Ward prepares for second season with the Vikings

Published 2:10 pm Monday, July 15, 2024

MOULTRIE – During a passing drill in the recent padded camp on the practice field at Colquitt County High School, Packers’ rising junior defensive back Alfonso McNeil picked off a pass in the end zone.

The play drew more attention than might have been expected from three former Packers standing under the goal posts just feet away from where McNeil made his pick.

The three – Todd Myrick, an offensive lineman on the Packers 1994 state championship team; Dextra Polite, the Packers current cornerback coach (and also a member of the 1994 team); and current Minnesota Vikings defensive back Jay Ward – laughed and looked at each other as McNeil made his way up field.

What piqued their interest was that McNeil was wearing jersey No. 4, the same number that Ward wore during his outstanding Colquitt County career in which he came down with 11 pass interceptions.

Polite, who went on to play at Clemson before returning to Colquitt County to begin his long career as a Colquitt County assistant, also intercepted 11 passes during his Packers career.

All three enjoyed seeing an interception from another No. 4, even if it did come during a practice session.

After his outstanding career at Colquitt County, Ward started in the secondary at LSU and last year was selected in fourth round of the NFL draft by the Vikings.

He earned a spot on the team’s roster and played in all 17 games, becoming just the seventh former Packer to play in the NFL, joining Virgil Seay, Nate Lewis, Antonio Edwards, Cameron Erving, Jamiyus Pittman and T.J. Smith.

Daijun Edwards, Ward’s former Colquitt County teammate, played at Georgia and has signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He will report to his first NFL preseason camp later this month.

Ward was in town to spend some time with his family – and enjoy his 24th birthday on July 13 – before reporting for the Vikings training camp at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota.

He called his first season, in which he played safety and nickel back and on special teams, “a learning year.”

Ward said he was fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from two veteran members of the Vikings secondary: Harrison Smith, from Notre Dame, who has played 12 seasons with Minnesota, and Camryn Bynum, who is preparing for his fourth NFL season after playing collegiately at California.

Ward was credited with five solo and three assisted tackles last season as the Vikings went 7-10.

“I love the coaches and love the defense,” he said, adding, “I wish I had played a little more.”

Going into his second season, the 6-foot-1, 188-pounder said one of his primary concerns is keeping his weight up.

And, he said, “I think we have a great chance to make a run.”

Ward had the physical and mental attributes to be an outstanding player at Colquitt County and thrived under Polite’s coaching.

“He was hard on me,” Ward said. “He never gave me any days off. There is no better coach than him.”

His career at Colquitt County was bittersweet.

The Packers reached state championship games in both his junior and senior seasons, but came up short each time, losing 19-17 to North Gwinnett in 2017 on an untimed down field goal and 14-13 to Milton the next year.

But Ward did get a ring the following year as a freshman at LSU when the Tigers defeated Clemson 42-25 in the National Championship game.

He went on to play in 46 games, starting 23 at LSU and finished with 164 tackles, including 3.5 for losses, and six interceptions.

He also blocked a fourth-quarter field goal attempt that helped preserve a 2020 win over Arkansas and blocked another against Auburn the next season.

Also in 2021, he was SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Tigers win over Mississippi State.

Even during his time at LSU, Ward would find time on Sundays for telephone conversations with his high school position coach, analyzing how he performed the previous day.

His childhood dream of playing in the NFL was realized when the Vikings made him 134th player selected last year.

Asked if he has a preference of where in the secondary he would like to play, he is quick to point out, “I am most comfortable playing wherever they need me.”

Ward is the middle of three secondary-playing Colquitt County brothers, all of whom flourished under Polite’s tutelage.

Johnny, the oldest, went on to play at South Florida.

Jaheim, the youngest played the last three seasons at Austin Peay, but has transferred to Eastern Kentucky this year for his red-shirt junior season.

Two former Packers – Seay and Erving – played on Super Bowl winning teams during their careers: Seay in 1983 with the Washington Redskins and Erving in 2020 with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ward would like nothing better than to join that exclusive fraternity.

“I gotta get me a (Super Bowl) ring,” he said.