Charlie Ward

Charlie Ward Jr. (born October 12, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Ward was an exceptional college football player as well, winning the Heisman Trophy, Davey O'Brien Award, and College Football National Championship as a quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles.

He made the game-winning shot in its Metro Conference Tournament Championship game win over Louisville in 1991.

Ward still holds FSU basketball records for career steals at 236 and steals in one game at 9, and ranks sixth all-time in assists at 396.

He played a shortened season his senior year, joining the basketball team just 15 days after winning the Heisman Trophy.

He started 16 games at the point guard position that year, and averaged a college career high of 10.5 points and 4.9 assists for the season.

Ward's 1992 team made the Sweet Sixteen.

Ward won the 1993 Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and the Davey O'Brien Award as a quarterback for the Florida State University.

He subsequently led the Seminoles to their first-ever national championship when FSU defeated Nebraska 27–14 in the 1993 Orange Bowl.

The Seminoles had suffered their only defeat of the season to a second-ranked Notre Dame team, but their path to the national championship was cleared a week later when the Irish were upset at home by Boston College.

In 1993, Charlie Ward won the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.

Ward also played basketball for four years at The Florida State University (FSU).

Former teammates included future NBA players Bob Sura, Doug Edwards, and Sam Cassell.

His 1993 team made it to the Southeast Regional Final where they lost to Kentucky 106–81 with the winner advancing to the Final Four.

Upon graduation, Ward stated he was undecided about professional basketball or football and made it clear that he would not consider playing in the NFL unless selected in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft.

Ward proclaimed that he "deserved to" be a first-rounder.

Ward's mother reported that the family was told he "was probably a third- to fifth-round pick."

Due to his smaller stature and uncertainty about whether he would play in the NBA, Ward was not selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Having been chosen in the 1st round (26th overall) of the 1994 NBA draft by the New York Knicks, he began his career in the NBA as a point guard.

An inquiry was made during Ward's rookie year with the Knicks for him to become the backup quarterback for Joe Montana of the Kansas City Chiefs, but Ward declined.

Ward is the only Heisman Trophy winner to play in the NBA, and one of only three Heisman winners to play professionally in another Big 4 league (Bo Jackson and Vic Janowicz both played in MLB).

Ward played sparingly in his rookie year under head coach Pat Riley, but the Knicks organization referred to him as "the point guard of the future."

When assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy took over the head coaching position, Ward's time on the floor began to increase, becoming the primary backup for point guard Derek Harper.

He became a fan favorite in New York for his hard work ethic and unselfish play.

During his NBA career, Ward established himself as a good three-point shooter, a reliable ball distributor, and a respected floor leader.

In Game 5 of the 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat, with the Knicks holding a 3–1 series lead, Ward tried to box out P. J. Brown.

When he tried to get inside after the free throw shot, Brown became frustrated, then retaliated by lifting Ward up and flipping him over and down to the floor.

Ward was selected to participate in the 1998 NBA All-Star three-point competition, finishing fourth in the event.

Ward played in the NBA with the New York Knicks for nine years and started in the 1999 NBA Finals.

He soon helped the Knicks reach the 1999 NBA Finals before falling to the San Antonio Spurs.

Ward was traded to the Phoenix Suns in February 2004 as part of the blockbuster trade that brought Stephon Marbury to the Knicks and was promptly cut by the Suns for salary purposes.

Ward spent the remainder of the season with the Spurs and signed a contract with the Houston Rockets the following summer.

After maintaining relatively good health over his first decade in the league, injuries caused Ward to miss most of the 2004–05 season.

Because of his injuries Ward retired.

During his time with the Knicks, Ward was often called the "best quarterback in New York" due to the struggles that the New York Jets and New York Giants had at the position.

Ward was the last Knicks draft pick to sign a multiyear contract with the team after the expiration of their rookie deal for 23 years.

He later had short spells with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets, before retiring in 2005.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Ward holds the fourth-largest margin of victory in the history of Heisman trophy balloting, with a 1,622-point difference, fourth only to Joe Burrow's 1,846 point win in 2019, O. J. Simpson's 1,750-point win in 1968 and Troy Smith's 1,662-point win in 2006.

He was also the only Heisman winner to play in the NBA.