Ware Never Forgets His Roots
Source: http://www.nflplayers.com
DeMarcus Ware just wanted to be around the game of football. So much so, that when he was younger, he worked as a soda boy at Auburn University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, right in the small-town Alabama native’s backyard.
It wasn’t the big payday which kept Ware working every home game (he made $32 a game for his work; $50 on a good day). It was the opportunity just to have a job—and a front-row seat watching football players live out his dream—that Ware relished most.
“Being a young guy who can’t get a job right off the street, but you can go to the game to sell soda, sell tickets, whatever you need to do to make money, that’s what I did,” Ware said. “But also, I just got to experience the game. Guys like Bo Jackson liked to go to the Boys and Girls Club and talk to us and he sort of came from my neck of the woods.
“It’s awesome to see where guys like that came from and see that you can do the same thing. I’m in the same position to do that and I’m giving back now.”
Now a star linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, Ware has come a long way since his days of working Auburn football games. He showed his prowess playing defensive end not at Auburn, but at Troy University, where he grew as a football player and as a man.
“It was a great experience … playing in a small school like Auburn High, I didn’t get a scholarship from those guys, but Troy really gave me an opportunity to just blossom,” the All-Pro outside linebacker said. “I really wasn’t a developed player like a lot of guys are coming out of high school. Just from their determination, the will of trying to get better, it kept me out, and now I am where I am,” he continued.
Just as Troy gave Ware the chance to make a name for himself, Ware has helped put his alma mater on the collegiate football landscape through his success in the NFL. But the two-time Pro Bowler defers credit to his fellow Troy alumnus and NFC East rival—Osi Umenyiora of the New York Giants—for starting the Trojan trend.
“He got drafted in the second round and I know how great of a player he was and he was really that stepping stone for a lot of guys at Troy,” Ware said of Umenyiora. “Then me being [two years later], the so-called top pass-rusher in the draft, they knew that these players could come out of Troy. And now, you have one of the top [rookies], (Buffalo Bills cornerback) Leodis McKelvin, so we’ve got three guys that are probably going to be in the league next year. I think it’s going to be a good thing. It just took someone to get it all started.”
The 6-foot-4, 257-pound phenom is a terror for opposing quarterbacks. On the cusp of entering his prime—Ware turns 26 years old at month’s end—he averaged nearly a sack per game during the 2007 season. Starting all 16 games for the Cowboys, Ware turned in 14 sacks, 84 tackles and four forced fumbles. Though his team has underachieved in the playoffs the past two seasons, Ware enjoys playing for the storied franchise and hopes to be a Cowboy for life.
“I love Dallas,” he said. “It’s a great atmosphere down there and a great team. I would love to spend my whole career down there, just playing some defense. I’ve had my ups and downs with the Cowboys, but everything has been working out pretty well.”
The No. 11 overall draft pick in 2005, Ware has delivered on the faith that owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have placed in him. With a pair of Pro Bowls under his belt, he is already one of the best in the league at his position. He didn’t waver when asked what makes him stand out.
“One thing—rushing. Rushing the passer. Having a knack for the ball and making big plays,” he said.
Ware, who last season became the second Cowboy to record 14 or more sacks in a season, possesses a rare blend of athleticism and speed for a man of his size. One of his goals before each season is to make the Pro Bowl, a chance to prove to himself that he belongs among the NFL’s elite.
“You always want to come back every year, proving each year that you’re one of the top players in the league,” he said. “That’s one of my goals every year—to try and prove that. I’m looking forward to that.”
Like the defensive players he grew up admiring, Ware can run down quarterbacks, cover tight ends and running backs, and even snag interceptions when he needs to. Those abilities are similar to the skills of Lawrence Taylor, Junior Seau and Jason Taylor—three players he has followed most. The fourth-year converted linebacker seems poised to follow in their footsteps as one of the top defenders in the league.
Ware pays homage to his predecessors through his relentless style of play on the field and outside the lines, as well. Knowing previous generations have paved the way for him to succeed, he makes a concerted effort to give back to the community when possible.
“I’m really passionate about football, but the main thing is giving back to the community,” Ware said. “A lot of the guys back home, they do the same thing. I just thank them for being there and doing it for me when I was there, so I’m doing the same thing because they’re the reason I’m here now.”
The teammate with whom Ware gets along best is the same one who helped him host a successful charity event. During the 2006 offseason, Ware and defensive end Marcus Spears co-hosted the second annual “Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Dallas Cowboys Tailgate Party.” Benefitting the North Texas Food Bank, the event raised enough money to provide 330,000 meals to North Texans in need. The fact that Spears chipped in to help make it a success strengthened their friendship.
“We’re playing on the same team in the NFL today, so we know each other very well,” Ware said of Spears.
Rest assured, people in Ware’s hometown of Auburn, Ala. are quite proud of their old soda boy.
DeMarcus Ware just wanted to be around the game of football. So much so, that when he was younger, he worked as a soda boy at Auburn University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, right in the small-town Alabama native’s backyard.
It wasn’t the big payday which kept Ware working every home game (he made $32 a game for his work; $50 on a good day). It was the opportunity just to have a job—and a front-row seat watching football players live out his dream—that Ware relished most.
“Being a young guy who can’t get a job right off the street, but you can go to the game to sell soda, sell tickets, whatever you need to do to make money, that’s what I did,” Ware said. “But also, I just got to experience the game. Guys like Bo Jackson liked to go to the Boys and Girls Club and talk to us and he sort of came from my neck of the woods.
“It’s awesome to see where guys like that came from and see that you can do the same thing. I’m in the same position to do that and I’m giving back now.”
Now a star linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, Ware has come a long way since his days of working Auburn football games. He showed his prowess playing defensive end not at Auburn, but at Troy University, where he grew as a football player and as a man.
“It was a great experience … playing in a small school like Auburn High, I didn’t get a scholarship from those guys, but Troy really gave me an opportunity to just blossom,” the All-Pro outside linebacker said. “I really wasn’t a developed player like a lot of guys are coming out of high school. Just from their determination, the will of trying to get better, it kept me out, and now I am where I am,” he continued.
Just as Troy gave Ware the chance to make a name for himself, Ware has helped put his alma mater on the collegiate football landscape through his success in the NFL. But the two-time Pro Bowler defers credit to his fellow Troy alumnus and NFC East rival—Osi Umenyiora of the New York Giants—for starting the Trojan trend.
“He got drafted in the second round and I know how great of a player he was and he was really that stepping stone for a lot of guys at Troy,” Ware said of Umenyiora. “Then me being [two years later], the so-called top pass-rusher in the draft, they knew that these players could come out of Troy. And now, you have one of the top [rookies], (Buffalo Bills cornerback) Leodis McKelvin, so we’ve got three guys that are probably going to be in the league next year. I think it’s going to be a good thing. It just took someone to get it all started.”
The 6-foot-4, 257-pound phenom is a terror for opposing quarterbacks. On the cusp of entering his prime—Ware turns 26 years old at month’s end—he averaged nearly a sack per game during the 2007 season. Starting all 16 games for the Cowboys, Ware turned in 14 sacks, 84 tackles and four forced fumbles. Though his team has underachieved in the playoffs the past two seasons, Ware enjoys playing for the storied franchise and hopes to be a Cowboy for life.
“I love Dallas,” he said. “It’s a great atmosphere down there and a great team. I would love to spend my whole career down there, just playing some defense. I’ve had my ups and downs with the Cowboys, but everything has been working out pretty well.”
The No. 11 overall draft pick in 2005, Ware has delivered on the faith that owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have placed in him. With a pair of Pro Bowls under his belt, he is already one of the best in the league at his position. He didn’t waver when asked what makes him stand out.
“One thing—rushing. Rushing the passer. Having a knack for the ball and making big plays,” he said.
Ware, who last season became the second Cowboy to record 14 or more sacks in a season, possesses a rare blend of athleticism and speed for a man of his size. One of his goals before each season is to make the Pro Bowl, a chance to prove to himself that he belongs among the NFL’s elite.
“You always want to come back every year, proving each year that you’re one of the top players in the league,” he said. “That’s one of my goals every year—to try and prove that. I’m looking forward to that.”
Like the defensive players he grew up admiring, Ware can run down quarterbacks, cover tight ends and running backs, and even snag interceptions when he needs to. Those abilities are similar to the skills of Lawrence Taylor, Junior Seau and Jason Taylor—three players he has followed most. The fourth-year converted linebacker seems poised to follow in their footsteps as one of the top defenders in the league.
Ware pays homage to his predecessors through his relentless style of play on the field and outside the lines, as well. Knowing previous generations have paved the way for him to succeed, he makes a concerted effort to give back to the community when possible.
“I’m really passionate about football, but the main thing is giving back to the community,” Ware said. “A lot of the guys back home, they do the same thing. I just thank them for being there and doing it for me when I was there, so I’m doing the same thing because they’re the reason I’m here now.”
The teammate with whom Ware gets along best is the same one who helped him host a successful charity event. During the 2006 offseason, Ware and defensive end Marcus Spears co-hosted the second annual “Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Dallas Cowboys Tailgate Party.” Benefitting the North Texas Food Bank, the event raised enough money to provide 330,000 meals to North Texans in need. The fact that Spears chipped in to help make it a success strengthened their friendship.
“We’re playing on the same team in the NFL today, so we know each other very well,” Ware said of Spears.
Rest assured, people in Ware’s hometown of Auburn, Ala. are quite proud of their old soda boy.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:25 AM
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