1976 Profile: Al Ward

General Manager
"Soft-spoken general manager Al Ward begins his second year as the engineer behind the Jets' renewed push for the top.
Ward, who was named general manager on February 13, 1975, came to the Jets from the highly successful Dallas Cowboy organization where he rose from Director of Public Relations to Vice-President of Administration (assistant general manager) under Cowboy chief Tex Schramm.
He is charged with far-reaching responsibilities including negotiating player contracts, booking preseason games, handling radio and preseason television contracts, administering front office activities and working together with new head coach Lou Holtz on trades and player development, which in 1976 included not only the college draft but also the veteran allocation for stocking the NFL's two new teams.
During the 1976 off-season, Ward completed one of the single most important steps in the Jets' return to prominence by naming Holtz as the club's sixth head coach. The announcement on February 10 climaxed an exhaustive three-month search spearheaded by Ward.
Ward himself was the object of an intense search. Upon naming Ward to the general manager's post, club President Phil Iselin said: 'In our search for a general manager, Al presented the background and experience that we were looking for. He had the highest recommendations from the most respected people in football.'
Holtz, a rookie pro coach, has similar feelings: 'You can always tell a man by the company he keeps. The main reason I'm with the New York Jets is because of Al. He's a proven winner in everything he's done. He's made so many friends for the Jets in the short time he's been here. He's the kind of people I want to be associated with.'
Ward began his pro football career as director of public relations for the American Football League when it was based in Dallas, from 1960 through 1962. When the league moved its offices to New York, Ward became director of public relations for the Southwest Conference and the Cotton Bowl until rejoining the AFL in 1965 in New York as director of promotions.
He joined the Cowboys after the 1965 season as director of public relations and became assistant general manager to Schramm in 1966. He was named a vice-president in 1972.
Ward is a native of Brownsville, Texas."

-1976 New York Jets Media Guide