Houston star QB Greg Ward invited to combine as WR, following a familiar path

There’s a good track record of college quarterbacks coming to the NFL and finding success.

Julian Edelman has made a great career out of it. Antwaan Randle El made a very successful conversion. Braxton Miller was a third-round pick of the Houston Texans last year as a receiver. Those are just a few examples. Now University of Houston quarterback Greg Ward is going to try that path.

Ward was invited to next week’s scouting combine, but as a receiver according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The NFL announced its 330 combine invitees on Wednesday. Ward would have had a tough time making the NFL as a quarterback, given he was listed by Houston at just 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, but his athletic ability that made him one of college football’s most electrifying quarterbacks the last couple years could play well at receiver in the NFL.

Ward was especially good with the ball in his hands in 2015, when he rushed for 1,108 and 21 touchdowns. His numbers dipped last year, as he dealt with injuries, but his junior film will be interesting to NFL teams. He’s also not unfamiliar with receiver. Ward played receiver in 2013 and the first five games of 2014, before he took over as Houston’s starting quarterback.

“I know probably at the next level I’ll have to change positions, but that’s fine with me,” Ward said, according to the Houston Chronicle. “I think if I just work out and do what I have to do, I’ll be able to play anywhere.”

Ward was a fun player to watch in college. It will be interesting to see if he can carve out a career as a receiver in the pros.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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