Robert Richard Ward (September 16, 1927 – April 29, 2005) was an American gridiron football coach and player. He played college football for the Terrapins at the University of Maryland. He is considered, alongside Randy White, as one of the greatest linemen to have ever played for Maryland. Ward is the only player to have been named an Associated Press first-team All-American for both an offensive and defensive position. In 1950, Ward was named a first-team All-American, and the following year, he received consensus first-team honors. He served as the Maryland head football coach from 1967 to 1968, but without success. He coached football for a total of 22 years, including assistant coaching positions at Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Army, and in the Canadian Football League. Ward was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1980. Early life Bob Ward was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on September 16, 1927. He attended Jefferson High School. During the Second World War, Ward enlisted in the United States Army. He completed Airborne School to become a paratrooper and was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. He later served as a first lieutenant in the United States Air Force. College career In 1948, Ward enrolled at the University of Maryland and played varsity football all four years as both an offensive guard and defensive lineman. At and , Ward was undersized for a lineman by the standards of the day (and would be significantly undersized compared with current linemen), but was known for "consistently dominat[ing]" much larger players. His relatively small stature earned him the nickname of the "watch-charm guard." Ward was known for his aggressiveness and tenacity, traits he used to compensate for being out-sized by opposing linemen. Maryland quarterback and 1952 Heisman Trophy runner-up, Jack Scarbath, later said about Ward: "I remember a game against Michigan State when Bobby [Ward] was at middle guard and went right over top of the center to make a tackle. Then he went right under the center to make another tackle. A little later, he went around the center to the left. Then he went around him to the right. I've never seen anybody who could dominate a game like Bobby." During Ward's four years at Maryland, the Terrapins achieved a 32–7–1 record, won two bowl games, and secured a national championship. In the 1950 Gator Bowl, Ward was named the