NFL player Denzel Ward’s is keeping all his cards in Ohio.
Ward was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2018 and has remained with the team throughout his football career. He is currently signed to a two-year extension, valued at $62.2 million, with the NFL team, bringing his total career earnings to $103.4 million, Spotrac reports.
He has been paying it forward through the Make Them Know Your Name Foundation, which he created in memory of his late father, Paul G. Ward Jr., to focus on heart disease education, prevention, and treatment, according to information on Instagram. The foundation’s efforts also include annual football events, mentorship, and heart health education for high school athletes in Greater Cleveland, per its website.
Now, Ward is investing in the community through team ownership. He has been a fan of the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians since childhood, as he discussed in a YouTube video. Ward was recently offered a chance to join an ownership group for the team, which he described as “a surreal feeling.”
“Cleveland is my hometown,” Ward said in a statement, according to the Cleveland Browns. “I’m so blessed to be able to show up for this city on the field and now as a part of the Guardians organization. I couldn’t be more grateful to the Dolan family and David Blitzer for the opportunity to continue to pour into this community and give back to the best fans in the world.”
Guardians Chairman and CEO Paul Dolan, and Guardians Vice Chairman David Blitzer, Guardians Vice Chairman, commented:
“Denzel Ward is a hometown hero on the field and off it. His excellence, character and commitment to this community – including his work with the Make Them Know Your Name Foundation – make him a perfect fit for our organization. We are proud to welcome him as a partner in the Guardians future.”
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