BIOGRAPHY
Jimmie Ward was born on July 18th, 1991, in Mobile, Alabama. He is a free safety in the National Football League.
Ward attended Davidson High School in Mobile. Ward’s family is no stranger to professional athletics. He is the cousin of former NBA player, Caron Butler. Ward was also best friends with his high school teammate Jaquiski Tartt, the 49ers 2015 2nd round draft pick. The two would later reunite in San Francisco. Ward was also teammates with former Alabama QB AJ McCarron. He led the Warriors in tackles as a senior with 101 tackles, 73 solo, as Davidson went 10-3 and advanced to the state quarterfinals, while earning team Defensive MVP honors.
Ward attended Northern Illinois University from 2010 to 2013. Ward played in all 14 games as a true freshman and blocked a school-record three punts on the year. He was named the Huskies Special Teams Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. In 2012, he led the Huskies with 104 tackles, including a career game high 14 against Florida State in the Orange Bowl. In 2013, he led the Huskies in tackles (95), interceptions (7) and pass deflections (12), while earning national recognition as a third-team All-American by the Associated Press. He also earned first-team All-MAC honors for the second consecutive season.
The San Francisco 49ers selected Ward in the first round (30th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. On the day he was selected by the 49ers in the 1st round of the 2014 NFL Draft, he drove three hours to New Orleans to purchase a new purse for his mother’s birthday. In 2018, Ward played in nine games with seven starts, recording 24 tackles and a forced fumble. In Week 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ward suffered a broken forearm. On March 13, 2019, Ward signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract extension with the 49ers.
On March 24, 2020, Ward signed a three-year, $28.5 million contract extension with the 49ers. In Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams, Ward forced fumbles on Jared Goff and Malcolm Brown that were both recovered by the 49ers during the 23–20 win.
Ward signed with the Houston Texans in 2023.
