NHS senior to play in annual bowl

Luke Ward has always known that he wanted to play in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Northview senior will get his chance on Saturday in the 2017 edition of the contest, which pits top talent from around the country against each other.

Ward will be playing at wide receiver on the Grey team.

“It’s a huge honor to even be blessed to have that opportunity,” Ward said about playing in the game. “It’s just a blessing first of all. I’ve worked hard for it. It’s not like it’s been handed to me. I’ve worked year round for it.”

The game itself is always played in an NFL stadium, and NFL veterans in each position coach each team. Ward’s wide receivers’ coach is Larry Ryans, who is a veteran with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN3, and some 60 percent of the athletes playing have committed to colleges and universities. The other 40 percent are vying for spots, Gus Bell, CEO for the Blue-Grey Game said.

“There’s such great competition,” Bell said.

Bell said a selection committee that’s comprised of approximately 42 NFL veterans and others chose the rosters.

Bell said each quarter will last 16 minutes, which will allow each player a lot of repetitions.

“We want to get as much exposure for them as possible,” he said.

Getting to this point for Ward wasn’t an easy road.

The senior said he has worked quite hard for his success.

“It’s just working every day and waking up, whether it’s in the morning, that night, and not taking any days off,” Ward said. “I’m always doing something to help make me better as a football player or in general. It’s just basically hard work year round, and not taking any time off.”

During his senior season, Ward played at quarterback for the Chiefs because he was needed at the position.

Ward said he’s more comfortable playing at wide receiver.

Since he was little, Ward said he’s looked forward to playing in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl.

“I know that it’s not that Under Armour or U.S. Army All-American Bowl,” he said. “Watching them play in the game, it’s always been something in my mind that I wanted to do.

“It’s even sweeter now that I can say that I will play in it,” he said.

Ward added that he wouldn’t have been here if it weren’t for NHS head football coach Derek Marshman, his dad, Carl, the rest of his family and the Chiefs fans.

Kick off on Saturday in Jacksonville is at 1 p.m.