Hall of Fame
It has been a while since Leo Ward graduated from Western New Mexico University in 1964. Playing with the university’s football and track team, Ward has been honored for his work as a lineman, and discus and shot put thrower for the Mustangs by being inducted into the WNMU Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 4.
A native of Pittsburgh, Ward attended WNMU from 1960 to 1964 after speaking with a friend who attended the university and began playing during his freshman year. During Ward’s senior year, he was voted as team co-captain and an All-Frontier Conference lineman. He was also a stadium record holder in the shot put at one time. With all his honors and accolades, it is almost ironic that at one point he was thinking of leaving WNMU before even had the chance to play.
“My friend talked a couple of times about when he came back for Christmas break,” Ward said. “He talked at length about Western. When I got to Silver City, most of the streets were not even paved. I didn’t unpack for two weeks. Then I started track season and spring football, where I had the chance to play as a freshman.”
On the football squad, Ward started all four years as an offensive tackle and a defensive guard. As a lineman, he did not get as much recognition as players in the skill position. Because of this, receiving an all-conference nod was an even greater honor, he said. Some of the teams the Mustangs faced also had all-opponent teams, which Ward’s name appeared on many.
“I was also named to them.” Ward said. “It is always a prestigious thing, in my opinion.”
Ward was especially proud of being voted as a team co-captain. The former lineman said he was not a very loud person but allowed his actions to speak for themselves.
“I was a quiet leader. I was not the get-in-your-face type,” Ward said.
He also enjoyed his time on the track team. The Mustang’s line coach at the time was Jim Fox, who pulled double-time as the head track coach.
Ward also enjoyed the m ore personal nature of the track as a sport. Although meets were a team event, most of the honors are individual.
“There was more recognition, which is gratifying also,” Ward said. “I really liked both. We had quite the successful track program.’
Ward said he has many fond memories with the Mustangs, such as defeating New Mexico Highlands University in back-to-back homecoming games. The Mustangs also went undefeated at home during his senior year. One thing that Ward enjoyed about staying in Silver City during his university years is the laid back atmosphere of the place.
“Growing up in Pittsburgh, there were lots of attractions,” Ward said. “Moving to Silver City was a big change. Once I got into the sports and education, it was good. I told my wife that if I could do it over again, I would with no regrets.”
After graduating from WNMU, Ward took a teaching and coaching job at Casa Grande, Arizona, then moved to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to take an offensive line and track coaching positions. While in Gettysburg, he attended Penn State earning a master’s.
“My academic background was as strong as anyone else there at Penn State,” said Ward.
After receiving his master’s, Ward moved back to New Mexico, teaching and coaching in Gadsden. He moved back to Gettysburg in 1971 when a football coaching position opened up. He left Gettysburg in 1978 and went into business in Florida for four years and coached in the town of Hawthorne.
In all of Ward’s coaching positions, he recognized the importance of weight training. In 1962, Jim Wall was hired by the university as a weight trainer. Ward did not use weight training in football before, so Wall influenced the Mustang lineman immensely.
Soon after he left the coaching spot in Hawthorne, Ward became a strength and conditioning specialist licensed by the National Strength and Training Association.
He became the strength coach at University of Illinois in 1987, becoming head of the department three years later.
“I retired in ’99, then moved back to Gettysburg,” Ward said. “In Illinois, I worked with a lot of quality athletes. With all of the exposure to other academic disciplines, Western prepared me very well.”
“A lot of the time, linemen don’t get recognized. There are a lot of people I played with who deserves the honor. I consider it to be a great honor to be named to any hall of fame. It’s a pretty good compliment.”
