Charlie Ward’s legacy and impact on the Florida State men’s basketball program will live forever in the rafters of the Donald L. Tucker Center as the program announced Ward’s number 12 will be retired.
The Seminoles will play FAMU in an exhibition on Oct. 26, the first meeting between the two programs since 1991, with the jersey retirement ceremony to take place before tipoff. Ward is in his first season as head coach with the Rattlers, and he faces Luke Loucks, who is in his first season as the head coach at FSU.
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Ward’s jersey will now be retired in both football and basketball as the dual-sport athlete left a lasting legacy at FSU, winning a national championship and a Heisman Trophy with the football program. He is the first athlete to have his number retired in both sports, and will be the eighth basketball player to have his retired, joining Dave Cowens, Hugh Durham, Bob Sura, Sam Cassell, Ron King, Dave Fedor and George McCloud.
“I enjoyed every moment of my college experience,” said Ward in a press release. “I’m grateful for the honor of having both of my jerseys retired. It’s truly a blessing from my Heavenly Father to be acknowledged in this way and see the work I put in as a student-athlete was recognized by others. Grateful for all of my family, coaches, administrators, professors, and teammates for assisting in my success.”
On the hardwood, Ward averaged 8.1 points per game in his career, with 4.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds, a program-record 2.6 steals per game, and he was the 26th overall pick by the New York Knicks in the 1994 NBA draft. He led the Seminoles to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to the Elite 8 in 1993 and the Sweet 16 in 1992, and is the only person in history to win the Heisman and be drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft.
He played 12 years in the NBA and averaged 6.3 points, 4.0 assists and 2.6 rebounds with the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets.
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Ward enters his first season as a head coach at FAMU after seven seasons as Florida High’s head coach, where he led the Seminoles to a state championship in 2022. His honor on Sunday comes in his second game as head coach with the Rattlers, against a fellow FSU basketball alumnus in Loucks, also coaching his second game.
Loucks called it an “honor” to recognize Ward before both fanbases.
“I am thrilled to honor Charlie Ward as we hang his jersey in the rafters inside the building where he made so many basketball memories,” said Florida State head coach Luke Loucks. “Charlie is one of the greatest athletes college sports has ever known. His incredible career as a Seminole basketball player saw him lead Florida State to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including the Elite 8. As great as an athlete that he is, both as a football player and a basketball player, he is an even better person. It will be an honor for every Seminole and every Rattler to honor him on October 26.”
Tickets for FSU vs. FAMU basketball
Tickets to the exhibition are on sale here: https://seminoles.evenue.net/events/MBSINGLE.
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Student tickets are free to students from both FSU and FAMU. They will need to show their student I.D upon entering the venue.
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU basketball to retire Charlie Ward’s number before FAMU exhibition
