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BEN BALLARD POSTION: QB HOMETOWN: AUSTIN, TEXAS MAJOR: ADVERTISING HIGH SCHOOL: HYDE PARK SCHOOLS Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
Backup quarterback Ben Ballard is playing for his dream school, now awaiting chance by Riley Zayas Deep down, Ben Ballard has always been a Longhorn. Years before he starred at Hyde Park High School in Austin, he was in the stands watching some of the great Texas football teams in the early 2000s. Long before his 38
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talent on the gridiron came to the surface, a dream to one day be out on that field was born. A goal was set. A journey began. Last fall, that dream became a reality for Ballard, now a redshirt freshman, when he walked on to the Longhorn football team. Coming out of high school, Ballard was a solid quarterback, one who could throw on the run, find the open receiver downfield and manage the game well. That led to interest from Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) schools such as Dartmouth, Abilene Christian and Georgetown. But those did not interest Ballard as much as the sprawling campus just miles from the Hyde Park campus. Texas held a great opportunity. Even if the road to playing for the Horns was
uphill all the way, Ballard was all in. He would not be on scholarship, at least at the beginning. Instead, he would be a preferred walk-on. It was not about playing time, or making a name for himself, either. It was about the university. Hyde Park Schools head coach Chuck Peterson remembers talking to his star quarterback as he weighed the decision. “I tried to show him all his options and talked to him about the road less traveled,” said Petersen. “He could have gone to some other places and probably guaranteed himself a lot of playing time. But he said, ‘Coach, that’s not it. It’s about the University of Texas... and I’m going to compete my tail off, and I’m going to show everybody that I can play here.’”
PHOTOS THIS PAGE COURTESY UT ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY
(fall 2019, spring 2020)
That drive and work ethic to accomplish his goals was evident as he led Hyde Park School to a 6-4 record his senior season. Unlike many other blue-chip quarterbacks, Ballard did not get on the field early in high school. D.J. Bolger, who now plays at Texas State, had secured the job; after all, Bolger was one year older and a TAPPS All-State pick his senior year. So Ballard did not play regularly until his senior year. He made the most of his limited opportunity, throwing for 2,059 yards and 19 touchdowns in his final season with the Panthers. It is hard to measure how instrumental the Hyde Park Schools and Petersen were to Ballard’s success in high school. For one, the prep school environment allowed for a complete experience that prepared Ballard for life on and off the field at Texas.
PHOTO: TERRY MIDDLETON / HORNS ILLUSTRATED
“The first thing you’re going to do is you’re going to leave here knowing who Jesus is, and hopefully establish a relationship, if you don’t already have one with him, because we’re here to help kids for eternity,” Petersen said when asked about the Hyde Park experience. “Secondly, we’re going to help your son or daughter be the man or woman God needs them to be in every area of their life. (Third), we’re a very competitive prepschool environment academically and we’re going to create opportunities, along with the families’ help, to get (you) to the school you want to attend. “It is amazing the numbers of kids that get accepted every year from Hyde Park to the University of Texas. You’re going to play a very competitive brand of athletics. In today’s world it is really hard to be a multi-sport athlete at the high school level, because of the pressures and demands of that one sport, but we’re going to allow your kid to go from a football field to a basketball court to a baseball diamond or a track. We want to encourage multisport athletes.” Ballard was a multi-sport athlete with the Panthers, also playing baseball. “I feel like specialization hurts,” Peterson said. “So I’m old-school and believe that you do need some time away from your sport to develop other skills that you may not develop in your ‘primary’ sport. I think it is really key that (student-athletes) do as many things as they can because, one, it is going to help them, but two, the high school experience will normally end a competitive athletic career for most every kid who plays high school sports.
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“‘Keep being patient,’” Petersen said when asked what he has been telling Ballard recently. “‘Keep being a great teammate.’ A great teammate is a guy that shows Ballard certainly did that during up everyday ready to work. his high school career. While If you’re Sam Ehlinger, you’re he is two years removed from going to get a whole lot of his time on the Hyde Park reps. If you’re Ben Ballard campus, the connection to the right now you’re probably Panthers has not waned, and it not going to get as many. starts with Petersen, a former But the rep you get is the college player at the Air Force most important rep you have Academy. because it is the only one. I keep telling him just to ‘keep “I try to keep up with all my grinding, to keep being a guys that are playing at the great teammate, to support next level, just to see how the other quarterbacks in that they are doing,” Peterson said. room. Do what (UT offensive “Having coached and played at coordinator) Coach (Mike) the collegiate level for a long Yurcich wants you to do, time I know how difficult it is (head) Coach (Tom) Herman [to play in college] and I just wants you to do.’ want them to know they have a guy here in me that will always “And I always go back to this be with them.” because Ben understands the history at the University of His constant encouragement Texas: a good friend of mine helps former Panthers, is Randy McEachern (UT’s No. including Ballard, now playing 3 quarterback who came off at the college level. Having the bench in 1977 to beat previous experience as both Oklahoma, instantly becoming a college player and college a fan favorite). I said, ‘Ben, assistant has played a role in you’re a couple plays a Peterson’s role in developing way from being a Randy players hoping to play at the McEachern, and that is not a collegiate level. He knows what bad thing.’” the college coaches want in recruits, he understands what No it is not. At this point in his kinds of skills players need to career, Ballard is a little like develop to compete with the a minuteman, the militiamen best of the best in college. That who were known to be ready is invaluable, especially for a at a moment’s notice during player such as Ballard, who has the American Revolutionary had to stay patient and earn War. He does not know when every single rep he gets in his number will be called, or practice. in what scenario, but he does know one thing; he has to
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be ready, just like he always was at Hyde Park, just like he has done in practice with the Horns. Said Petersen, “There is nobody in America who wants to do as well as Ben does for the University of Texas.”
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So what I want them to do is be able to look back and say that ‘I got everything out of my experience that I possibly could.’”