Charvarius Ward’s Legacy In Kansas City
Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward has decided to take his talents to the West Coast.
The four-year veteran officially signed a three-year, $40.5 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers late Thursday afternoon.
Join us in welcoming @itslilmooney to the family! 👏 #FTTB — San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) March 17, 2022
Ward moves on from Kansas City after spending the first four years of his career with the team.
Although Ward will no longer be with the Chiefs, we’d like to congratulate the young corner on his shiny new deal with the Niners and wish him nothing but the best as he continues his career throughout the NFL.
Go do your thing in SanFran, Mr. Charvarius!
This article will look back at some of Ward’s most memorable moments with the Chiefs and the legacy he ultimately leaves behind in Kansas City.
The Trade That Brought Charvarius Ward to Kansas City
In August 2018, Brett Veach made one of his first trades as the Chiefs’ General Manager and arguably his most successful. Kansas City sent backup offensive lineman Parker Ehinger to Dallas in exchange for rookie cornerback Charvarius Ward.
A trade the Cowboys would certainly live to regret as Parker Ehinger contributed nothing more to Dallas than offensive line depth and would ultimately wither out of the league in recent years.
We have acquired CB Charvarius Ward via trade with the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for G Parker Ehinger. pic.twitter.com/LjdT9orI2B — Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 31, 2018
In December of the 2018 season, Ward earned his first start for Kansas City, recording eight tackles and a pass deflection in the Chiefs’ loss to the Seahawks. Showing promise against Seattle, Ward was given a second start in Kansas City’s regular-season finale the following week against the Raiders.
Charvarius even got a little sweet revenge this season on his former team that shipped him out of town for pennies. In Week 11 against the Cowboys, Ward had an impressive interception in the end zone while covering Dallas’s number one receiver, CeeDee Lamb.
🚨 Interception Alert! 🚨 Charvarius Ward picks it off before the end of the half! pic.twitter.com/2Ah2bo6wwl — Chiefs Kingdom (@ChiefsKingdomCP) November 21, 2021
Ward’s interception would help vault the Chiefs to their fourth straight win and continue their run to a fourth consecutive AFC title game.
Charvarius Helped Bring The Lombardi Back To KC
Charvarius Ward will forever go down into Kansas City Chiefs’ lore for his contribution in helping bring the Lombardi trophy back home to Kansas City.
In 2019 Andy Reid named Ward one of the Chiefs’ starting cornerbacks and Bashaud Breeland. In the second week of the season against the Raiders, Charvarius recorded his first-ever NFL interception. A large and very exciting feat for the second-year pro that began his career scraping to make an NFL roster.
On the second day of the #RunItBackCountdown . My favorite Raiders QB thinks he is going to catch the #Chiefs on this hot route slant. Instead his receiver tries to force DPI while Mathieu accounts for the back and Ward comes up with the pick. pic.twitter.com/GSbfMrU0L4 — Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) August 15, 2020
Ward would start every game in 2019, finishing the season with two interceptions, 56 solo tackles, and ten passes defended –all good for career highs–. On the run to the Super Bowl in the postseason, Charvarius had one pass defend and seven solo tackles.
In Super Bowl LIV, Ward had a relatively quiet showing finishing the game with three solo tackles but also not giving up big plays to the opposition. Charvarius was one of the critical factors to Kansas City’s ability to limit the capabilities of the likes of Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders throughout the game with Ward’s tall and lanky style of play.
Ward gave the Chiefs able to play throughout 2019. That play extended into the postseason, where Charvarius ultimately became a World Champion with Kansas City –a city deprived of a football championship for 50 years.
Ward’s Work Off The Field
As Charvarius has continued his ascent to stardom in the NFL, the young corner has never forgotten his hometown in McComb, Mississippi. This last Thanksgiving, Ward distributed food boxes to the Boys and Girls Club in McComb, handing out produce and turkeys to roughly 300 families in the area.
Here’s a quote from Ward on that experience:
“It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of effort, a lot of faith, a lot of belief in yourself, and you got to be confident,” — “I come from this small town. I did all the things these kids did, so I can make it. I know they can make it, too.” – Charvarius Ward
Here are some pictures of Ward at the event that weekend that gave families nearly $10,000 worth of food:
@Chiefs' Charvarius Ward (@itslilmooney) made a holiday stop in his hometown of McComb, MS today to give over 290 turkeys to the community. Truly an honor to see Ward give back to the very people who "made him". More details on @WLBT. pic.twitter.com/4K9PQyAPFo — Holly Emery WLBT (@HollyEmeryTV) November 23, 2021
For the “My Cleats, My Clause” game in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos, Ward wore customized cleats showing support for the ‘High Aspirations‘ Mentorship Program located in Kansas City, an organization that strives to improve young African American males’ aspirations through innovation and improve their lives emotionally, socially, academically, and spiritually.
Final Note:
Charvarius Ward went from being a borderline practice squad player to an every-down starting cornerback in the NFL. He will forever be remembered in Kansas City for being a Super Bowl LVI team member that brought home a championship to KC.
As remembered as Ward will be for his on-field contributions, his contributions off the field have made the young player special and an easy person to continue to root for in the future despite no longer playing for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Thank you, Charvarius.
What will you remember about Charvarius Ward’s time in Kansas City? Leave a comment down below to join the discussion.
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