Thomas, Ward headed to Miami for National Bowl
December 1, 2015

Thomas, Ward headed to Miami for National Bowl

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman quarterback De’Andre Thomas (Milledgeville, Ga.) and wide receiver TraShaun Ward (Miami, Fla.) have been selected to compete in the National Bowl – a college all-star game for FCS, DII, DIII and NAIA seniors – Sunday Dec. 6 in Miami at FIU’s Ocean Bank Field.

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman quarterback De'Andre Thomas (Milledgeville, Ga.) and wide receiver TraShaun Ward (Miami, Fla.) have been selected to compete in the National Bowl – a college all-star game for FCS, DII, DIII and NAIA seniors – Sunday Dec. 6 in Miami at FIU's Ocean Bank Field.

This marks the first time since the 2009 season that any Eagle has participated in a postseason all-star game. Running back Buck Wakefield and defensive end Donte Strickland both played in the Valero Cactus Bowl in January 2010. 

The postseason bowl reunites the duo following their record-shattering performances in the Eagles' playoff loss to Valdosta State.

Thomas finished his C-N career by becoming the first Eagle to ever throw for 400 yards in a game. Thomas finished 20-for-27 with 416 yards passing, besting Danny Sanders' previous mark of 380 yards set in 1978 against Lenoir-Rhyne. 

Ward snagged eight passes for 214 yards and two scores.  The 214-yard day is the third best single-game receiving total by an Eagle and the first time a wideout has caught 200 yards worth of passes by a Sparks-coached team.  It had been more than 13,000 days since Carson-Newman last had a 200-yard receiver.

Thomas was a first team All-SAC quarterback.  The Milledgeville, Ga.-native inserted himself into the Carson-Newman record books in his senior season.

Thomas finishes his career with 43 rushing touchdowns, good for fourth all-time and first among C-N quarterbacks.  His 2,592 yards rushing are 15thall-time.

He ranks first in career completion percentage (56 percent) and his 4,751 yards passing are fourth all-time for C-N. 

TraShaun Ward's 877 yards receiving this year are the second most by a Sparks-era wideout and the eighth most all-time.  His 45 receptions are the seventh most all-time and the most ever for a wide receiver in the Sparks era. For his career, his 85 receptions rank seventh all-time and his 1,533 yards receiving are also seventh all-time.

Ward also exits Carson-Newman as the all-time leader in kickoff return yards (2,561) and kickoff returns (115).  He returned kickoffs in all 46 games of his Carson-Newman career.

Kevin O'Hanlon with the Trenton Freedom of the Professional Indoor Football League and Brian Ferguson with the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League will coach the Red Nation and Blue Nation squads.