Fayette County Sports HOF inductee Ward remembered

When Robert “Buddy” Ward was inducted into the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame on June 17 only a select few knew that it was likely the last hurrah for the famed German Township athlete.
Months before the induction Ward was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he lost that battle on Tuesday at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in Indiana. He was 82 years old.
Ward desperately wanted to come back to Fayette County and be enshrined in the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame with his sidekick in that great German Township backfield, Jim “Happy” Ford.
Ward’s widow Gloria said that it meant so much to him that he was able to make that one last trip back home.
“You made his time so special,” she said.
When Ward was in town for the Hall of Fame he expressed his joy about being inducted.
“It was of the big thrills of my life, especially for the family,” Ward said. “I can’t get over what they have done to make this one of the most memorable times in my life. They’ve come from all over and we’ll have a big group here at the Hall of Fame, and I appreciate their love and their care and this is Father’s Day weekend.”
The fact that he was being inducted with Ford seemed appropriate.
“They called us the “Touchdown Twins,” Ward stated in a Memory Lane column. “We meshed on and off the field, and Ford and I played all the sports together and Ford was an excellent athlete and there was no jealousy or anything between us at all. It was kind of like the movie “Remember the Titans” with Denzel Washington and the black and white team that came together. We were good buddies.”
Ward graduated from German in 1953. He excelled in football, basketball, baseball and track & field.
“I think I got 13 or 14 varsity letters,” Ward explained. “Our coaching staff encouraged all sports, which they never do today.”
The Uhlans football squad under the guidance of head coach Lou Rozzi was a power during Ward’s time. German captured the Fayette County Class A championship in 1950 and went 6-4 in 1951. Ward and his running mate, Ford, ran wild in 1952, tallying 28 touchdowns between them and forging a ticket to the WPIAL Class A championship game against Midland.
“German was a pretty solid football team for several years,” Ward recalled. “We had some good solid teams during that period.”
The Uhlans lost the WPIAL Championship game to Midland in a game played at Dormont, 14-6. Mike Karas’ 79-yard third quarter punt return snapped a 6-6 deadlock and propelled Midland to victory. The game wasn’t without controversy as Ward gathered in a Midland punt on his own 28, reversed field twice and bolted 62 yards to the end zone. The play was nullified by a clipping penalty.
“The so-called clip was nowhere near the play at all,” Ward bitterly recalled. “It was on the other side of the field. We didn’t think it was the right call.”
Ward and Ford garnered All-County honors in 1951 and were unanimous choices to the 1952 squad as Ward paced the county in scoring with 104 points and Ford racked up 98 points.
Ward praised the coaching that he received at German.
“Lou Rozzi was a tough coach,” Ward offered. “He made us work and he never took it easy on us. He demanded self-discipline and he promoted our scholastics as well as our athletics. He was loyal to his players and yet he demanded a lot out of us. We had a group of great coaches — Adam Donnelly coached there, and he coached basketball and was an assistant football coach, and Ray Riffenburg and Buck Johnson.”
When he graduated in 1953, Ward decided to accept a football scholarship to Notre Dame.
“I was contacted my junior year,” Ward recalled. “A guy by the name of Henry Oppermann from Connellsville took me to South Bend for a visit and he kind of promoted me. I considered Army for a while. Notre Dame sent one of their assistant coaches to talk to me in Lamberton, and mom and dad were so impressed.”
He got off to a slow start with the Irish.
“I broke an ankle in spring practice as a freshman and they redshirted me,” Ward said. “I lettered three years and I started my junior year the last five ballgames and then got hurt again in spring practice — a very bad sprained ankle my senior year. I was actually touted to be the starting halfback my senior year and after that injury never seemed to break back in.”
The great Frank Leahy recruited Ward, and then his sophomore year, Leahy had medical problems and left coaching and Terry Brennan took over.
Ward was only 160 pounds when he played for the Fighting Irish and recalled an amusing moment with the gruff old equipment manager when he first went to practice.
“I went to draw my equipment and practice uniform,” Ward laughed. “He took a look at me and he said, ‘Are you sure you’re not supposed to be back here helping me pass this out?’ I made him eat those words.”
In 1955, the Irish finished with an 8-2 record and then fell to 2-8 in 1956, and in Ward’s senior year, the Irish posted a 7-3 mark.
One of Ward’s most cherished moments is an 84-yard fourth quarter punt return he had against Pitt at Pitt Stadium in a 26-13 loss to the Panthers in 1956.
“I ran a punt back,” Ward explained. “We lost the game, but that was a big thrill being back home and doing it in front of a lot of the home folks.”
In 1957, Ward was part of one of the biggest upsets in the history of college football as the Irish snapped Oklahoma’s NCAA record 47-game winning streak with a 7-0 victory at Norman.
“That was the highlight of the season,” Ward said. “We played great defense and Dick Lynch scored the winning touchdown.”
Ward played with Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung, who went on to a great career with the Green Bay Packers.
“He was a good all-around player and a tough hard-nosed kid and he did everything — he kicked, he passed, he ran, he did it all,” Ward said of Hornung.
Ward enjoyed his time at Notre Dame so much that he settled down in Indiana.
“I’ve never regretted going to Notre Dame at all,” Ward stated. “It’s opened a lot of doors and there’s tremendous respect for Notre Dame — not only athletically but also academically. I got a super education.”
When Ward graduated from Notre Dame in 1958 he decided to become a coach and an educator.
“I went right into teaching,” Ward said. “I had a couple opportunities to try out for pro football, but declined them. I’m still here in Granger, Indiana. I started at the Mary Frank School and then I went to Penn High School, which is a major power here in northwest Indiana. I taught history and geography and sociology and psychology at the high school level. I was at Mary Frank seven years and I taught five years at Penn High School and then I left and went into insurance. I was assistant coach at Penn High School for one year under Ron Meyer, and then I took over as head coach when he left and then I retired.”
The funeral was held Saturday. Ward is survived by his wife of 60 years, Gloria, and their three children, Cynthia (Tim) Wise of Wexford, Mark (Cindy) Ward of Mishawaka, Indiana, and Lisa (Chris) Kreiger of Wakarusa, Indiana. Bob and Gloria have seven grandchildren, Ashley (Justin) Overholser, Aubrie Ward, Katherine Wise, Alicia Ward, Erin Wise, Kyle and Cory Kreiger. They also have three great grandchildren, Caidence Lynn, Harper Jean and Ivie Grace.
His running mate Ford was hit hard by Ward’s death.
“He never talked about his illness,” Ford said. “I’m having trouble dealing with this. I lost part of myself, it seems like a part of me is gone. I’m happy we were together at the Hall of Fame that one last time.”
George Von Benko’s “Memory Lane” column appears in the Monday editions of the Herald-Standard. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.