KATY – Jimmie Ward paced back and forth on the stage, displaying his trademark energy and enthusiasm while holding a microphone and maintaining eye contact with the audience during a school appearance.
Just behind the veteran safety on a large screen: a photograph of him lined up in the San Francisco 49ers’ secondary and notes connecting the roots of his football career from his high school days in Mobile, Ala., to an All-American at Northern Illinois and becoming the 49ers’ first-round draft pick and a nine-year NFL starter.
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After giving a speech at the British International School about his individual football story of perseverance and sacrifice, Ward reflected on his decision to join the Texans as a free agent in March via a two-year contract with a maximum value of $14.5 million.
“It was easy choice,” Ward told KPRC 2.
The why was simple enough. A one-word explanation from Ward: “Meco.”
#Texans safety Jimmie Ward on why he chose them in free agency, signing two-year deal worth up to $14.5 million: 'Meco, it was an easy decision.' @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/JdIpIQPzXO
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 26, 2023
As in new Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, the former Pro Bowl linebacker and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year who was the defensive coordinator and architect of the 49ers’ top-ranked defense as the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year.
The presence of former 49ers assistant coaches Cory Undlin, the Texans’ defensive passing game coordinator, safeties coach Stephen Adegoke, and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, were factors, too.
“A couple of familiar faces,” Ward said.
When the 49ers needed reinforcements in their defensive backfield last season, they shifted Ward to nickel cornerback.
It wasn’t a secret that Ward didn’t love the move, preferring to play his natural safety position. He wound up battling injuries, playing a dozen games after starting the season on injured reserve with a hamstring problem and missed another game due to a broken left hand and finished the season with 50 tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble.
Now that Ward, 31, has joined the Texans, he won’t have to worry about playing nickel again. Ryans plans to deploy Ward strictly at safety.
“‘Meco one thing about him, he kept his word,” Ward said. “I can talk to you about it now, but halfway through the season I didn’t like the change. I was like, ‘Nah, man, I didn’t get any camp, I didn’t practice nickel.’ I didn’t mind playing it, but I didn’t get any camp reps, I didn’t get any OTA reps.
“I remember I told him, ‘Hey coach, I think this might be my last year here.’ He told me if I get a head coaching job I’m going to come and get you and you’ll play safety for me. Free agency came and he came calling and told me he wanted me to play safety. So, it was a yes. We just had to work the deal out and I’m a Houston Texan now.”
Ward has 451 career tackles, seven interceptions, three sacks and seven forced fumbles in 106 games, primarily lining up at safety.
“Of course, everyone knows Jimmie wants to play safety,” Ryans said at the NFL owners meetings at the Arizona Biltmore. “But in talking to Jimmie last year, I always told him, when you play the nickel position and you can play the safety position, it just opens up a lot more avenues for you, and that’s what it’s done for Jimmie.
“Jimmie has been very fun to work with because he’s jumped into that nickel role, and he thrived in the role, made probably more plays than he’s made playing safety, so Jimmie can play anywhere, but I’m going to play him at safety.”
Ward has built a reputation as a rangy, instinctive, hard-hitting safety adept in coverage or as a run-stopper. Ward doesn’t shy away from contact, throwing around his 5-foot-11, 195-pound body.
Among his goals after going to a Super Bowl with the 49ers and playing in nine career playoff games with a combined 47 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble: helping to transform the Texans into a winner.
The Texans have gone 11-38-1 over the past three seasons and finished 3-13-1 last season under former coach Lovie Smith.
“I hope to bring a lot of the guys along and show them a winning culture and help guys grow, especially we’ve got a lot of young guys in the room,” Ward said. “Des King, he’s older. I know guys like him who’s been around and knows how to be a professional, and he’s going to a big help, too.”
Ward is looking forward to playing alongside and mentoring second-year standout safety Jalen Pitre, who had 147 tackles and five interceptions to lead the defense during his rookie season.
“Yes, I love him,” Ward said. “Very impressive. He’s going to do it again.”
The Texans are the only AFC South division team that has never reached the AFC championship game. A playoff appearance seems to not be on the immediate horizon, but it’s a long time until the start of the season.
The Texans hold the second overall and 12th overall picks of the first round and have added some accomplished free agents, including Ward, tight end Dalton Schultz, wide receiver Robert Woods and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins while trading for right guard Shaq Mason.
Ward’s message to those predicting another losing season for the Texans.
“Just wait,” he said. “I’m not going to do too much talking about it. I’ve been working with the guys and everybody is hungry to have a winning season. Everybody is hungry to win a championship, and that’s what we want to do. We want to change. We want to be that history. They haven’t won a championship yet. We want to bring that history.”
Ryans envisions Ward as a tone-setter, on and off the field, as a leader.
“Initially you want to bring guys in who know exactly how I want things done, how our culture will be set,” Ryans said. “You want to bring those guys in but also knowing it doesn’t just work that day. To be able to get a guy like Jimmie Ward is very vital for our defense. Jimmie is a guy, he plays safety in our scheme. He’s played nickel. Jimmie is a veteran guy who’s played a lot of football. With the younger guys that we have, we have a very young group, young nucleus of players who are talented.
“I feel like Jimmie can come in and just help those guys, aside from the football aspect but also just off the field, just how to be a true pro. That’s what Jimmie provides and brings to those guys, and excited to get a guy who can do it and the leadership role he can provide off the field, and on the field Jimmie is still playing football at a high level. So, to add a safety who can make dynamic plays for us was very vital.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
#Texans safety Jimmie Ward at the British International School of Houston on Tuesday night, sharing his message about how he built a career in the NFL @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/a3ochkxOGx
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 26, 2023