INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — Colts' cornerback Charvarius Ward had one of the toughest seasons of his career last season. Ward suffered three traumatic concussions last season that placed him on the injured reserve for most of the year.
Ward not only spent time recovering from his numerous concussions, but the recent passing of his one-year-old daughter, Amani Joy, left him considering retirement.
Now, he says he is in a better mental headspace and looks forward to being back on the gridiron with the Colts.
“Mentally, I feel great, spiritually, I feel great,” Ward said. “I’ve been praying and getting closer to God. I think part of the reason me coming back like I’d be training and I’d be working out with some young boys, (and) I’d be looking way better than they be looking. So, that let me know, I still got it. I still can play, and I just feel good. Like I said, I’ve just been working on myself, and I didn’t want to finish my career like I finished last season, man.”
Ward’s daughter passed away in October 2024 and he shared the steps he’s taken mentally to get through one of the hardest periods of his life.
“My heart was super heavy still with my baby girl,” Ward said. “It was bad, but like I said, now I’m smiling. Like when I think about her, I’m smiling now. Like I could just do so much in the community, and just like for her, I feel like she’s always watching over me, she always with me spiritually. So, I’m in a much better space than I was last year.”
As Ward enters the heart of the NFL offseason, he described his newfound inspiration to play for his daughter this upcoming season.
“I kind of want to play for my daughter too,” Ward said. “It’s kind of been like a real sore subject for me ever since it happened. Every time I thought about it, I got sad. But now, I think about her, (and) I have a lot of good memories about it, the memories we had together, the man that she made me. She always put a smile on my face, so I’m trying to kind of live through her in my life in general – not just football-wise, just make her happy.”
Ward also described how much closer he’s gotten to his son during his tough times.
“I’ve been getting real close to my son now,” Ward said. “Like, that boy loves me, like he’s my clone. Everywhere I go, he wants to go. So, me and his bond kind of reminded me of me and her bond.”
Ward is entering his second year with the Colts and his ninth year in the NFL.
