Ward moving beyond bad breaks
The toughest guy on the 49ers’ big, bad, secondranked defense might be one of their smallest.
Free safety Jimmie Ward, at 5foot11 and 195 pounds, was far tinier when he played some linebacker in high school (that was 6A ball in Alabama, he proudly noted this week). And then he became a 168pound, hitanythingthatmoves defensive back as a true freshman at Northern Illinois.
Now in his sixth NFL season, he’s overcome an inordinate number of injuries and insults to be in the position he was late Sunday afternoon at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: Ward had backtoback pass breakups, the last on 4thand2, to seal the 207 win over the NFCchampion Rams.
Not long after, Kyle Shanahan, the offensiveminded head coach, sounded like a fan when describing his affection for the player who’s battled through six broken bones and consistent socialmedia bile with the 49ers.
“Jimmie is a dog out there. We love Jimmie. I would wear his jersey on the sideline if I could,” Shanahan said. “I
love his mentality, I love watching him play . ... He’s extremely physical out there. He’s not scared of anything. He’s not scared to fail.”
Ward also isn’t scared to say what many fans are probably thinking: He needs to play more than eight straight quarters to quiet his critics. This week, Ward didn’t hesitate when asked if he’d proved something with his strong backtoback performances.
“No,” he said, “I’ve played in two games.”
His two starts, however, have served as a reminder why the 2014 firstround pick, the team’s thirdlongest tenured player, has stuck around through four head coaches and two general managers.
Without Ward, the 49ers allowed an average of 18 points and a 39% (18of46) conversion rate on third and fourth down in their first three games. In addition, his replacement, Tarvarius Moore, took poor tackling angles on the two longest plays they’ve allowed this season, touchdown receptions of 66 and 76 yards.
With Ward, the 49ers have allowed an average of five points and a 4% (1 of 24) conversion rate on third and fourth down and have not allowed a reception longer than 25 yards. On Sunday, the Rams’ longest completion went for 12 yards, and Ward had blanket coverage on tight end Gerald Everett and wide receiver Cooper Kupp, respectively, on his lategame pass breakups.
“Obviously, the coaches know about his capabilities and what he can do,” defensive lineman DeForest Buckner said. “They’ve kept him all these years because of his playmaking ability. His whole challenge was staying healthy.”
Ward has broken his foot, collarbone (twice), forearm (twice) and finger since his rookie year, a medical file that’s caused him to miss 32 of 85 games. In May, he broke his collarbone and missed most of training camp. Just before the season opener, he broke a finger and missed the first three games.
Ward’s latest setbacks gave more ammunition to fans who were apoplectic in March when the 49ers resigned him to oneyear deal with $3 million guaranteed. The tenor of tweets directed at him recently has changed, with no one referring to him as Jimmie “Hospital” Ward.
“It’s cool, but it’s not going to get me a ring,” Ward said. “Faithful, 49ers fans, I love them to death. And keep cheering. We need you at those games. Keep buying those tickets . ...
“I’ve been playing hard, I’ve been breaking bones without people (praising) me. When people were telling me I’m a bust and I suck. So it’s cool. I appreciate it, but at the same time, it means nothing. It’s just like being 50 right now. We haven’t done anything yet. We’ve got to do something first.”
Ward, who hasn’t played in more than eight consecutive games since 2015, would like to stay on the field for the final 11 games of the regular season.
Not surprisingly, though, one of the toughest players on one of the NFL’s best defenses isn’t afraid of the consequences that could come from his physical style.
“If I do get injured ... I’m going to get back up,” Ward said. “And I’m going to bounce back.”