Former NIU star safety Jimmie Ward will be inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024, NIU announced Tuesday. 

Ward joins the 2024 class along with former quarterback Jordan Lynch, gymnast Holly Reichard, volleyball star Kate McCullagh and volleyball head coach Pete Waite. Lynch and Ward are the sole first-ballot Hall of Famers among the group.

Regarded as one of the greatest defenders in school history, Ward became the first defender to be selected as a first-team All-American at NIU. He secured two All-MAC first team honors and was named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, awarded to the nation’s top-rated defensive back.

Throughout his four-year career at NIU, the superstar safety amassed 320 total tackles, 37 passes defended and 11 interceptions. His most outstanding season was in 2013 when he led the MAC and ranked seventh nationally with seven interceptions and earned his first All-American honor from USA Today. 

Ward became the second Huskie in school history to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft when the San Francisco 49ers drafted him with the 30th pick in 2014. Following nine seasons with the 49ers, Ward signed with the Houston Texans in 2023, where he was named team captain shortly thereafter. 

Ward currently sits at 501 total tackles,11 tackles for loss, six fumble recoveries and 47 passes defended over his 10-year NFL career with the 49ers and Texans.