Photo courtesy of Colby Grant of GrantVisuals
Plant Ctiy native and Boston College alum Treshaun Ward has come a long way since his days playing football with the Turkey Creek Trojans.
But those were spectacular days. In fact, the Plant City Observer featured Ward as its Player of the Week on Aug. 8, 2013, when he played running back, linebacker and safety for the JV team, which had won the Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. He rushed for 22 touchdowns and more than 1,500 yards the prior fall season.
By that time, Ward had been playing football for six years, starting out with the Plant City Dolphins before joining the Trojans and then playing high school ball at Tampa Bay Tech. His pedigree includes his uncle, a former player at Virginia Tech and former Plant City High School football head coach. His uncle taught him the mechanics of the running back position, which he built upon at Tampa Bay Tech, where his 22-game stats included an impressive 321 carries, 2,801 all-purpose yards and 29 touchdowns.
After playing for four years at Florida State as a walk-on, he transferred to Kansas State University in 2023, and after one year, spent his last year of eligibility playing for Boston College, led by former NFL coach Bill O’Brien.
He finished his college career with 2,897 all-purpose yards and 26 touchdowns. He also got a stellar education along the way, earning a master’s degree in Sports Administration.
That career path will have to wait. Ward has his sights on the NFL and is preparing for the draft by waking up early to train at Athlete Innovations, a performance gym in Tampa. “Training has been going pretty good and I’ve been getting stronger, bigger and faster as I get my times down,” he said.
Ward is confident going into the draft. After his college career, he was invited to participate in the Tropical Bowl in Jan. 2025, an all-star game where he was interviewed by more than 16 NFL teams. Gifted with intelligence as well as athletic ability, he listened carefully as they gave him advice. “The scouts talked about special teams and that I need to bring value to the team,” he said. “I’m putting in the hard work because I want to be my best as I earn their trust and get on the field and get playing time. I want to make sure every play is my best play.”
His pro-day is March 24 at Boston College, where he will be testing in the 40-yard dash, short shuttle, vertical and board jumps and bench press in front of scouts. “I’m excited to able to show off my talents in front of those coaches,” said Ward. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”
As he prepares for the next step in his journey, his mom’s words continue to ring in his ears. “She has sayings and she always told me she believed in me and was proud of me,” he said. “Those words helped me believe in myself as I embark on this next step.”