TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M Men's Basketball head coach Charlie Ward visited the FAMU School of Business and Industry (SBI) this week, spending time with students in the school's Sports Marketing class and with Interim Dean Ira W. Bates, Ph.D.
 
Ward, the 1993 Heisman Trophy winner from Florida State, also played 11 seasons with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) – and still serves as the only Heisman Trophy winner to play in the NBA.
 
Ward's message to the students centered on a theme that has defined his own career: character comes first.
 
Speaking to a room of students preparing to enter the workforce, Ward emphasized that how a person carries themselves – in the classroom, in an internship, in a locker room and in a boardroom, follows them at every stage of their lives. Talent opens a door, he told the class, but character determines whether you are invited back through it.
 
He paired that message with a second one: relationships are the engine of a career.
 
The connections students build now, Ward said, are often what move them further in life than any single credential. He encouraged them to be intentional about the relationships they form and consistent in the way they represent themselves, their families and the University.
 
"I enjoyed getting a chance to share about the importance of building relationships through internships and volunteering, while developing your name brand every day with your work ethic and integrity," expressed Ward.
 
The visit also gave students a direct line to one of the most recognizable figures in college and professional sports.
 
In an extended question-and-answer session, Ward addressed:
 

• Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). Students asked how NIL is reshaping college athletics, how athletes should think about the opportunities in front of them, and what responsibilities come with them.

 

• His journey to the professional ranks. Ward reflected on winning the 1993 Heisman Trophy at Florida State, being selected in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, and the decisions and disciplines that shaped the path.

 
"It was also a pleasure to interact with the students in Dr. [Douglas] Ott's Sports Marketing class in the SBI program, as well as being a guest of Dean Bates," continued Ward. "The SBI program is special because it helps foster more collaboration within the Department of Athletics and in academics, as a whole, at Florida A&M University."
 
The Sports Marketing course is part of SBI's effort to connect classroom instruction with the professionals shaping the industries its graduates are entering.
 
When speaking about the Charlie Ward Champions Ranch, Ward discussed the 112-acre faith-based youth development campus he and his wife, Tonja Ward, are building in southeast Tallahassee, which broke ground on its first phase in December 2025. The Ranch is designed as a one-stop destination for athletics, education, the arts, wellness and life skills.
 
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About the School of Business and Industry
The Florida A&M University School of Business and Industry prepares students for leadership in a global marketplace through rigorous academics, professional development and industry partnership. Learn more at sbi.famu.edu.
 
About the Charlie Ward Champions Ranch
A project of the Charlie Ward Family Foundation, the Champions Ranch is a 112-acre campus in southeast Tallahassee dedicated to cultivating lifelong champions through sports, education, the arts, wellness and character development. Learn more at championsranch.org.