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Former NFL wide receiver Dedric Ward begins his first season with the Cardinals as offensive quality control coach after being hired on 3/21/07. Ward began his coaching career in 2006 as the wide receivers coach for Missouri State after playing eight NFL seasons with the New York Jets (1997-2000), Miami Dolphins (2001-02), Baltimore Ravens/New England Patriots (2003), and Dallas Cowboys (2004).
A Cedar Rapids, IA native, Ward coached on the staff of his former college coach Terry Allen with the Missouri State Bears in 2006 after retiring from the NFL following the 2004 season.
A third-round (88th overall) selection of the Jets in the 1997 NFL Draft out of Northern Iowa, Ward played four seasons in New York and had his best season in 2000 when he collected 54 receptions for 801 yards (14.8 yard avg.) and three touchdowns. In 2001, Ward signed with the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent and played two seasons in Miami as a reserve wide receiver recording 40 receptions for 381 yards while also returning punts.
Ward signed with New England as a free agent in 2003, but was released at the end of training camp. He then signed with the Baltimore Ravens where he appeared in three games before being released and resigning with the Patriots where he earned a Super Bowl ring following New England’s 32-29 victory over Carolina in Super Bowl XXVIII. Ward finished his playing career in 2004 with the Dallas Cowboys where he appeared in eight games as a reserve wide receiver.
Over the course of Ward’s career, he played in 103 regular season games (26 starts) with 167 receptions for 2,307 yards and 12 touchdowns while also returning 123 punts for 1,026 yards (8.3 yard avg.) and six kickoffs for 90 yards. He also appeared in six playoff games with 12 receptions for 156 yards.
On the college level, Ward was a four-year letterman (1993-96) at Northern Iowa where he is the school’s all-time receiving leader with 4,539 yards and all-time leading scorer with 50 touchdowns and 300 points. He ranks second in all-purpose yards (5,987) and third in receptions (208) and was a first-team All-Gateway selection three times (1994-96). He established a school single-game standard for receiving yards (247 vs. Illinois St) and was a consensus I-AA All-America selection as a senior when he caught 70 passes for 1,556 yards and 17 touchdowns and also as a junior. He was also named the conference offensive player of the year each of his final two seasons.
Born September 29, 1974 in Cedar Rapids, IA, Ward attended Washington High School where he lettered in football and basketball and he graduated from Northern Iowa with a degree in psychology. While in college, Ward was also a member of the track team, placing third in the Gateway Conference in the 55-meter dash and also setting a school record in the 200-meter dash in 1997 as a senior. | 