Robert "Bob" Darryl Ward
July 4, 1933
- June 28, 2021 (aged 87)
From his life-long study of sports science accompanied by practical
experience in the training halls and playing fields of teams on multiple
levels of competition, Bob Ward has had a transformative effect on
strength and conditioning coaching. He was a pioneer in using data to
improve performance, the utilizing novel training techniques, and
applying Eastern methods to Western sports. His thirteen years with the
Dallas Cowboys under legendary coach Tom Landry helped solidify that
program's reputation as "America's team."
Robert Darryl Ward, son of Albert and Lovera Ward, was born on July 4,
1933, in Huntingdon Park, California. Ward’s father was a veteran of World War I, who was exposed to the mustard gas that was used in Western Europe. Ward barely knew his dad, who was out of his life from a young age. When Wardwas 6, he and his three siblings stayed in what essentially amounted to an orphanage in Southern California. They were there for three years until their mother was in a better place and could take care of them.
Bob developed an interest in strength training at age twelve when
lifting weights in a physical education class. Sports participation
helped him become a self-made man at Burbank High School where he
starred in football and track. At Whitworth College, where he received a
degree in physical education in 1955, he excelled in field events and
was named a small college All-American in football. After earning his
master's in 1959 at the University of Washington, Bob coached high
school football and track for six years, then became head track coach at
Fullerton College for the next decade where his teams won three
straight conference championships and a state championship. Ward also
coached rugby and designed a fitness program while serving in the Marine
Corps reserve. He capped these early experiences by earning a doctorate
in physical education from Indiana University in 1971.
In 1976 Ward embarked upon the climactic phase of his career when he was
tapped by Tom Landry to become the Cowboys' first strength and
conditioning coach. To provide his players a performance edge, he
improvised a system of computer-driven analytics which enabled coaches
to break down actual athletic movements rather than rely on statistics.
He also instituted a form of psycho-cybernetics by applying the tensile
strength of surgical tubing to induce greater speed. Ward's most
revolutionary innovation, however, was employing the mixed martial arts
techniques (Jeet Kune Do) of the legendary Bruce Lee, through his
protégé Dan Inosanto, to improve the quickness of Cowboy players. Ward's
Cowboy teams compiled a 124-72 record that included ten winning
seasons, a Super Bowl victory in 1977, and a Pro Bowl win in 1983.
Players on whom he had a major impact include quarterback Roger Staubach
and tackle Randy White and NFL coaches Dan Reeves (Denver Broncos) and
Mike Ditka (Chicago Bears).
Bob Ward retired in 1989, but he remained actively involved with
strength and conditioning as co-founder of the National Association of
Speed and Explosion, developer of a Computer Graphic Player Analysis
system, and director of Sports Science and Nutrition for Mannatech
International. In 2015 he preserved his ideas for posterity by
publishing Building the Perfect Star (Ascend Books). His other project was a book on the "Martial Arts: The Spiritual and Physical Genome."
As a master's track and field athlete, Bob was equally impressive,
being twice named a world champion, garnishing six world records, and
designated USATF Masters "Field Athlete of the Year," in 2002.
Bob Ward died of natural causes on June 28, 2021.His brother Paul Ward, BHS '54, passed away in 2018. Read about Paul here.
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