Honors
- MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week: 10/16/21
- MVFC Honor Roll: 2021, 2022
- MSU Director's Honor Roll: Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023
2023
Played in all 11 games in his third season with the Bears, accounting for 18 total tackles with 15 solo stops ... Posted season-high 4 tackles in season finale at No. 1 South Dakota State (11/18/23) with 3 solos ... Had a 69-yard fumble return for a touchdown in road win at Western Illinois (10/14/23) in addition to a solo tackle ... Also posted 3 solo tackles in season opener at Kansas (9/1/23) ... Recorded 2 solos and a pass break-up in home win over Utah Tech (9/23/23) ... Logged 2 solo stops, including a tackle for loss vs. No. 7 North Dakota State (10/7/23) ... Contributed 2 solo tackles in win over No. 15 Northern Iowa (11/11/230 at home.
2022
Earned a redshirt season after playing in just 4 games in 2022 ... Had special teams stops in two games, including season opener at Central Arkansas (9/1/22) ... Logged a solo tackle in home opener vs. No. 14 UT Martin (9/8/22) ... Also appeared in games at Arkansas (9/17/22) and vs. No. 2 South Dakota State (9/24/22) ... Earned MVFC Honor Roll status ... Named to Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters.
2021
Played in 10 games as a true freshman in 2021 ... Earned MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after win over Indiana State (10/16/21) after forcing a pair of special teams fumbles and logging 2 solo tackles in home victory ... His 2 forced fumbles ranked 4th among all MVFC players in conference games at 0.25 per game ... Recorded solo tackle in NCAA FCS Playoff game vs. UT Martin (11/27/21) ... Named to MVFC Honor Roll ... Earned spot on MSU Athletic Director's Honor Roll for Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters.
High School
Named high school player of the year by the
Springfield News-Leader, Ward helped lead Nixa High School's defense to an 8-3 season and district title in 2020 ... Coach John Perry's Eagles allowed just 15.4 points per game ... Brought down 143 ball carriers with 102 solo stops, 11 tackles for loss, 11 QB hurries and a pair of interceptions as a senior ... Was a first-team all-state selection along with first-team all-district, all-conference and all-region ... Blocked 8 kicks in his career -- 4 as a senior and 4 as a junior.
Personal
Steven Anthony Ward II was born 7/2/03 in Joplin, Mo. ... Son of Steve and Brenda Ward of Nixa, Mo. ... Has a brother, Spencer, and a sister, Bayleigh ... Father played football for the Bears from 1993-95 ... Majoring in Cell & Molecular Biology.
