LaShaun Ward
Encyclopedia
LaShaun Brandon Ward is a professional American and Canadian football
wide receiver
who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs
as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football
for the California Golden Bears
.
Ward has also been a member of the Berlin Thunder
, Oakland Raiders
, Washington Redskins
, Buffalo Bills
, Dallas Cowboys
, Los Angeles Avengers
and Hamilton Tiger-Cats
.
to Jayce and Esmeralda Ward. He attended John Muir High School
where he played quarterback
. At Muir he was credited with 5,000 total yards as a Junior and Senior. As a senior he threw for 1,675 yards and ran for 400 more and scored 24 touchdowns. He was a PrepStar Western Region team member, was the third ranked "athlete" (able to play multiple positions) in the country. Ward was a All-Pacific League and West San Gabriel Valley as a junior and senior.
and wide receiver
. On defence he mainly played during nickel and dime packages and lined up with Deltha O'Neal
to field kickoffs. He recorded six kickoff returns for 78 yards which included a career long 32 yard return against Nebraska
. Ward made a key block on a O'Neal interception return for a touchdown against Rutgers
. His first collegiate interception came against Oregon
with less than four minutes left in the game. As a wide receiver
he caught a 43 yarder against Washington State
and a 55 yarder against Brigham Young.
it was discovered that he had internal bleeding
which caused him to miss the rest of the season. However he still had 17 tackles, four pass deflections and one interception. His best game of the year came against UCLA when he had three unassisted tackles and a couple of pass deflections.
after starting at defensive back. In the Arizona
game he got 135 yards on four catches and two touchdowns. He got five catches for 86 yards against Stanford
and three catches for 78 against Rutgers
. He got 69 yards on four rushes which ranked him third in rushing for Cal that season behind Terrell Williams and Joe Igber.
after going undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft
.
After appearing in one game for the Chiefs in 2003 and spending most of the season on the practice squad he was allocated to the Berlin Thunder
on February 10, 2004.
training camp
in 2005 but was released on August 22.
on January 11, 2006. He was released on May 9, 2006.
and was released on June 28.
and attended training camp but was released on August 28, 2006.
shortly after being released by the Cowboys. In his first season with the Avengers in 2007 he got 41 receptions for 561 yards, along with nine touchdowns on offence. He got 31 tackles and one interception on defence.
on April 9, 2009. He was released on June 19, 2009.
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the California Golden Bears
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 29 varsity athletic programs and various club teams of the University of California, Berkeley...
.
Ward has also been a member of the Berlin Thunder
Berlin Thunder
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe, which was a springtime American football league serving primarily as a developmental league for the National Football League. Most of the players were young American professional players assigned by NFL teams to receive...
, Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
and Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
.
Early years
Ward was born on September 22, 1980 in Pasadena, CaliforniaPasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
to Jayce and Esmeralda Ward. He attended John Muir High School
John Muir High School (Pasadena, California)
John Muir High School is a four-year comprehensive secondary school in Pasadena, California, United States and is a part of the Pasadena Unified School District. The school is named after preservationist John Muir.-History:...
where he played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. At Muir he was credited with 5,000 total yards as a Junior and Senior. As a senior he threw for 1,675 yards and ran for 400 more and scored 24 touchdowns. He was a PrepStar Western Region team member, was the third ranked "athlete" (able to play multiple positions) in the country. Ward was a All-Pacific League and West San Gabriel Valley as a junior and senior.
1999
During his freshman year Ward played mainly at cornerbackCornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. On defence he mainly played during nickel and dime packages and lined up with Deltha O'Neal
Deltha O'Neal
Deltha Lee O'Neal, III is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round as the 15th pick overall in the 2000 NFL Draft, after playing college football at California.A two-time Pro Bowl selection, O'Neal has also been a member...
to field kickoffs. He recorded six kickoff returns for 78 yards which included a career long 32 yard return against Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
. Ward made a key block on a O'Neal interception return for a touchdown against Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
. His first collegiate interception came against Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
with less than four minutes left in the game. As a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
he caught a 43 yarder against Washington State
Washington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
and a 55 yarder against Brigham Young.
2000
He mainly played on defence for the Golden Bears playing mostly in passing situations. Against UCLAUCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
it was discovered that he had internal bleeding
Internal bleeding
Internal bleeding is bleeding occurring inside the body. It can be a serious medical emergency depending on where it occurs , and can potentially cause death and cardiac arrest if proper medical treatment is not received quickly....
which caused him to miss the rest of the season. However he still had 17 tackles, four pass deflections and one interception. His best game of the year came against UCLA when he had three unassisted tackles and a couple of pass deflections.
2001
In 2001, he mostly played at wide receiverWide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
after starting at defensive back. In the Arizona
Arizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
game he got 135 yards on four catches and two touchdowns. He got five catches for 86 yards against Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
and three catches for 78 against Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
. He got 69 yards on four rushes which ranked him third in rushing for Cal that season behind Terrell Williams and Joe Igber.
Kansas City Chiefs
Ward was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
after going undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
.
After appearing in one game for the Chiefs in 2003 and spending most of the season on the practice squad he was allocated to the Berlin Thunder
Berlin Thunder
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe, which was a springtime American football league serving primarily as a developmental league for the National Football League. Most of the players were young American professional players assigned by NFL teams to receive...
on February 10, 2004.
Oakland Raiders
He attended the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
training camp
Training camp
A training camp is a place, usually with an army-camp-type environment, where people go to learn skills, usually skills involving physical action rather than book subjects, usually for an armed force or an action sport...
in 2005 but was released on August 22.
Washington Redskins
Ward signed with the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on January 11, 2006. He was released on May 9, 2006.
Buffalo Bills
On June 1, 2006, Ward signed with the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and was released on June 28.
Dallas Cowboys
He was signed by the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and attended training camp but was released on August 28, 2006.
2007
Ward signed with the Los Angeles AvengersLos Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
shortly after being released by the Cowboys. In his first season with the Avengers in 2007 he got 41 receptions for 561 yards, along with nine touchdowns on offence. He got 31 tackles and one interception on defence.
2008
In 2008, Ward one again played on offence and defence for the Avengers. On offence he recorded 73 receptions for 1,214 receiving yards along with 26 touchdowns. While on defence he got 12 tackles and one fumble recovery.Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Ward was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-CatsHamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
on April 9, 2009. He was released on June 19, 2009.