Vick Ballard

Vick Ballard
No. 46New Orleans Saints
Position: Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1990-07-16) July 16, 1990
Place of birth: Pascagoula, Mississippi
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight: 224 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school: Pascagoula (MS)
College: Mississippi State
NFL draft: 2012 / Round: 5 / Pick: 170
Career history
Roster status: Reserve/future
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2015
Rushing yards: 877
Rushing average: 3.9
Total touchdowns: 2
Player stats at NFL.com

Vick Ballard (born July 16, 1990) is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State, and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts 170th overall in the 2012 NFL Draft.[1]

College career

Ballard attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in 2008 and 2009. Prior to 2010, he transferred to Mississippi State University. In his two years at Mississippi State he rushed for 2,158 yards on 379 carries and 29 touchdowns. He was named NCJAA 1st Team All-American.

Despite playing only two seasons, he is third on the Mississippi State career rushing touchdowns list, and his 19 touchdowns in 2010 are a school single-season record.

Professional career

Indianapolis Colts

During the NFL Scouting Combine, Ballard tripped during the 40 yard dash and ran into the timer. On his second attempt, Ballard ran a 4.65 time, ranking 16th out of the 25 running backs.[2]

Ballard was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts on April 28, 2012. His first game as a starting running back was played October 14, 2012 against the New York Jets. On October 28, 2012, he caught a pass from Andrew Luck and took it 16 yards for his first career touchdown. Ballard, under pressure from several defensive players, leapt and corkscrewed in mid air as he crossed the goal line. The score was the game winner in overtime against the Tennessee Titans.[3] On December 16, 2012, Ballard rushed for a career-high 105 yards on 18 carries in a loss to the Houston Texans.

On September 13, 2013, Head Coach Chuck Pagano confirmed Ballard was placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL, and as a result missed all but one game in the 2013 season.[4]

On July 25, 2014, Ballard was carted off the practice field due to an apparent ankle injury. Later an MRI revealed that Ballard tore his Achilles tendon, which caused him to miss the full 2014 season.[5]

On September 15, 2015, the Colts placed Ballard on waivers. Ballard cleared waivers and reverted to the Colts roster on injured reserve.[6] The Colts and Ballard reached an injury settlement on September 22, making him a free agent.[7][8]

New Orleans Saints

On February 3, 2016, Ballard signed a reserve/future contract with the New Orleans Saints.[9]

Career statistics

Regular season

Season Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD FUM Lost
2012 Indianapolis Colts 16 16 211 814 3.9 26 2 17 152 8.9 19 1 3 0
2013 Indianapolis Colts 1 1 13 63 4.8 12 0 1 -5 -5.0 -5 0
2014 Indianapolis Colts Injured reserve (torn Achilles tendon)
2015 Indianapolis Colts 0 0
Total 17 17 224 877 3.9 26 2 18 147 8.2 19 1 3 0

Postseason

Season Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD FUM Lost
2012 Indianapolis Colts 1 1 22 91 4.1 24 0 1 3 3.0 3 0
Total 1 1 22 91 4.1 24 0 1 3 3.0 3 0

References

  1. "NFL Draft Scout". NFL Draft Scout. 2006-09-21. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
  2. "Vick Ballard Falls During NFL Combine's 40-yard Dash (VIDEO)". Huffingtonpost.com. 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
  3. Vick Ballard Defies Gravity
  4. Kelley, Craig (September 13, 2013). "Ballard Lost for Season". colts.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  5. "Vick Ballard has torn Achilles tendon". espn.go.com. July 26, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  6. Alper, Josh (September 15, 2015). "Colts waive Vick Ballard". profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  7. Holder, Stephen (September 17, 2015). "No answer for why Colts waived Vick Ballard". indystar.com. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  8. Alper, Josh (September 22, 2015). "Colts sign Josh Thomas, release Vick Ballard from IR". profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  9. Crabtree, Curtis (February 3, 2016). "Saints sign former Colts running back Vick Ballard to futures contract". profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved February 3, 2016.

External links

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