Former NFL running back Derrick Ward, who finished his pro career with the Houston Texans, has been charged with five felonies related to an alleged robbery in which police assert he used “force and fear” to steal money from stores in the Los Angeles area.
As noted by TMZ, Ward faces five charges of second-degree robbery after getting arrested on Monday in connection to robberies of from gas stations, shops and multiple businesses.
Ward, now 43, is an L.A. native who was drafted in the seventh round by the New York Jets in 2004 but then landed with the cross-town New York Giants as a rookie … and eventually became an important contributor to a Giants team that registered a Super Bowl upset over the undefeated New England Patriots led by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
During the 2007 season, Ward totaled 781 yards and four touchdowns in eight games before a season-ending injury.
But in 2008, he was good for Ward 1,409 scrimmage yards while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. He then spent one season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before closing his career in Houston.
