Kevin Ward ready to return to the sidelines after near death scare
This is part three of a three-part series. You can watch the first part here. You can watch the second part here.
ALAMO, Tenn — After undergoing open heart surgery, Crockett County head coach Kevin Ward attacked his rehab for a chance to return to the sidelines with his team in the 2016 season. Not able to resume his head coaching duties he had to just sit back and watch. Now six months removed from surgery, Ward is healthy and has resumed his duties full time as the leader of the Cavaliers. But everyday Ward goes to work, there’s something that reminds him of the day he nearly lost his life.
“When I hear the sound of my lawnmower that I used to mow the field with, I think about that day,” Ward said.
Things such as a quiet field house and the smell of new plastic take Ward back to that Sunday, August 7th, but he knew nothing would stop him from returning to the game.
“I just never had a doubt that I would be back on the field and I never doubted that I would get to do what I really feel like I was brought on this earth to do.”
But one thing did change for Ward after his death scare, how he viewed life. Ward say’s this incident gave him a chance to correct all the things he may not have done right before the surgery.
“Whether it be not being a good dad, or whether it not being a good football coach or a good son or whatever it may be, you know, I’ve got opportunities now to do better in those areas,” Ward said.
The Cavaliers were more than excited to have their head coach back, quarterback Jacob Fitzhugh said. As a leader of the team, Fitzhugh said things were tough in the absence of Ward, but they had to keep moving forward because that’s what he would have wanted. But now that he’s back, so is their swagger.
“Oh it’s going to feel great, feel really good, we’ll be confident enough to you know go out and make plays and get the job done,” Fitzhugh said.
