Jimmie Ward, one of the best defensive players in Northern Illinois University history whose stellar National Football League career is in its second decade, will be inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024, 10 years after the completion of his Huskie playing days.
Ward joins his NIU teammate, fellow All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist Jordan Lynch as a first ballot selection to the 2024 NIU Athletics Hall of Fame Class. The Class, which is being announced individually this spring also includes Holly Reichard (Gymnastics, 2008-11), Kate McCullagh (Volleyball, 2003-06) and Pete Waite, Volleyball Head Coach (1988-98). The group will be honored during Homecoming Weekend (Oct. 18-19) at NIU.
Rodney Davis, Chair of the NIU Hall of Fame Committee, said Ward’s accomplishments during his time at NIU simply could not be overlooked.
“Jimmie Ward was an outstanding player, a leader and a consistent presence on some of the best teams in school history as a Huskie and those abilities have now been on display in the NFL for the last 10 years,” Davis said. “We are extremely pleased to welcome him to the Hall of Fame in 2024.”
The first defender ever to be named a first-team All-American at NIU, Ward was a two-time first team All Mid-American Conference selection and a semifinalist for the 2013 Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive back. He became the second Huskie player ever to be selected in the first round of the National Football League Draft when he was chosen with the 30th pick in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers in 2014. After playing nine seasons and 106 games for the 49ers, he signed with the Houston Texans in 2023 and was named a team captain, helping the Texans reach the NFL Playoffs.
Ward made 320 tackles, defended 37 passes and intercepted 11 during an outstanding Huskie career that spanned 55 games. As a senior, he earned first team All-America honors from USA Today and SI.com and was a third team Associated Press choice after leading NIU in tackles with 95. He ranked seventh in the country and led the Mid-American Conference with seven interceptions in 2013 and added 10 pass break-ups and 2.5 tackles for loss.
In 2013, his fourth-quarter interception in a tie game at Iowa with 1:24 to play set up the Huskies’ game-winning field goal, while his 61-yard interception return for a touchdown helped NIU to a 55-24 win at Purdue. He made a career-high 14 tackles in the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl versus Florida State as NIU became the first Mid-American Conference team to ever play in a Bowl Championship Series game. Ward was a member of the winningest senior class in school history that won a pair of MAC titles, played in four consecutive MAC Championship games and posted a 46-10 record from 2010-13.
Ward also holds the NIU career record for blocked punts, which he set as a freshman, with four. He made at least one tackle in every collegiate game he played.
With his NIU playing career complete, Ward made an impression during 2014 Reese’s Senior Bowl Week in his hometown of Mobile, Ala., and followed that with an impressive performance at the NIU Pro Day in March.
During his 10-year NFL career, Ward has played in 116 regular season games and made 501 tackles, the second highest total by a Huskie all-time, with eight interceptions, 11 tackles for loss, six fumble recoveries and 47 passes defended. He served as a team captain in his first season with the Texans in 2023, and in two seasons as a 49er. San Francisco advanced to the playoffs three times during Ward’s tenure, and Ward became just the fourth Huskie all-time to play in the Super Bowl in 2020.