Albert “Al” Ward †
Inducted 1998
Hometown: Brownsville
High School: Brownsville High School
Best Known for: Athletics Administration
Oct. 24, 1927-Jan. 3, 2021
Ward was one of the most accomplished figures in Valley football history, eventually rising to become the general manager of the New York Jets after a superb high school career in Brownsville.
Ward, a four-year letterman, scored 203 points in two seasons for Brownsville High School of 1944-45, making All-South Texas in 1944 after rushing for 200 yards in three separate games and totaling 124 points, best in the Valley. In Brownsville's playoff loss to San Antonio Jefferson in 1945 he scored the only touchdown.
Ward went into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1946 and later became an award-winning sports writer with the Daily Texan at The University of Texas.
Ward parlayed his media skills into a position as public relations director for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s, becoming a vice president as well. He guided the Jets from 1975 to 1977. He was the AFC Assistant to the President from 1977 to 1988, and NFL Alumni Chief Operating Officer from 1988 to 1990 before he retired that year.