- Wetumpka HS
2016 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
2015 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
CAREER: Hard-working, smart linebacker who went from being a walk-on to earning a full ride due to his work ethic … Played in 41 career games with three starts … Featured on ESPN College GameDay after being awarded with a full scholarship at the end of training camp in fall 2014 … Collected 79 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one interception for a touchdown … Cracked the starting lineup as a senior … An honor student in the classroom who graduated in December 2016.
2016 SENIOR SEASON: Played in all 13 games with three starts at linebacker … Finished sixth on the team in tackles with 56, including 31 solo … Added four tackles for loss, one sack and one interception … Notched seven tackles and one tackle for loss in big win over South Carolina (9/10) … Made his first career start at UMass (9/24) and finished with seven tackles and 0.5 sacks … Posted a career-best eight tackles at Kentucky (10/22) … Tallied a career-best 1.5 tackles for loss to go along with seven tackles on the road at No. 1 Alabama (11/12) … Grabbed his first career interception against Samford (10/29) and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter that put the game out of reach … Concluded his career with three tackles in the St. Pete Bowl vs. Miami (12/26).
2015 JUNIOR SEASON: Appeared in all 13 games as a mainstay on defense and special teams kickoff coverage unit … Amassed 17 tackles (five solo), one tackle for loss and 0.5 sacks … Posted four multiple-tackle performances and a tackle in nine games … Shared a sack with Johnathan Calvin for a 7-yard loss towards the end of the third quarter against Northwestern State (9/19) … Made a career-high five tackles against Kentucky (10/24) … Recorded one quarterback hurry, the first of his career in the final minutes of the Belk Bowl vs. NC State (12/30) … Also made three tackles in the season finale.
2014 SOPHOMORE SEASON: Saw action in all 13 games as a key contributor to the special teams’ unit as well as a reserve linebacker ... Made six tackles ... Collected a career-high three tackles in the season opener against Southern Miss (8/30) ... Made one solo tackle each on special teams against No. 6 Texas A&M (10/4), Arkansas (11/1) and UT Martin (11/8).
2013 TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON: Experienced action in two games, against Alabama (11/16) and Rice in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl (12/31) ... Did not record any statistics during the campaign.
HIGH SCHOOL: Helped the Indians to a 10-2 overall mark and 6-1 district record as a junior ... Squad advanced to the quarterfinals of the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 6A state playoffs before falling to Daphne in 37-0 ... Played for head coach Chad Anderson ... Received the team’s Team Captain Award, Scholar Athlete Award and Most Valuable Defensive Player Award ... Selected First-Team All-Metro and first-team all-county ... Also Ran track for the Indians, participating in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dash as well as the long jump ... Named the Joe Sewell Memorial Award winner for Leadership Boys in 2012 ... The honor is given outstanding high school senior athletes who have consistently represented the highest ideals of Christian leadership and emulate the character of former Major League Baseball player Joe Sewell.
PERSONAL: Born DeAndre Laroy Ward on Dec. 10, 1993, in Montgomery, Ala. … Son of Walter and Carla Hull ... Has one sister, Jessica … A member of Loving Peace Missionary Baptist Church, serves as an usher and was a member of the youth choir … Earned his undergraduate degree in industrial technology in December 2016.
WARD’S CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 8, at Kentucky (10-22-16)
Tackles for loss: 1.5, at Alabama (11-12-16)
Sacks: 0.5, several times
Interceptions: 1, vs. Samford (10-29-16)
