2018 Football Roster
Roster
Ward, Da'Leon
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Jersey Number 21
Da'Leon Ward
- Position:
- Running Back
- Height:
- 5-10
- Weight:
- 180
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Dallas, Texas
- High School:
- Skyline
Bio
2018 SEASON (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE)
Returned as a sophomore as one of the top options out of the back field … limited to only nine games, including six starts, due to an injury early in the season … finished tied for second on the team in rushing after carrying 79 times for 341 yards and three touchdowns … shared the team lead with Ta’Zhawn Henry for most yards among running backs … closed the season tied for fifth on the team with 26 receptions, resulting in 196 yards and a touchdown … carried 10 or more times five times, including four of the final five games on the year … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: began his year with a season-high 90 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Ole Miss (9/1) in Houston … would have likely reached the 100-yard mark for first time in his career but exited midway through the second half … marked the first multi-touchdown game of his career and his first of two on the season ... did not return until the West Virginia (9/29) game, featuring limited duty … carried only six times for 24 yards versus the Mountaineers … combined for only three carries and one reception the next two games versus TCU (10/11) and Kansas (10/20) … seemed back to near full strength at Iowa State, carrying 10 times for 16 yards while catching a season-high seven passes for 33 yards … recorded a season-high 127 all-purpose yards against Oklahoma (11/3) with 53 coming on the ground and 74 through the air … his 74 receiving yards marked a new career high … found the end zone twice against the Sooners as well, scoring on a 45-yard screen pass down the left side early in the second quarter and then a one-yard run just before halftime … final touchdown gave the Red Raiders a 31-28 victory with less than a minute to halftime … screen pass resulted in the longest reception of his career as well as his longest play from scrimmage ... had another efficient outing against Texas (11/10), totaling 41 rushing yards on 10 carries and 49 receiving yards on seven catches … totaled 34 yards on 10 catches versus Kansas State (11/17) to go along with three catches for 28 yards … rounded out the year with 75 rushing yards on 15 carries against Baylor (11/24) in Arlington.
2017 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
Redshirt season … did not play.
2016 SEASON (FRESHMAN)
Became the first true freshman to lead the Red Raiders in rushing since Shaud Williams in 1999 … marked the first time a Red Raider freshman (true or redshirt) had led the team in rushing since Taurean Henderson in 2002 … totaled 428 yards and three touchdowns on the ground over nine games, including four starts … received carries in just six games, all of which that came late in the season … consistently praised by head coach Kliff Kingsbury for adding yards after contact and his ability on third-down conversions … added 18 receptions for 131 yards and four tackles (three solo) as well … recorded 559 all-purpose yards altogether, which ranked fifth on the team … began the year mainly in a special teams role … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: made Red Raider debut on special teams against Louisiana Tech (9/17) … had a tackle in victory over Bulldogs … also saw action via special teams versus both Kansas (9/29) and Kansas State (10/8) … received first career carry out of the backfield against West Virginia … gained 27 yards off six carries against the Mountaineers … received his first career start the following week against Oklahoma (10/22) … carried seven times for 31 yards and a touchdown while catching one pass for 14 yards versus the Sooners … recorded a season-high 98 yards on the ground the following week at TCU (10/29) … received 23 carries against the Horned Frogs to go along with a season-high eight receptions for 49 yards … had at least 20 carries in each of the final four games of the season … totaled 22 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown against Texas (11/5) … collected four receptions for 32 yards against the Longhorns as well … posted a season-high 25 carries for 97 yards at Iowa State (11/19) … ended the season with 20 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown in victory over Baylor (11/25) … caught three passes for 38 yards in win as well, including a 29-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes II that was his longest of the season … AWARDS AND HONORS: named to the All-Big 12 Freshmen second team by Athlon Sports … ranked as the No. 10 true freshman in the Big 12 by ESPN.
HIGH SCHOOL
Graduate of Skyline High School in Dallas, Texas ... played three years of varsity football for head coach Derick Roberson and Reginald Samples ... two-time Class 6A All-State honorable mention selection on offense ... named the District 9-6A District Player of the Year as a senior and District Offensive Most Valuable Player as a junior ... accumulated 4,561 rushing yards on 538 carries with 46 touchdowns and 47 receptions for 565 yards and nine receiving touchdowns over three-year career for the Raiders ... finished with 1,929 rushing yards on 228 carries, 20 touchdowns and caught 22 passes for 258 yards and three receiving touchdowns as a senior ... averaged 8.4 yards per carry ... helped guide Skyline to the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs, a 9-3 overall record and 6-1 district record as a senior ... named the District 9-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year after finishing his sophomore season with 853 rushing yards on 120 carries and six touchdowns ... consensus three-star recruit by Rivals, Scout, ESPN and 247Sports ... ranked the nation’s No. 38 running back and state of Texas’ No. 92 player by 247Sports ... ranked the state’s No. 74 player by Rivals ... CHOSE TEXAS TECH OVER: Louisville, TCU, Boise State, and UNLV.
PERSONAL
Da’Leon Ward ... born in Dallas, Texas ... son of Edward and Shaundra Allen ... has two younger brothers, Shundarion and Kaedan ... a university studies major at Texas Tech.
CAREER HIGHS
Touchdowns: 2, twice, vs. Oklahoma (2018)*
Rush Attempts: 25, at Iowa State (2016)
Rush Yards: 98, at TCU (2016)
Rush TDs: 2, vs. Ole Miss (2018)
Longest Rush: 32, vs. Oklahoma (2018)
Receptions: 8, at TCU (2016)
Receiving Yards: 74, vs. Oklahoma (2018)
Receiving Touchdowns: 1, vs. Oklahoma (2018)
Long Reception: 45, vs. Oklahoma (2018)
All-Purpose Yards: 147, at TCU (2016)
* Indicates most recent high
Returned as a sophomore as one of the top options out of the back field … limited to only nine games, including six starts, due to an injury early in the season … finished tied for second on the team in rushing after carrying 79 times for 341 yards and three touchdowns … shared the team lead with Ta’Zhawn Henry for most yards among running backs … closed the season tied for fifth on the team with 26 receptions, resulting in 196 yards and a touchdown … carried 10 or more times five times, including four of the final five games on the year … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: began his year with a season-high 90 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Ole Miss (9/1) in Houston … would have likely reached the 100-yard mark for first time in his career but exited midway through the second half … marked the first multi-touchdown game of his career and his first of two on the season ... did not return until the West Virginia (9/29) game, featuring limited duty … carried only six times for 24 yards versus the Mountaineers … combined for only three carries and one reception the next two games versus TCU (10/11) and Kansas (10/20) … seemed back to near full strength at Iowa State, carrying 10 times for 16 yards while catching a season-high seven passes for 33 yards … recorded a season-high 127 all-purpose yards against Oklahoma (11/3) with 53 coming on the ground and 74 through the air … his 74 receiving yards marked a new career high … found the end zone twice against the Sooners as well, scoring on a 45-yard screen pass down the left side early in the second quarter and then a one-yard run just before halftime … final touchdown gave the Red Raiders a 31-28 victory with less than a minute to halftime … screen pass resulted in the longest reception of his career as well as his longest play from scrimmage ... had another efficient outing against Texas (11/10), totaling 41 rushing yards on 10 carries and 49 receiving yards on seven catches … totaled 34 yards on 10 catches versus Kansas State (11/17) to go along with three catches for 28 yards … rounded out the year with 75 rushing yards on 15 carries against Baylor (11/24) in Arlington.
2017 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
Redshirt season … did not play.
2016 SEASON (FRESHMAN)
Became the first true freshman to lead the Red Raiders in rushing since Shaud Williams in 1999 … marked the first time a Red Raider freshman (true or redshirt) had led the team in rushing since Taurean Henderson in 2002 … totaled 428 yards and three touchdowns on the ground over nine games, including four starts … received carries in just six games, all of which that came late in the season … consistently praised by head coach Kliff Kingsbury for adding yards after contact and his ability on third-down conversions … added 18 receptions for 131 yards and four tackles (three solo) as well … recorded 559 all-purpose yards altogether, which ranked fifth on the team … began the year mainly in a special teams role … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: made Red Raider debut on special teams against Louisiana Tech (9/17) … had a tackle in victory over Bulldogs … also saw action via special teams versus both Kansas (9/29) and Kansas State (10/8) … received first career carry out of the backfield against West Virginia … gained 27 yards off six carries against the Mountaineers … received his first career start the following week against Oklahoma (10/22) … carried seven times for 31 yards and a touchdown while catching one pass for 14 yards versus the Sooners … recorded a season-high 98 yards on the ground the following week at TCU (10/29) … received 23 carries against the Horned Frogs to go along with a season-high eight receptions for 49 yards … had at least 20 carries in each of the final four games of the season … totaled 22 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown against Texas (11/5) … collected four receptions for 32 yards against the Longhorns as well … posted a season-high 25 carries for 97 yards at Iowa State (11/19) … ended the season with 20 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown in victory over Baylor (11/25) … caught three passes for 38 yards in win as well, including a 29-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes II that was his longest of the season … AWARDS AND HONORS: named to the All-Big 12 Freshmen second team by Athlon Sports … ranked as the No. 10 true freshman in the Big 12 by ESPN.
HIGH SCHOOL
Graduate of Skyline High School in Dallas, Texas ... played three years of varsity football for head coach Derick Roberson and Reginald Samples ... two-time Class 6A All-State honorable mention selection on offense ... named the District 9-6A District Player of the Year as a senior and District Offensive Most Valuable Player as a junior ... accumulated 4,561 rushing yards on 538 carries with 46 touchdowns and 47 receptions for 565 yards and nine receiving touchdowns over three-year career for the Raiders ... finished with 1,929 rushing yards on 228 carries, 20 touchdowns and caught 22 passes for 258 yards and three receiving touchdowns as a senior ... averaged 8.4 yards per carry ... helped guide Skyline to the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs, a 9-3 overall record and 6-1 district record as a senior ... named the District 9-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year after finishing his sophomore season with 853 rushing yards on 120 carries and six touchdowns ... consensus three-star recruit by Rivals, Scout, ESPN and 247Sports ... ranked the nation’s No. 38 running back and state of Texas’ No. 92 player by 247Sports ... ranked the state’s No. 74 player by Rivals ... CHOSE TEXAS TECH OVER: Louisville, TCU, Boise State, and UNLV.
PERSONAL
Da’Leon Ward ... born in Dallas, Texas ... son of Edward and Shaundra Allen ... has two younger brothers, Shundarion and Kaedan ... a university studies major at Texas Tech.
CAREER HIGHS
Touchdowns: 2, twice, vs. Oklahoma (2018)*
Rush Attempts: 25, at Iowa State (2016)
Rush Yards: 98, at TCU (2016)
Rush TDs: 2, vs. Ole Miss (2018)
Longest Rush: 32, vs. Oklahoma (2018)
Receptions: 8, at TCU (2016)
Receiving Yards: 74, vs. Oklahoma (2018)
Receiving Touchdowns: 1, vs. Oklahoma (2018)
Long Reception: 45, vs. Oklahoma (2018)
All-Purpose Yards: 147, at TCU (2016)
* Indicates most recent high
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