Support of teammates helps Andrew Ward through 'rough time' caused by career-ending injury
Central Michigan linebacker Andrew Ward cheers from the sidelines before the MAC Championship game against Miami (OH) Dec. 7 at Ford Field in Detroit, MI.
Sophomore linebacker Andrew Ward jogged to the sideline at Doyt L. Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio. In almost every aspect, it was the same as any other play.
Almost every aspect.
Ward felt pain in his neck. He was able to make it to the sideline under his own power but was soon evaluated by trainers. The Muskegon native was unable to return to the contest.
He later found out he broke his neck, and the 38-20 triumph over the Falcons on Oct. 19 was the final game that he will play in his college career.
In his first time speaking with the media since his injury, Ward sat forward in his chair, wearing a maroon jumpsuit that matched the rest of his teammates.
Ward answered each question directed at him confidently, praising the support and accomplishments of his teammates.
For him, the injury was a self-described "hard pill to swallow."
"Well, after the injury, it was a rough time," Ward said. "It took a couple weeks to get back around the team."
He wasn't ready to be done.
Football, a game which he had the opportunity to play at the highest level, had been taken away from him much earlier than he expected.
While the opportunity to play the game is gone, he never lost the support of his teammates.
"A lot of messages were sent to me by coach Mac and the rest of the staff, and a lot of my teammates," Ward said. "Once I was back around, I realized that it helped me actually, through my process, just swallowing that pill of knowing that my football run was kind of over."
At the crest of Ward's wave of support were receivers JaCorey Sullivan and Kalil Pimpleton, both of whom share Muskegon roots with Ward.
"I'm from Grand Rapids, Michigan," Ward said. "When I moved to Muskegon in first grade, they were my first friends. So ever since then, we've been rocking."
Both Pimpleton and Sullivan each wore the number 43 in honor of Ward, with Sullivan wearing it in CMU's 43-20 loss to Buffalo and Pimpleton donning it in the Chippewas' 48-10 drubbing of Northern Illinois.
Each receiver, both named to the all-MAC first team, scored while wearing Ward's number 43.
The three players returned to Ford Field for the MHSAA Division 3 state championship game, standing on the sidelines in support of their hometown Big Reds, who were taking on River Rouge. They each wore white t-shirts that read "Brotherhood" with the Muskegon M logo on the front, with "Ward 43" on the back.
Wearing his maroon jersey, Ward took the field with his teammates in Saturday's MAC championship contest. He was a fixture in team huddles and could be frequently seen clapping voraciously. When the clock hit zero and defeat was official, Ward consoled his teammates.
In Ward's eyes, the unwavering support dug him out of the personal rut he was in following the diagnosis. The struggle was cured simply through time spent with his teammates. While he feared being stuck on the outside due to his injury, he has since become fortunate enough to see his teammates perform through a different lens.
"It's been amazing man, just seeing them grow, just seeing us grow as a team because I still consider myself part of the team even after the injuries at Bowling Green," Ward said. "Yeah, just seeing them grow on and off the field, just seeing everybody mature a lot more and it's just been amazing being a part of it."
While football is over for Ward, he plans to remain enrolled at the university and graduate with a degree in criminal justice. He hopes to either return to Muskegon and become a juvenile probation officer or take a step into coaching as a graduate assistant. A player development role on a coaching staff has also crossed his mind.
He wants to look out for and help others.
Just like his teammates did for him.
