Charvarius Ward welcomes son after years marked by grief and resilience

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Charvarius Ward welcomes son after years marked by grief and resilience

Charvarius Ward welcomes son after years marked by grief and resilience

Nathan Brown, Indianapolis Star · Indianapolis Star

Wed, Sep 30, 2026 ·

6 min read

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INDIANAPOLIS – Charvarius Ward is looking forward to the Colts ' eight-hour red-eye flight to London on Thursday night. Being a new father of two kids under 2 – his second son born in the wee hours Monday morning – will do that to you.

A tired, mentally fatigued Ward stood at his locker Wednesday afternoon, anxious to get to the Colts ' training room to continue his daily work on his 30-year-old body in order to be ready for Sunday's game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

But as the conversation shifted from his injury-riddled body – a back injury stole much of his training camp and a groin injury flared up midway through the Colts' Sunday Night Football outing in Week 2 – to how he keeps his mind motivated, the All-Pro cornerback's demeanor shifted.

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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) warms up Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Fans take their seats on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, ahead of the game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Indianapolis Colts safety Camryn Bynum (0) warms up Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon walks the sideline Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Deion Burks (80) warms up Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen watches Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Simone Biles (left) kisses her husband Indianapolis Colts safety Jonathan Owens (38) on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard (15) warms up Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) warms up Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Chip Ganassi Racing driver Álex Palou watches from the sidelines Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) greets center Tanor Bortolini (60) on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon signs an item for a fan Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (29) looks up at the stands Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Simone Biles (left) greets her husband Indianapolis Colts safety Jonathan Owens (38) on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Kalen Jackson, Indianapolis Colts owner and chief brand officer, walks the sideline Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Simone Biles poses for a photo Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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The roof and windows are open Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, before a game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Indianapolis Colts fans ‘The Clown’ poses for a photo on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, ahead of the game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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Jacob Bardtmueller from New Haven watches from the stands on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, ahead of the game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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The hospital wristband he wore on his right wrist told the story.

Hours after the Colts' first win of the year Sunday afternoon, he and his partner, Monique, rushed to the hospital around 10 p.m. in anticipation of the birth of their third child. Chosen Mani Ward wasn't due until Oct. 7 – a fact that spurred its own complications, given the location of this week's game – but Ward joked Wednesday his second son was energized to be in attendance at a rocking Lucas Oil Stadium for Indianapolis' first victory.

"Shoot, that water breaks, you've got to get up out of there and get to the hospital," Ward said with a chuckle. "That was the first game (Monique) came to this season. I didn't let her come to the home opener or the Kansas City game because we just didn't know when he was supposed to come. But she came to that one and I guess walking around, being in that environment, Chosen knew we got that 'dub, man, so he came up out of there.

"He was ready."

Before Sunday, Ward had planned to make the Colts' overseas trip – the team leaves Thursday after practice and will return Monday morning – but he admitted he would've been anxious the entire trip, not knowing if Monique would've gone into labor while he was an eight-hour flight away.

The couple's son, Charvarius Jr., suffered some complications early in the pregnancy, and Ward's late-daughter, Amani Joy, was born five weeks premature and was rushed to the NICU immediately after she was born to receive help breathing. Amani was born with Down Syndrome and two holes in her heart, requiring open-heart surgery early in life. She tragically passed away in October 2024, just a few weeks shy of her second birthday and two months before Ward's first son was born.

"(Chosen) is doing good, man. He's breathing well on his own," Ward said. "They'll be discharged today and I'll pick them up after practice from the hospital, so major blessings, man. There's lots of good things going on. He was just waiting until we got a win, for real."

In the nearly four years since Amani was born, Ward has ridden a roller coaster on and off the field, ranging from his Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in the wake of the 2023 season to coming home to a vacant home in his final days in San Francisco to close the 2024 campaign – Monique having decided to leave California, unable to remain in the place where the couple lost their daughter.

Ultimately, Ward decided to leave the 49ers in free agency after that season, in part, for the same reason – ending up in Indianapolis on a three-year deal worth as much as $60 million in the spring of 2025. But Monique and Charvarius Jr. stayed away – making the five weeks he was sidelined in October and November last fall with debilitating headaches and nausea stemming from his second of three concussions that much more trying.

In January, Ward told reporters he was strongly considering retiring – something those within his inner circle were all but demanding him to do.

"I'm proud of the career I've had, and I've made a lot of money. I feel like I'm taken care of, and my family's taken care of, so if I come back or don't come back, I'm going to be living the life I've wanted to live," he said. "I think that's the most important thing in life: being happy.

"It's football. It's just a game. It goes away. I want to be a good dad to my kids and a good man to my family. I think that's the most important thing in my life right now, so if I walk away, I feel like I'll be happy. I won a Super Bowl, played in more. Made hella money. Made Pro Bowls. Made All-Pro. I did everything I wanted to do, so I feel like if I walk away, I won't regret it."

That mindset, Ward said in the spring, changed as he got a chance to step away from the field and spend more time with his oldest son, who he calls "my clone," after Monique and Ward's son moved to Indianapolis. And when Ward finally stepped on the field and got back to working out, he realized his physical gifts hadn't left him.

Then came the realization of what his new 'why' was: his late-daughter and his first son.

Now, Ward has that much more to play for.

"I'm just trying to ball for my kids and give them something to be proud of. I've got to catch a couple picks and get them a ball," Ward said. "That's what I need in my life, a lot of love, a lot of support. Last year, I thought I could do it on my own, but (expletive), honestly? I couldn't, so having my family around to boost my spirits – I get to go home and no one's yelling at me like the coaches do sometimes. My (older) son's smiling, just looking at me happy, and that just puts me in a real good mood.

"But it's super hard. I had 10 hours of sleep the past three days, for real, so I'm super tired right now. I've got to get some sleep on the plane ride (to London) and when I'm over there, just so I'm able to (play) on Sunday, cause I'm hurtin' like a (expletive) right now. I ain't lyin' to you. I'm just gonna get some sleep, eat good and hydrate and go out there and try to ball out for the fam and the team."

Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter .

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Charvarius Ward welcomes son after years marked by grief and resilience

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Charvarius Ward welcomes son after years marked by grief and resilience

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