Home » Articles » PR Reacts » Ward Rips Bucs' Front Office
  • increase font size
  • Default font size
  • decrease font size


October 7, 2010 @ 5:11 am
Current rating: 4.67 Stars/3 Votes
Print Button

Ward Rips Bucs' Front Office

Written by Scott
Reynolds
Former Bucs running back Derrick Ward, who signed a four-year, $17 million deal that featured $6 million in guaranteed money in 2009, made a successful debut for the Houston Texans last week, rushing for 80 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. That was his best performance since playing for the New York Giants in 2008 in which he rushed for over 1,000 yards. In an interview with the Newark Star-Ledger, Ward discussed his time in Tampa Bay and ripped the Bucs' front office.
Ward believes the notion he needed a second chance was fostered by the Buccaneers’ front office, which he blamed for spreading word he was overweight and unfocused. Though Kubiak concurred Ward was out of shape and challenged him to “get down,” Ward claims he was only 2 pounds over the 233-pound goal Houston set for him. He said he weighed 232 with the Giants.

Ward’s bitterness toward the Buccaneers revealed itself when he said the Texans are “a team that actually wants to block for their running backs, actually wants to win and doesn’t set their goals to a (lower) standard.” He even said he’s blocked out his time in Tampa.

“I feel like I went straight from New York to Houston,” he said.

There is one memory from last year he’ll carry with him this week, though: the thought of how it felt to be held to only 2 yards on five carries by the Giants in a 24-0 loss last season.

“I didn’t play against them the way I wanted to. This year, I’m on a better team, a team that actually wants to win, compete and get to that next level,” Ward said. “So to play the Giants is going to be better for me this year.”

Additional Info

    Source:
    Newark Star-Ledger
    PewterReport.com's Take: Ward comes across as a petulant, whining, front-runner looking to blame others for his shortcomings. If the Bucs' front office spread the word that he was overweight, it's because he was. Although he was listed at 225 pounds, Ward was closer to 240 pounds. Despite the excess weight, he never displayed the traits of being a power runner in Tampa Bay. Last year, Ward was disappointing as he rushed for just 409 yards and scored three touchdowns. He was released during the preseason after averaging less than 2.5 yards per carry. During his time in Tampa, Ward pouted like a spoiled brat and shunned the media. Yes, the Bucs only won three games last year, and Ward played a big part in the team losing 13 of those games. He was a terrible free agent signing by the Bucs, and his selfishness, which manifested itself in him skipping the majority of OTAs (organized team activities) over the past two seasons instead of trying to make himself and his teammates better. Ward says the Bucs don't want to win, yet they won three out of 16 games with him last year and have already won two of three without him, which speaks volumes. Ward said the Bucs offensive line doesn't want to run block, yet Kareem Huggins averaged over 5.5 yards per carry and was the leading rusher in preseason and took Ward's job. Cadillac Williams averaged twice what Ward did and had a good preseason as well. Ward lacks accountability and thankfully he is no longer the Bucs' problem.
Last modified on Thursday, 07 October 2010 09:57
ARTICLE RATING

Only registered users can rate articles!
Copyright © 2011 Pewter Report, PewterReport.com and Pewter Insider. All rights reserved. PewterReport.com, the official site of Pewter Report, is an independent source of news and commentary and is not affiliated with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the NFL.
Read 5583 times |
Published in PR Reacts
Tagged under
Social sharing
Scott Reynolds

Scott Reynolds

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Latest from Scott Reynolds

More in this category: « Freeman Ranks No. 3 In Yards Per Attempt Talib Won't Face Further Punishment »
 

COMMENTS

  • avatar

    armybuc4life
    October 10, 2010
    8:54 am
    cant believe he would say he is blocking us old when he asked to came to tampa, lame dats why he didnt go back to the gaints because he is done. sorry bum
  • avatar

    labucfan
    October 9, 2010
    2:20 am
    This dude is a buster!!! He's talking like if he had a great game like some of the big time RB in the league. He ain't NO "LT" or "C2K" or even "A.D" Man this guy is just a plain clown! Making them comments like if...80yrds is A LOT?! Dude give me over 130 & I'll give some props to this "Buster" plus he's talking like if he's some super start starter in the league. I really don't like to see guys get hurt but like a guy said already "KARMA" is going to get this sorry moe foe! And he had the nerve to wear #28 as a Buc and show up to practice in a Lambo! Man I can name about 40 other RB in the NFL that I would rather have on the Buccaneers. From L.A. To The Bay...GO BUCS!!! See you In Arizona GOOOOO BUCS!!!
  • avatar

    aaronmay
    October 8, 2010
    9:43 pm
    Ward did well against the Raiders..enough said. PR said it best above - I'm not worried about his 6 million - I bet he's bankrupt by 40 anyway....
  • avatar


    DrT1066
    October 8, 2010
    6:56 pm
    Then again nobody on the Bucs is rushing for crap. Got to loosen up the 8 in the box. The Bucs have to back them up by going down field. They will load up against the run until Josh Freeman shows they will pay if they do. Since Ward has already forgotten about his time with the Bucs and feels like he went from New York to Houston, would he kindly give back the SIX MILLION IN GUARANTEED DOLLARS!
  • avatar


    cremdonado
    October 8, 2010
    2:27 pm
    Isnt this D-Bag injured again ? Ward was and is an unproductive dump-PERIOD..He was picked up by Houston because of lack of other options..WE have a REAL pounder now with Blount-maybe when we see the Texans in the future Blount can punch him in the face !!! J/K...I say he has a year left in the league before he just fades away...
  • avatar


    bucfever40
    October 8, 2010
    6:01 pm
    LOL!! (Blount punching Ward)
  • avatar

    Jonbuc
    October 8, 2010
    1:19 pm
    Alvin Harper is embarrassed by the Ward era in Tampa....B-U-S-T!
  • avatar


    bucfever40
    October 8, 2010
    6:03 pm
    That's right, maybe they should've cut off WARD"S fingertip instead! lol
  • avatar


    buccanoles
    October 7, 2010
    6:51 pm
    Good thing we don't have to "block" him out, because the dude never did anything while he was here anyways.
  • avatar

    Warthog
    October 7, 2010
    6:44 pm
    Man you gotta laugh at this clown. Especially considering that he got beat out by an undrafted free agent from HOFSTRA, who had the same line to run behind as he did, and failed to produce as much as a guy who had come back from TWO career-threatening knee injuries. That tells you all you need to know about Ward's talent level. What a bum.
  • avatar


    tjbucsman
    October 7, 2010
    4:53 pm
    Another little cry baby. Houston will find out about him soon enough, Wah Wah Wah!!!!!!
  • avatar

    CVal76
    October 7, 2010
    3:43 pm
    Lord Jim is dipping into the deep past slamming Simeon Rice. Too bad you're wrong Jimbo. Rice was very successful at Arizona but was often injured. They gave up on him being hurt a lot and we made a healthy offer and got him. We've never had a RDE nearly as good since. Like others, he got old before he wanted to and he had a hard time accepting that, but he is still a Buc Great and deserves respect. He was often the 2d or 3rd best sacker in the NFL while a Buc. I wish we had another one like him. As for Ward, I thought it disgraceful when he showed up for 2010 Camp in a $350,000 sports car after playing so poorly last year. Since he "went straight from NY to Houston", maybe he should return the money he ripped off from Tampa fans who expected him to deliver what he promised. He did not. He is just a mouth with no real talent.
  • avatar

    abucsfan
    October 7, 2010
    3:41 pm
    Best description of Ward was the POS designation! While he's "blocking" out his Tampa Bay experience perhaps he should return some of the $6 mill he received from them! lol
  • avatar


    sunrays08
    October 7, 2010
    12:49 pm
    That is a strong opinion guys, but I don't think you could be more correct. Ward is coming off like a baby who just blames other people and I'm also glad he's off the team.
  • avatar


    Horse
    October 7, 2010
    12:37 pm
    He didn't have any problem taking that $6 million guaranteed money though. To bad Ward you are in the group of "it's always someone elses fault", but never yours. Man uo! You sucked at being a Buccaneer!
  • avatar


    LordJim
    October 7, 2010
    12:19 pm
    Well, Ward was successful in two places, and not here, for obvious reasons. Hopefully ownership puts less stake in his remarks than they did the remarks of people like Clayton and Simeon Rice, who were only successful here.
  • avatar


    Garv
    October 7, 2010
    11:45 am
    JACK WAGON!!!
  • avatar


    Pick6
    October 7, 2010
    11:43 am
    derrick, for your next trick, why don't you "guarantee" a good game for your coach next week?
  • avatar


    pinkstob
    October 7, 2010
    11:42 am
    What a prick. It's clear that Ward cannot be productive in the least without large gaping holes to run through. As PR pointed out, he produced the least out of a group of backs that had the same line to run behind as him. I'm furious he's talking crap after being an all around lousy football player. I wish we were playing Houston this year. I'm sure the defenders would be putting a little extra twist on his ankles when they went to tackle him.
  • avatar


    PanthersSuck!
    October 7, 2010
    11:37 am
    Wards an a**clown and I'm glad we got rid of him!
  • avatar

    joey85
    October 7, 2010
    11:09 am
    what a douche bag. The only reason he even is talking sh*t is cuz he played a decent game in his first game with houston. I bet if he did bad, he'd still be quiet, duckin the media and stuff. What a loser. I could be a better running back than ward and i've never even played a down in my life. Lets wait and see what Clayton's excuse is gonna be.
  • avatar


    bucfever40
    October 8, 2010
    6:11 pm
    Dig it, he's all amped 'cause he had as good a game as HE can remember, well I'm with you, watch karma come back to haunt this paluka roly poly excuse for a running back!
  • avatar


    1bucfanjeff
    October 7, 2010
    10:43 am
    He's a prima donna and his one ok game with the Texans is fools gold. PR's take is right on the money.
  • avatar


    mjohnson062
    October 7, 2010
    10:33 am
    The O-line can always improve and does yet exhibit some shaky play here and there, but after seeing Blount in very, very limited action against the Steelers, I submit that the CAN be effective with a GOOD running back. Though it was garbage-time, I feel like Blount is a guy that can POUND the ball into the end zone unlike anyone the Bucs have had since Alstott, which should help improve our red zone effectiveness enormously. Oh, yeah, Ward is definitely a whining little *censored*. He had a taste of success for the first time in a long time with the Texans and NOW he wants to talk to the media? What a punk-*censored* loser - I'm glad he and his Lambo are gone.
  • avatar


    mjmoody
    October 7, 2010
    10:33 am
    S'funny, I'm also trying to block out the time Ward spent with the Bucs. When did it become ok in the NFL locker rooms for back-up players to make so much damn noise? Pathetic.
  • avatar

    K-Swiss
    October 7, 2010
    10:23 am
    Quote: Ward’s bitterness toward the Buccaneers revealed itself when he said the Texans are “a team that actually wants to block for their running backs..." Let this be locker pin-up material for the OL, see how they respond. Quote: Ward’s bitterness toward the Buccaneers revealed itself when he said the Texans are “a team that actually wants to win and doesn’t set their goals to a (lower) standard.” Let this be pin-up material for Coach Morris and staff, see how well they respond. Not in the same light as "Hater Ward", but I do feel there needs to be some emphasis on better line play, and personnel match-ups. Glad to hear that Coach Morris is looking for the "Hot" hand, and hopefully that means seriously giving carries to the back that "is" producing, not who we "want" to produce. I have seen so much growth with this young team from last year to this year, and if Freeman is in his sophmore slump, then he aint too shabby. He'll learn to trust his other receivers more as he gets live action with them, but as long as we can improve our running game, then the passes will come. My opinion on how we could have better managed the Pitt game, I would've run Blount on the five plays he knew as long as they couldn't stop it, over and over again. When they made adjustments to stop him, that would've opened the play-action passes. Of course hindsight is always 20/20...
  • avatar


    player101
    October 7, 2010
    10:16 am
    Ward is a p.o.s. but I cannot argue with his jab at the Bucs O-Line. They stink out loud and are going to be the next thing this organization needs to completely overhaul.
  • avatar


    BucFan20
    October 7, 2010
    10:07 am
    Preseason is not the regular season. I will not back Ward but this line has not been able to open holes for a long time. When the back gets caught in the backfield that is on the line I don't care what back is in there. So now lets try the QB shuffle with the Backs this year. If this works it will surprise me.
  • avatar


    Blaze688
    October 7, 2010
    10:06 am
    It's hard to argue about the whole "not blocking" thing, considering our two leading rushers (non-QB) are both under 3.0 YPC. Not good.
  • avatar


    bucfever40
    October 8, 2010
    6:15 pm
    What do you think Houston's O-line is thinking after hearing him trash ours? Anybody that's like that is bound to wear thin on his teammates sooner or later.
  • avatar


    OldSchool76
    October 7, 2010
    10:06 am
    Good summary. The guy talked a good game but never bothered to play one. I love how he claims it was misinformation about his weight but the first thing Kubiak did was ask him to lose weight.
Only registered users can write comments!
back to top

  • Blog

  • Articles

  • Around the Web

more RSS feed
moreRSS feed

Magazine

View Magazine Front
PR's 2013 Defensive Tackles Draft Preview + Bucs’ Best Bets PR's 2013 Defensive Tackles Draft Preview + Bucs’ Best Bets Do the Buccaneers need to draft a defensive tackle in the 2013 NFL Draft? What defensive tackles is Tampa Bay targeting? Find out in this Pewter Report 2013 Draft Preview.
Missed an Issue? Archive
View Magazine Front

Poll

Previous Polls

What unit on the Bucs should Tampa Bay concentrate on improving before the season begins?


Pewter Report: Your source for inside and breaking news on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Copyright © 2013 Pewter Report, PewterReport.com and Pewter Insider. All Rights Reserved.
Hide Tools Show Tools