Jayson (Jay) Ward '20 Recruiting Profile

In high school, I plan to maintain a 4.0 grade point average while taking advanced placement classes. My goal in college is to become a better student athlete while completing my undergraduate degree in physical engineering.  I also plan to maintain good grades and meet new people while competing in football. I work hard in everything I do so I can be the best I can be. In 2012, I had a baby sister that passed away.  Losing her made me realize that I need to live life while doing my best at everything possible, because you never know when something might happen. In 2013, we moved from Mississippi to California. Unfortunately, we moved after the close of football sign ups. Since I wasn't able to play for a year, it made me realize how much I loved football and couldn't wait to return to playing it.

I have always enjoyed watching football because my parents took me to high school games as a kid, and I watched it on television with my dad on the weekends. When my mom finally let me play football at age nine, I was very excited. I had begged her for a long while.  She didn't want me to play because I might get hurt. I have only been playing tackle football for 3 years. In the beginning of my football career, I played center and left tackle because of weight restrictions the first year and all skill positions being filled the second year. I made all-stars in both years.  The following year I asked my coach to try out for wide receiver and defensive back. I worked really hard and became an all-star wide receiver and cornerback.  Along with these accompishments, I maintained a 4.0 grade point average. Throughout these years, I have proven that I am a lot tougher and a more self-motivated than I ever imagined.