Florida State University will retire the No. 12 basketball jersey of Charlie Ward, who is currently the head basketball coach at Florida A&M University. The ceremony is scheduled before Florida A&M’s exhibition game against Florida State on Sunday, October 26 at 4:00 p.m. at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
Tickets for the exhibition game are available for purchase online at https://seminoles.evenue.net/events/MBSINGLE. Students from both universities can attend for free by presenting their student identification upon entry.
Ward will become the first student-athlete in Florida State history to have his number retired in both football (No. 17) and basketball (No. 12). He remains notable as the only player to win the Heisman Trophy and be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.
“I enjoyed every moment of my college experience,” said Ward. “I’m grateful for the honor of having both of my jerseys retired. It’s truly a blessing from my Heavenly Father to be acknowledged in this way and see the work I put in as a student-athlete was recognized by others. Grateful for all of my family, coaches, administrators, professors, and teammates for assisting in my success.”
During his time at Florida State, Ward led the Seminoles to significant achievements in basketball, including winning the 1991 Metro Conference Championship and helping transition into the ACC in 1992. Under his leadership, the team reached three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to the Elite Eight in 1993 and Sweet Sixteen in 1992.
