Question about Redskin LaShaun Ward.

[Guest santana4prez]

LaShaun Ward was listed as a WR and his jersey number was 15. Now Ward is listed as a DB and his jersey number is 23. I would like to know if any Redskin fans have news on this. I know he wont probably make the team but is the switch because of the log jam at WR or because Gregg Williams sees something in him that he could make the team at DB. Is LaShaun Ward a guy who is unheard of now but could shock us and make the team? We all know DB is thin right know beyond the starters.

[Monkskin81]

http://mb15.scout.com/fcalinsiderfrm32.showMessage?topicID=2.topic&index=63

found this. It's just a post from some guy. I don't know how credible it is, however I found it interesting and was deemed appropriate by myself for this.

No player embodied the oddness of Cal football from 1999-2002 any more than Lashaun Ward. As a freshman, he wore #8, which was worn the previous four years by Deltha O'Neal. Like O'Neal, Ward played a little offense, a little defense, and finally finished up as wide receiver. In addition to playing wide receiver and defensive back, he also saw a play or two at quarterback, and also saw time on kick return duty.

During his freshman year, he had one remarkably wrong way punt return where he must have lost nearly 20 yards. He was trying to make a play and it didn't work out. After the game, he sat on one of those patches of concrete next to the stairs that lead to the locker room, with his helmet off, staring into space, frustrated. And as much as you think of players as people who should perform as trained machines, watching Ward sit there, one was reminded that a good number of these players are not too far from being out of high school - eager to do well, not sure how to get there, acutely aware that on a football field you can't hide from your mistakes.

I don't know if it was his idea to keep changing positions or if it was the coaching staff's idea. During those years, the defensive backs were short and not especially good, so it's understandable that the coaching staff would have leapt at the chance to turn someone tall and fast into a defensive back.

As a defensive back, he wasn't especially good - but neither was the team. Sometime around the middle of his junior year, I believe, he had a major, major injury which caused him to miss a significant amount of the season.

During his senior year, he was moved back to wide receiver. He provided the team with a deep threat, and while he dropped a few passes, he also caught a few touchdown passes where he had the chance to show off his speed and open-field running skills.

Between the losing, the position changes, the turnover in coaching staff, and the big injury; there were any number of opportunities where he could have quit the team, transferred, been content to get playing time at the end of blowouts, or decided to move on from football. But he stayed after it, worked hard and after going through three difficult seasons, was able to play a strong role in a turnaround year where the team was able to enjoy success and he was able to shake off some of the craziness of the past three years.

I've really enjoyed watching Ray Murry's midrange jumper, the 1975 Cal football team, the energy and buzz around Cal basketball after Lou Campanelli took over, and of course Russell, Jason, and Deltha. But for reasons I can't explain, I never rooted harder for a Cal player to do well than I did for Lashaun Ward.

[Guest santana4prez]

monkskin81 , Thanks for the post. That was a great read about a player who I really didnt know much about. Makes me want to rout for the guy in the preseason. HTTR and ur post.:helmet: