Alex Ward Bio
Alex Ward, born on April 21, 1999, is an American professional football long snapper who most recently played in the National Football League (NFL). He is best known for his collegiate career with the UCF Knights and his professional tenure with the Los Angeles Rams. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing approximately 240 pounds, Ward brought a steady presence to one of football’s most specialized roles. His path from a small coastal Florida town to a major NFL roster is a story of patience and persistence built over six seasons of college work.
Early Life and Background
Alex Ward was born and raised in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, a Gulf Coast community better known for its beaches than its football pipelines. He grew up in this laid-back environment while developing a passion for the sport that would eventually shape his career. Ward attended Choctawhatchee High School, where he first began honing the long-snapping skills that would later define his identity as a player.
During his time at Choctawhatchee, Ward was part of a program that competed at a high level within the Florida panhandle. He earned recognition on the Colley Matrix national champion rankings in 2017, an achievement that reflected his contributions to a successful Indians squad. Those formative years in Fort Walton Beach gave him the foundation he would carry into one of the strongest college football conferences in the country.
Path to American Football
After high school, Alex Ward committed to the University of Central Florida, joining a Knights program that had emerged as a Group of Five powerhouse. He redshirted his true freshman year, a common step for developmental players adjusting to the speed and complexity of the college game. As a redshirt freshman, Ward served as a backup long snapper, learning behind more experienced specialists while absorbing the nuances of the position at the FBS level.
Over the following seasons, Ward steadily earned more responsibility within the UCF special teams unit. He played in 47 games across his college career, an impressive total that reflected both his durability and his consistency. Ward was twice named a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, the nation’s top honor for long snappers, finishing his career as one of the most respected specialists in college football. Following his UCF tenure, he competed in both the 2023 Senior Bowl and the 2023 Hula Bowl, two of the premier all-star showcases for draft-eligible seniors.
Alex Ward Career
Early Career (2023)
Alex Ward entered the 2023 NFL Draft cycle as one of the top long snapper prospects in his class, thanks in large part to his Mannelly Award finalist credentials. Although he went undrafted, his performance at the Senior Bowl and Hula Bowl had given NFL scouts plenty of opportunity to evaluate his technique and consistency. On April 29, 2023, shortly after the conclusion of the draft, Ward signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent, launching his professional career in one of the league’s most demanding special teams systems.
Just four months later, on August 29, 2023, the Rams announced that Ward had made the initial 53-man roster, a significant achievement for any undrafted rookie. He went on to appear in 13 games during his first NFL season, contributing on special teams units and gaining valuable in-game experience. That debut campaign established him as a young specialist with a clear role in the organization’s long-term plans.
Los Angeles Rams Breakthrough (2024)
In his second professional season, Alex Ward took on a larger workload with the Los Angeles Rams. He participated in all 17 games during the 2024 campaign, cementing his status as the team’s primary long snapper. The full-season workload reflected the trust the Rams’ coaching staff had placed in his snapping accuracy, timing, and ability to handle the physical demands of the position over a long NFL schedule.
His reliability through the 2024 season was a key component of the Rams’ special teams operation. Ward’s consistency helped the team avoid the kind of snapping errors that can derail field goal and punt units. By the end of the year, he had moved well past his rookie status and was viewed as a foundational piece of Los Angeles’s special teams group.
Los Angeles Rams Era (2025)
Alex Ward began the 2025 season continuing his role as the Rams’ starting long snapper. However, the team’s placekicking operation struggled through the early weeks, with a series of blocked or missed field goals and extra points factoring into close losses. These issues placed additional scrutiny on every part of the snapping process, including the long snapper’s role in the operation.
W Ward handled snapping duties through the Rams’ first eight games of the 2025 season before he was made inactive for the Week 10 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide took over the role for that game. On November 10, 2025, the Los Angeles Rams released Alex Ward, ending his tenure with the franchise that had originally signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
Driving Style and Strengths
Alex Ward built his reputation on consistency and accuracy in the snapping game, the two traits that define a successful long snapper. His six years of college experience at UCF allowed him to refine his mechanics, leading to back-to-back Patrick Mannelly Award finalist honors. Ward also demonstrated the durability to play in 47 college games and every game of the 2024 NFL season, a record that highlighted his physical toughness.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Alex Ward’s most notable achievements are his two Patrick Mannelly Award finalist appearances during his redshirt senior and sixth-year seasons at UCF. He also competed in both the 2023 Senior Bowl and the 2023 Hula Bowl, prestigious postseason showcases that helped him earn an NFL opportunity. Making the Rams’ initial 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent in 2023 stood as one of the defining early milestones of his professional career.
Alex Ward Career Wins
As a long snapper, Alex Ward’s professional contributions are measured less in personal statistics and more in the consistency of his team’s special teams operation. He appeared in 13 games during his 2023 rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams and played in all 17 games the following year. Although his role did not produce traditional win totals, his tenure coincided with key moments in the Rams’ special teams performance over those two seasons.
Los Angeles Rams Highlights
Alex Ward’s tenure with the Los Angeles Rams included two full professional seasons, including a complete 17-game campaign in 2024. He made the initial 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and served as the team’s primary long snapper for most of the 2025 season before being released in November of that year. His time with the Rams represented his first and, to date, only NFL franchise.
Other Wins and Performances
At the collegiate level, Alex Ward earned Colley Matrix national champion recognition in 2017 during his high school career at Choctawhatchee. He also appeared in 47 games over six seasons at UCF and was twice a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, one of the highest individual honors available to a college long snapper.
Alex Ward Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Alex Ward’s family background is limited. He grew up in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and his early football development took place in that same coastal community.
Personal Life
Details about Alex Ward’s personal life, including marital status and children, are not publicly documented in available sources. He is known to have been active on social media platforms, including Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), where fans and followers can follow his activities.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season began with Alex Ward in his familiar role as the Los Angeles Rams’ starting long snapper. He handled snapping duties through the team’s first eight games of the year, contributing to a placekicking operation that faced significant challenges during the early portion of the schedule. A series of missed or blocked kicks contributed to two early-season losses that placed the special teams under heavy scrutiny.
W Ward’s involvement with the team changed in Week 10 when he was made inactive for the Rams’ game against the San Francisco 49ers, with veteran Jake McQuaide replacing him. Just one day after that contest, on November 10, 2025, the Rams officially released Ward, bringing his time with the franchise to a close. The move ended his contract, which had originally been signed in 2023 as an undrafted free agent deal.
Looking beyond his release, Alex Ward remains an experienced long snapper with two full NFL seasons of game action, including a complete 17-game campaign in 2024. His six years of college experience, paired with his back-to-back Patrick Mannelly Award finalist honors, suggest he could draw interest from teams seeking a veteran specialist for the remainder of the 2025 season or beyond.