View source for Andre Ware

{{Short description|American football player and analyst (born 1968)}}
{{distinguish|Andre Ward}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = Andre Ware
| image         = Andre Ware at Houston.jpg
| image_size    =
| alt           = Ware as the quarterback at the University of Houston
| caption       = Ware with the Houston Cougars
| number        = 11, 10, 1
| position      = [[Quarterback]]
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1968|7|31|mf=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Galveston, Texas]], U.S.
| death_date    = 
| death_place   = 
| height_ft     = 6
| height_in     = 2
| weight_lb     = 205
| high_school   = [[Dickinson High School (Texas)|Dickinson]]<br>{{nowrap|([[Dickinson, Texas]])}}
| college       = [[Houston Cougars football|Houston]] (1987–1989)
| draftyear     = 1990
| draftround    = 1
| draftpick     = 7
| pastteams     =
* [[Detroit Lions]] ({{NFL Year|1990|1993}})
* [[Minnesota Vikings]] ({{NFL Year|1994}})*<ref>{{cite web |title=Transactions |url=https://www.nfl.com/transactions/league/signings/1994/5?after=AAAHygAAAAUAAAAUAAAAAAAC6wo= |website=NFL.com |access-date=5 July 2024}}</ref>
* [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] ({{NFL Year|1995}})*
* [[Ottawa Rough Riders]] ({{CFL Year|1995}})
* [[BC Lions]] ({{CFL Year|1996}})
* [[Toronto Argonauts]] ({{CFL Year|1997}})
* [[Berlin Thunder]] ([[1999 NFL Europe season|1999]])
* [[Oakland Raiders]] ({{NFL Year|1999}})*<ref>{{cite book |title=Raiders, 1999 Media Guide |page=106 |url=https://ia601807.us.archive.org/20/items/raiders-1999-media-guide-oakland-c/Raiders%2C%201999%20Media%20Guide%20%28Oakland%29%20%28C%29.pdf |access-date=5 July 2024}}</ref>
| highlights    =
* [[List of Grey Cup champions|Grey Cup champion]] ([[85th Grey Cup|1997]])
* [[Heisman Trophy]] (1989)
* [[Davey O'Brien Award]] (1989)
* [[UPI College Football Player of the Year|UPI Player of the Year]] (1989)
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1989 College Football All-America Team|1989]])
* [[Southwest Conference|SWC]] Offensive Player of the Year (1989)
* First-team All-SWC ([[1989 All-Southwest Conference football team|1989]])
* Second-team All-SWC ([[1988 All-Southwest Conference football team|1988]])
* [[Houston Cougars football#Retired numbers|Houston Cougars No. 11]] retired
* [[Texas Sports Hall of Fame]] (2011)
| statlabel1    = Passing attempts
| statvalue1    = 161
| statlabel2    = Passing completions
| statvalue2    = 83
| statlabel3    = Completion percentage
| statvalue3    = 51.6%
| statlabel4    = [[Touchdown|TD]]–[[Interception|INT]]
| statvalue4    = 5–8
| statlabel5    = Passing yards
| statvalue5    = 1,112
| statlabel6    = [[Passer rating]]
| statvalue6    = 63.5
| statlabel7    = Rushing yards
| statvalue7    = 217
| cflstatlabel1 = Passing attempts
| cflstatvalue1 = 249
| cflstatlabel2 = Passing completions
| cflstatvalue2 = 134
| cflstatlabel3 = Completion percentage
| cflstatvalue3 = 58.8%
| cflstatlabel4 = TD–INT
| cflstatvalue4 = 10–10
| cflstatlabel5 = Passing yards
| cflstatvalue5 = 1,542
| pfr           = WareAn00
| CollegeHOF    = 2146 
}}

'''Andre Trevor Ware''' (born July 31, 1968) is an American [[sports analyst]] and [[sports commentator|commentator]], and a former professional [[gridiron football|football]] [[quarterback]]. He played in the [[National Football League]] (NFL), [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL) and [[NFL Europe]]. Ware played [[college football]] for the [[Houston Cougars football|Houston Cougars]], winning the [[Heisman Trophy]] and [[Davey O'Brien Award]] in 1989. He was the first black quarterback to receive the Heisman.<ref name="Undefeated">{{Cite web |url=https://andscape.com/features/nfl-analyst-andre-ware-first-black-quarterback-to-win-heisman/ |title=Andre Ware isn't just an analyst, he's the first black quarterback to win the Heisman |last=Bembry |first=Jerry |date=2017-11-23 |website=[[Andscape]] |language=en-US |access-date=2019-03-20}}</ref> In the [[1990 NFL draft]], Ware was selected in the first round by the [[Detroit Lions]] with the seventh overall pick. He was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 2004.

==College career==

Ware grew up in the [[Galveston, Texas]] region, hoping to play football at the [[Texas Longhorns football|University of Texas]]. He said "I was going to Texas. All they had to do was lie to me and tell me I was going to play quarterback once I got there. Thank goodness they told me the truth [that] they were going to move me to defense".<ref name="cfl20140421">{{cite episode | series=College Football Live | credits=Weissman, Steve (host); Ware, Andre; Schad, Joe | network=ESPN | airdate=2014-04-21}}</ref> After graduating from [[Dickinson High School (Texas)|Dickinson High School]], Ware instead played at the [[Houston Cougars football|University of Houston]], where he won the [[Heisman Trophy]] in 1989, along with the [[Davey O'Brien Award]], the latter award given to the most outstanding college quarterback of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1989 Heisman Trophy Voting |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1989.html |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> That season - his junior year - averaging 52 passes per contest (365-of-578, 63.1%), he threw for 4,699 yards (427.18 yds/g or 127 yds/quarter), 46 touchdowns,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heisman.com/heisman-winners/andre-ware/|title=Andre Ware}}</ref> and set 27 [[NCAA]] records over the span of 11 games, seven of which he sat during the fourth quarter. Many of the records (including the notable 340 yards/5 TDs in the first quarter and 517 yards/6 TDs thrown in one half, set on October 21, 1989, in a 95–21 rout against the [[SMU Mustangs]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/ten-unbreakable-college-football-records-0ap2000000356173#:~:text=%EE%80%80Most%EE%80%81%20%EE%80%80passing%EE%80%81%20%EE%80%80yards%EE%80%81%2C%20%EE%80%80one%EE%80%81%20%EE%80%80half%EE%80%81%20%EE%80%80Record%EE%80%81%3A%20517%2C%20by,on%20the%20same%20field%20with%20a%20Houston%20|title = Ten unbreakable college football records|website = [[NFL.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/sports-columns/ron-kantowski/qb-andre-ware-led-the-revolution-at-houston/amp/ |title=QB Andre Ware led the revolution at Houston |website=reviewjournal.com |date=September 19, 2014 |access-date=2023-04-01}}</ref>) were thanks to the innovative use of the [[run and shoot offense]], which his successor, [[David Klingler]], also used to great effect.  The [[1989 Houston Cougars football team|1989 Cougars]] were the first FBS team to have a 4,000-yard passer, [[Chuck Weatherspoon|1,000-yard rusher]], and [[Manny Hazard|1,000-yard receiver]] in the same season,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-08-07 |title=25 years later, Andre Ware's season matters |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/page/theseason0807ware/houston-andre-ware-changed-game-25-years-ago |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> where they ended the season 9–2 after averaging 624.9 y/g and ranked the #14 team in the nation by the [[Associated Press]], but were on probation, making Ware the only quarterback to win the Heisman while playing for a team on probation.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.heisman.com/heisman-winners/andre-ware/ | title=Andre Ware }}</ref> He then declared for the [[NFL Draft]], forgoing his senior year.

==Professional football career==
Ware became the top draft pick of the [[Detroit Lions]] in the [[1990 NFL draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1990 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1990/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-24 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Head coach [[Wayne Fontes]] overrode the advice of the team's scouting director, who resigned the next day.  Ware joined the Lions for the [[1990 NFL season|1990 season]], teaming with the previous Heisman Trophy winner from 1988, [[Barry Sanders]]. Ware spent four years with Detroit, playing 14 games and starting six: Coach Fontes insisted on starting the oft-injured [[Rodney Peete]], and usually replacing Peete with [[Erik Kramer]] when Peete was hurt or played poorly. Fontes generally only played Ware when the Lions were out of the playoffs or already losing a game by a wide margin. Ware's best stretch came late in the [[1992 NFL season|1992 season]] when the Lions were out of the playoffs: he won two of three games. In [[1994 NFL season|1994]] he was signed by the [[Minnesota Vikings]], but was released before the start of the season, and he ended up on the roster of the [[Las Vegas Raiders|Los Angeles Raiders]], but was released after several games without being activated.  In 1995, he was signed by the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]], one of the NFL's two [[expansion team]]s that year.  As a former Heisman Trophy winner, Ware's presence gathered much local excitement in Jacksonville,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19950203&id=NBwVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wQcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4888,772642|title=Ocala Star-Banner - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref> but ultimately, Ware was cut from the team the week before the regular season began.

It is debated why Ware failed in the NFL despite a prolific college career. While some have argued that Ware's coaches never gave him a fair chance to develop, others have noticed that he was [[System quarterback|unable to adapt to an offensive system]] other than the run-and-shoot offense at Houston.<ref name = "Undefeated" />

Ware also played in the [[Canadian Football League]] with the [[Ottawa Rough Riders]], the [[BC Lions]] and the [[Toronto Argonauts]] (where he backed up fellow Heisman winner [[Doug Flutie]]).  He spent five games with the [[Berlin Thunder]], a German [[NFL Europe]] team.

==Broadcaster==
Since 2002, Ware has been a part of the [[Houston Texans]]' radio broadcast team with [[Marc Vandermeer]].

Since 2003, Ware has been a college football analyst for [[ESPN College Football|ESPN]]. From 2003 until 2008, he called games on [[ESPN College Football|ESPN]], ESPN2 and [[College Football on ABC|ESPN on ABC]]. In July 2009, ESPN announced that Ware would team up with long-time SEC broadcaster [[Dave Neal]] in the fall of 2009 as color commentator for [[ESPN Regional Television]]'s coverage of [[Southeastern Conference]] Football. Ware continued in this role until 2013. From 2014 through 2019, he called games for ESPN's [[SEC Network]], then joined the ESPN College Football Friday Primetime team in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://espnmediazone.com/us/bios/ware_andre/|title=Andre Ware}}</ref>

==Honors==

In 2004, Ware was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]]. On February 29, 2012, he was inducted into the [[Texas Sports Hall of Fame]]. Other members of his class include [[Texas A&M University]] Women's basketball Coach [[Gary Blair]], [[Shawn Andaya]], University of Texas Football Coach [[Mack Brown]], [[Fred Couples]], Coach [[Lovie Smith]], [[G. A. Moore]], [[Bubba Smith]], [[Dave Parks]], and [[Tobin Rote]].

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders]]
* [[List of NCAA major college football yearly total offense leaders]]
* [[Racial issues faced by black quarterbacks]]
* [[List of black quarterbacks]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{College Football HoF|2146}}
* {{Heisman|andre-ware}}
* {{Footballstats |nfl=andre-ware |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=W/WareAn00 |rotoworld= }}

{{NCAA major college football passing yardage leaders}}
{{1989 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Davey O'Brien Award}}
{{Heisman Winners}}
{{UPI College Football Player of the Year}}
{{1990 NFL Draft}}
{{Lions1990DraftPicks}}
{{Houston Cougars quarterback navbox}}
{{Detroit Lions starting quarterback navbox}}
{{LionsFirstPick}}
{{Ottawa Rough Riders starting quarterback navbox}}
{{BCLionsQuarterback}}
{{Berlin Thunder quarterback navbox}}
{{85th Grey Cup}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ware, Andre}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:American football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:Houston Cougars football players]]
[[Category:Detroit Lions players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Raiders players]]
[[Category:Jacksonville Jaguars players]]
[[Category:Ottawa Rough Riders players]]
[[Category:BC Lions players]]
[[Category:Toronto Argonauts players]]
[[Category:Berlin Thunder players]]
[[Category:Canadian football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:College football announcers]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Heisman Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Houston Texans announcers]]
[[Category:NFL announcers]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Galveston, Texas]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]