Alize Ward

Storm_Ruiz_Tamrick_Pace_Alize_Ward_Preseason_All-Southland2019

Photo by: SFA Athletics

Photo by: SFA Athletics

Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography

Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography

Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography

Class:
Redshirt Freshman
Ht./Wt.:
5-10 / 203
Position:
S
Hometown:
San Diego, Calif.
High School:
DeSoto

- 2019 Preseason All-Southland Conference Second Team Defense
- 2018 All-Southland Conference Second Team
- 2017 All-Southland Conference Second Team

2018 (Junior): Started all but one game at safety, finishing second on the team in total tackles (58) and leading the Lumberjacks in solo stops (36) en route to All-Southland Conference Second Team defensive honors ... Claimed 2.5 tackles for loss to go along with an interception, forced fumble and pair of pass breakups ... Ranked 20th among all Southland defenders with 6.4 tackles per game … Was also second among all SFA kickoff returners with 254 yards on 11 returns ... Although not meeting NCAA minimums, would have tied for 42nd nationally in yards per kickoff return (23.1) and ranked third in the Southland ... Had three games with 10 or more tackles and racked up over 50 yards on kickoff returns on two separate occasions ... Notched six or more tackles five times and had at least four tackles in eight different games ... Claimed 37 yards on a pair of kickoff returns in the season opener at FBS 18th-ranked Mississippi State (Sept. 1) before turning in 10 tackles in the 24-21 home win over Abilene Christian (Sept. 22) ... Earned a season-high 73 yards on three kickoff returns and made eight tackles, including five solo stops in the 93rd Battle of the Piney Woods inside NRG Stadium in Houston against 16th-ranked Sam Houston State (Oct. 6) ... Also recorded 10 tackles with six unassisted stops and half of a tackle for loss versus No. 16 Central Arkansas (Oct. 13) ... Registered a season-best 12 tackles, including tying his career-high with seven individual tackles, and made a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss against Lamar (Oct. 27) ... Gained 51 yards on two kickoff returns against the Cardinals of Lamar as well ... Notched four tackles and a pass breakup in the final two games of the season at Nicholls (Nov. 10) and in the 53rd Battle for Chief Caddo against Northwestern State (Nov. 15) ... Owned a 29-yard kickoff return in the road affair with the Colonels and had both a first-quarter forced fumble and a second-quarter interception in the home contest against the Demons.

2017 (Sophomore): Claimed All-Southland Conference Second Team defensive honors ... One of SFA's biggest playmakers of the season ... Finished second on the team in total tackles (75) and led the 'Jacks with 40 solo stops ... Picked off four passes and racked up 122 interception return yards, which were the second-most in the Southland ... Was 18th in the conference in tackles per game (6.8), while posting 10 pass breakups ... Ranked 18th nationally and fourth in the conference in passes defended per game (1.3) ... Averaged 0.4 interceptions per game for third-best in the league and 32nd-best nationally... Also had 3.5 tackles for loss for negative 16 yards, including an assisted sack for a four-yard loss ... Named Southland Defensive Player of the Week and STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18 after making a sensational 70-yard, game-winning pick-six as time expired to will the 'Jacks to their first win of the season against Incarnate Word (Sept. 16) ... The game-winning interception return gained national attention and was the No. 3 play on ESPN SportCenter's Top 10 plays of the night ... Accumulated 726 yards on 29 kickoff returns for the fourth-most in a single season in program history ... Averaged 25 yards per kickoff return, 25.2 in conference play, to finish 13th nationally and second in the Southland ... Posted seven tackles or more in the first six games of the season ... Made a career-high 13 tackles and broke up a pair of passes in the home opener versus Southern Utah (Sept. 9) ... Notched 10 total tackles and a career-best seven solo stops with two pass breakups and a tackle for loss, before making the game-winning pick-six in the 37-31 home win over Incarnate Word (Sept. 16) ... Claimed 12 tackles, including six unassisted, and had a 52-yard interception return against No. 11/9 Sam Houston State in the 92nd Battle of the Piney Woods at NRG Stadium in Houston (Oct. 7) ... Made his four-yard half sack and broke up two passes in the 27-10 homecoming win over Houston Baptist (Oct. 21) ... Earned eight tackles on two other occasions and had an interception in both the 20-10 road victory at Abilene Christian (Sept. 23) and the narrow loss at No. 6 Central Arkansas (Oct. 14) ... Racked up over 100 kickoff return yards in three different games ... Tallied a career-high 171 yards on a career-best six kickoff returns in the season opener at SMU (Sept. 2) ... Registered 101 yards on five kickoff returns in the home opener against Southern Utah (Sept. 9) ... Posted 149 yards on four kickoff returns and busted a career-long 58-yard return against 25th-ranked McNeese (Sept. 30) ... Had at least 50 kickoff return yards on three other occasions ... Returned one punt return for four yards in the 27-10 homecoming victory over Houston Baptist (Oct. 21).

2016 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in all 11 games with seven starts in the defensive secondary ... Finished with 59 tackles on the year, including 28 solo tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and an interception ... Registered a season-high eight tackles each against Central Arkansas (three solo) and at Houston Baptist (four solo) ... Tallied seven tackles with 0.5 tackles for loss in the win over West Alabama ... Had seven tackles, including five solo, with a TFL at Nicholls ... Posted three solo tackles and six total in the win against Abilene Christian and again against Sam Houston State at NRG Stadium ... Had four tackles (three unassisted) and a key fourth-quarter interception, setting up the go-ahead touchdown in the win at 13th-ranked McNeese ... Registered three unassisted tackles in his collegiate debut at Texas Tech ... Closed the year with four tackles in the win over Northwestern State ... Also returned 14 kickoffs for 316 yards on the season, averaging 22.6 yards per return ... Had a season-long 64-yard return at Incarnate Word, setting up an SFA touchdown.

2015 (Redshirt): Utilized his redshirt season, competing on the SFA scout team.

Prior to SFA: Two year letter winner at Prime Prep Academy, playing safety, running back, punt return and kick return ... District Offensive MVP in 2013 ... Two-time all-district selection ... Rushed for over 2,700 yards with 21 touchdowns during his prep career while registering 117 tackles, six interceptions and eight pass breakups ... Also caught 71 passes for nearly 900 yards and nine touchdowns ... Coached by Deion Sanders ... Also lettered twice in track and field and once in basketball ... Member of A/B honor roll ... Two-star recruit by Rivals ... Son of Bashay Ward and Lawrencia Capps ... Born in San Diego, California ... Collegiate major is undecided.