Ward wasn’t exactly a can’t-miss prospect
REDBLACKS KICKER DISPLAYS RARE ACCURACY AND POISE FOR ROOKIE DURING STELLAR STREAK
Lewis Ward wasn’t exactly a can’t-miss prospect. Every CFL team took a pass on the diminutive University of Ottawa kicker when he became draft eligible.
So he went back to the Gee-Gees with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, one that didn’t affect his mechanics. He was good on 83 per cent of his attempts, the Gee-Gees went 5-3 and he walked into a free-agent deal with the Redblacks.
Now halfway through his rookie year, he’s the can’t-miss kid from Kingston. The Redblacks are 6-3 and he hasn’t missed a field goal since his fourth attempt during the opener against Saskatchewan. The 25-year-old has been good on 27 of 28 and is on a 24-for-24 streak, which is a record for CFL rookies.
“It’s not a huge surprise to me. Coming off a good career in (university) I expected to do well,” Ward said. “Obviously, the season I have had so far is even pretty remarkable to me. So I’m a little bit surprised, but also not, in a sense . ... I was confident in myself. I knew I could play at the CFL level. I knew I could be successful.”
If that comes across as arrogant, it’s not. He’s a confident, likable, unflappable kid just doing his part. He is drawing attention only because the poise and performance he has shown on the field belies his status as a rookie. And some of the best kickers in the game have taken notice.
“For a young man doing what he’s doing, it’s a great start,” said Lui Passaglia, who tops the CFL charts with 875 career field goals. “I wish I would have started like that. I was trying to play receiver, kick field goals and punt. My first year I barely survived it. I think I was like 60 per cent.”
Paul McCallum, whose 62-yard field goal is the longest in CFL history, started his career in 2004 with Saskatchewan and didn’t have the confidence Ward has displayed.
“I was just scared sh--less that I was going to miss,” McCallum said. “That’s a different mindset. If you can get rid of that feeling, if scared changes into confidence, it makes a world of difference.
“That being said, it can’t be a false sense of confidence. It has to be a deep-rooted confidence and also not arrogance. It’s a hard thing to describe. You’ve got to be confident in your abilities, but you also have to remember what got you there.”
And how did Ward get here? He was born in England and raised on soccer. After the family came to Canada in 2006, he kicked for his high school football team and decided to stick with it through university, where his degree was always the prime focus. His major is in social science and after football he’s thinking of a career in law enforcement, possibly with a K9 unit.
There are tests ahead — playing meaningful football in lousy weather, playing more games than he did in university — but he appears ready.
“There has been no slowing him down,” said Eskimos kicker Sean Whyte. “He’s striking the ball really well. For a rookie, I think his technique is great. And I’ve never seen someone so calm and relaxed out there. I think his technique is spot on. His mental fortitude, his attitude, is perfect for a kicker.”
I WAS CONFIDENT IN MYSELF. I KNEW I COULD PLAY AT THE CFL LEVEL. I KNEW I COULD BE SUCCESSFUL.