game's Most Valuable Player. In the 1952 Sugar Bowl, what The Washington Post called the second "game of the century", Ward was part of the third-ranked Maryland team that defeated coach Robert Neyland's first-ranked Tennessee team, 28–13. That performance capped a perfect 10–0 season for the Terrapins. During that final game of his career, Ward tackled Tennessee offensive back Hank Lauricella and forced a fumble, upon which Maryland capitalized with a touchdown. Ward graduated from the University of Maryland in 1951 with a bachelor's degree in business. In the 1952 College All-Star Game, Ward captained the college team against the reigning National Football League (NFL) champions, the Los Angeles Rams, but the professionals won, 10–7. Ward declined a professional playing career himself, and turned down contract offers from the Baltimore Colts and a 24th-round NFL Draft selection by the Dallas Texans. Awards and praise Ward was named an Associated Press (AP) first-team All-American as a defensive middle guard in 1950 and as an offensive guard in 1951. He is the only player to have ever achieved the honor for both an offensive and defensive position. In 1950, legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice named Ward a Look magazine All-American, and every team that Maryland had played selected Ward to the Chicago Tribune All-Players All-America team. He was also named to the 1950 All-Southern Conference team. In 1951, Ward was a consensus All-American as selected by the Associated Press, United Press International, The Sporting News, and the International News Service. He was also named the 1951 Southern Conference Player of the Year, the Washington D.C. Touchdown Club Lineman of the Year, and the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association Lineman of the Year. He was again selected to the All-Southern Conference team in 1951. Ward was voted as Maryland's Most Valuable Player all four years of his playing career and twice received the Anthony C. Nardo Memorial Trophy for the team's most outstanding lineman. His jersey number, 28, was the first to be retired by the University of Maryland. Maryland head coach Jim Tatum, who had previously coached eight first-team All-Americans at Oklahoma and coached six aside from Ward at Maryland, said that Ward was "the greatest football player I've seen ounce-for-ounce, and the best I've ever coached." Quarterback Jack Scarbath considered Ward one of Maryland's best all-time linemen alongside Randy White. Teammate and first-round NFL Draft pick Ed Modzelewski said, "I still believe he