Heralded by his head coach Pat Fitzgerald as being one of the smartest three-year starters in Division I football, Northwestern’s Patrick Ward leaves little room for argument with his stellar 3.94 GPA in mechanical engineering. He is the third Wildcat player to be named an NFF National Scholar-Athlete and the first since 1998.
The two-time Academic All-American, who earned First Team laurels in 2011, has twice been honored as an Academic All-Big Ten selection. Ward has been named to the Engineering Dean’s List nine times and is a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. The recipient of the Patrick and Shirley Ryan Family Endowed Scholarship last season earned CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District honors in 2010 and 2011. He is set to graduate in only 3.25 years this December.
On pace to be a four-year letterman, Ward anchored the right side of the offensive line that protected the Big Ten’s most prolific passing attack (254.2 ypg) during his junior campaign. Under his leadership, the Wildcats’ rushing offense has improved in each of his seasons on the o-line. The Homer Glen, Ill., native has helped Northwestern to three consecutive bowl berths. Ward has helped the Cats average 394.5 yards per game this season.
Ward was a founding member of Northwestern’s chapter of Uplifting Athletes, which helps to raise money for rare diseases. He is an annual participant in the school’s “Lift for Life” event for Uplifting Athletes and is also active with Athletes in Action. Ward is currently a structural engineer for Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial airplanes and defense, space and security systems. He is also pursuing his master's in aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering.
