Converted quarterback Ward tries to stick at wide receiver

On the first day of the Eagles' minicamp last month, Greg Ward Jr. was one of the last players off the field. He huddled with his new position group after practice, lingered for a moment, chatted with new teammates.

He was often one of the last to leave at the University of Houston, too, but not for the same reason. That was because he knew the day would come for him, one of the top college quarterbacks in the country the past two years, to move to wide receiver.

"I had a pretty good clue," Ward said.

In his last two years of college, Ward practiced full-time at quarterback, throwing for 6,385 yards and 39 touchdowns. After practice, he stayed and caught a few balls to stay sharp for his future position.

At 5-foot-10, 174 pounds, Ward never had the ideal size to play under center at the next level, and he was also a spread-option quarterback, of which there are few in the NFL. He hoped to become a late-round pick at wide receiver this spring, but he went undrafted and signed with the Eagles as a free agent.

Now he will attempt to succeed at the transition that many have tried but few have mastered. Terrelle Pryor, the former Ohio State quarterback, became a starting wide receiver in the NFL. Keenan Reynolds, a triple-option maestro at Navy, has also moved outside with the Baltimore Ravens. Others like them will try receiver, cornerback, kick returner or anything that gets them on the field in the NFL.

Ward may have an edge on them. He came to college as a wide receiver and caught 25 balls for 234 yards before he took over as the starting quarterback. In some ways, he never truly left his old position.

"I knew some of it," Ward said, when he returned to the position with the Eagles. "It's just getting back in the groove at receiver, just staying focused and working on it every single day like everything else."

The Eagles invested heavily at wide receiver in the offseason, giving Ward tough odds of making the team during training camp. Those transactions have also brought in veteran mentors for Ward.

"He's been pressuring me for the last week, like 'Hey man, when are we going to get together on these releases?'" 28-year-old signee Torrey Smith said. "I'm like, 'Bro, as soon as we have some time, I'm going to be there for you.' He always wants to know what's next and how it can be better."

Whether that desire translates to enough improvement for a roster spot at some point in Ward's career or merely a job on a practice squad remains to be seen. Ward is not concerned, though. He said he thinks of himself not as a quarterback but as an athlete who happened to play quarterback in college.

In the meantime, he has a decorated college career to his name. He finished 27-6 as a starter and knocked off three ranked teams for the Cougars, who in that run produced a number of NFL prospects. Ward keeps in touch with some of them, such as Ravens pass rusher Tyus Bowser and New England Patriots linebacker Elandon Roberts.

From a roster perspective, Ward's future is more uncertain, but he is confident for now. Work, he says, eliminates fear.

"And that's football," he said. "That's anywhere."