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T.J. Ward is one of the bright spots for the up and coming Cleveland Browns‘ defense. Ward will be entering his fourth season in 2013, and he’ll be looking to build upon a very solid 2012 campaign.
The young safety made a name for himself at the University of Oregon in the late 2000′s, and was subsequently taken 38th overall by the Browns back in 2010. Ward started all 16 games during his rookie season, while racking up 108 total tackles. He was limited to only eight games in 2011, but he managed to start in 14 games a season ago. The strong safety has also accumulated three interceptions and forced five fumbles so far in his career.
Known as a hard-hitter, Ward has found himself paying the NFL money for illegal hits. He recently made headlines when he endorsed new defensive coordinator Ray Horton‘s aggressive scheme, which should really fit his style.
Fans should expect more of the same quality play from Ward in 2013, because as long as he’s healthy, he will produce. That much has been made clear over his first three seasons – it’s not question of talent or skill with the young safety, it’s about staying on the field.
As more and more talent starts to surround Ward, he should only get better. He’s been one of the fixtures on the Cleveland-D over the past couple of years, but now he’s finally getting some help. It’s not often that players are considered veterans after only three years in the league, but that’s no doubt the case with Ward. He’s a leader on this Browns’ defense, and that part of his game should continue to evolve moving forward. Many football fans probably haven’t even heard of Ward, but I’m predicting that he’s going to start becoming a household name in 2013.
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