John Ward: Tennessee Volunteer ambassador
Mutual affection
As much as Tennessee loved, John Ward, he loved Tennessee.
Asked if he understood what he had meant to Tennessee fans, Ward said, “I probably don’t, but I don’t think of it in that light. I know what they’ve meant to me.”
Ward put his money where his mouth was, making with his late wife, Barbara, a $2 million gift to Tennessee athletics.
Peyton Manning effectively articulated the feelings of the Tennessee Volunteer Nation. “John Ward was an incredible human being and lived a great life, and he was one of the great Tennessee Volunteers of all-time. Rest in peace, John Ward. We will miss you.”