Featured Guest: Charlie Ward
Charlie Ward has put together one of the most unusual careers in college and professional sports.
At Florida State, he won the 1993 Heisman Trophy as quarterback, leading the Seminoles to their first- ever National Championship when FSU defeated Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. He later was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
He also played four years of basketball at FSU, leading the Seminoles to the Sweet Sixteen and holding the school record for career steals (236). He went on to a 10-year career in the NBA with the New York Knicks, becoming the only Heisman Trophy winner to ever play in the NBA. He helped the Knicks reach the 1999 NBA Finals.
Though Charlie did not play baseball in college, he was drafted as a pitcher by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1993 and the New York Yankees in 1994. An avid tennis player, Ward also shined in the Arthur Ashe Amateur Tennis Tournament in 1994. He is considered one of the best all-around athletes in the last quarter century.
Today, Charlie is a high school football coach and is well-known for his community and charitable work. At the 2011 Final Four, he received the John Wooden Keys to Life award given for continued excellence and integrity on and off the court. He also established The Ward Foundation to enhance the lives of young people through sports based mentoring and educational programs.