Signees fortify friendship in mud
Arkansas football signees Jeremy Ward and Cordale Boyd spent a few days over spring break in Ward’s hometown of Pottsville.
“We all hung out,” said Ward, who like Boyd, is an offensive lineman. “We fished, we shot guns, we went mudding. We just had fun.”
Boyd, from Memphis Ridgeway, first met Ward at the U.S. Army All American combine in San Antonio while they were high school juniors. The y me t again after committing to the Hogs while participating at Arkansas’ junior-senior prospect camp in July and a friendship began. And they are still friends. “He liked how quiet it was,” Ward said. “He lives in the city and he likes the country. He had a lot of fun. He didn’t want to go back.”
Boyd said Ward and his parents, Mike and Renee, made his weekend visit enjoyable.
“I look to Jeremy as a brother and Mr. and Mrs. Ward as parents.” Boyd said.
Ward said he and Boyd communicate three to four times a week via telephone call, Facebook and text messages.
“It’s like having another family member,” Ward said.
A good-natured one at that, especially when it came time for the mudding trip in the Jeep of Ward’s best friend, Andy Winchell.
“He was laughing the whole time,” Ward said of Boyd. “He would not stop laughing. It was so funny.”
The two said they are now looking forward to reporting to Arkansas in June, starting their college careers and being roommates.
I’m glad I’ll know somebody and going to room with a guy that I’m really good friends with,” Ward said. “That’s going to make it a lot easier. The fact we’ll be playing SEC football together for the next four years is still blowing my mind. The transition from high school to college is night and day. I’m glad we’ll be together.”
Boyd said he and Ward have similar personalities which helped bring them together as friends.
“He always talks about what the future holds for us,” Boyd said. “We just have so much in common. If I can’t like you as a person and just as a football player, that’s not going to get with me. I have to like you as a person and then a football player. He’s a good guy and you can’t do anything but to like Jeremy.”
Ward said Boyd’s character is inspiring.
“He’s a light in the dark,” Ward said.
The two have talked about Ward traveling to Memphis and spending a weekend with Boyd and his parents.
“I don’t think the city can handle Jeremy,” Boyd said with a laugh. “Jeremy is a country boy at heart.”
E-mail Richard Davenport at