Former New York Giants Super Bowl-winning running back Derrick Ward finds himself in some hot water with authories in Southern California.
Per TMZ Sports, the eight-year NFL veteran was arrested in Los Angeles earlier in the week and is accused of robbing several businesses over a recent period of time.
Law enforcement in Southern California tell TMZ that Ward did not use guns during the alleged string of robberies. Instead, he utilized force and threats. Some of the businesses reportedly included gas stations. As of publication of this article, Ward was still being held on $250,000 bail.
Now 43 years old, Ward was a seventh-round pick of the New York Jets back in 2004. He didn’t play a single game with the Jets, latching on with the Giants as a rookie after being waived.
A product of Fresno State and Ottawa University in Kansas, Ward was a member of the Giants’ 2007 Super Bowl-winning team that beat Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots. However, he did not play in the big game after suffering a fractured left fibula in Week 13 of that season.
“One of the hardest experiences I’ve ever been through,” Derrick Ward said of the injury at the time, via the NY Post. “Being able to finally do something in the league and help contribute to the season we had and that not be able to play in the Super Bowl, I always dreamed about that when I was a little kid.”
Ward’s best season came as a member of the New York Giants in 2008 when he tallied 1,409 total yards and averaged 6.3 yards per touch.
This ultimately landed him a $17 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. Ward would play one season in Tampa and two with the Houston Texans before retiring following the 2011 season.
