Ballard to play in Hula Bowl
12/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 27, 2006
FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU quarterback Jeff Ballard has been invited to play in the Jan. 14 Hula Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. The game will be televised by ESPN.Ballard will be the first Horned Frog to play in the Hula Bowl since 2005 with linebacker Martin Patterson. In 2004, TCU was represented by placekicker Nick Browne with head coach Gary Patterson serving as an assistant.
A native of Friendswood, Texas, Ballard is the third Frog to be selected to a college all-star game this season. Offensive tackle Herb Taylor and safety Marvin White will play in the Jan. 20 East-West Shrine Game.
Ballard closed his TCU career last week by being named the Offensive Most Valuable Player in the 37-7 victory over Northern Illinois in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. Ballard ran for three touchdowns while passing for one in leading the No. 24 Frogs to their third 11-win season in the last four years.
Ballard repeated this season as the Dan Rogers Most Valuable Player for the TCU football team. He became just the fourth player in school history, and the first since LaDainian Tomlinson in 1999 and 2000, to twice be selected a team MVP. The voting came from Ballard's teammates.
With a 19-2 (.905) record, Ballard has the highest winning percentage by a starting quarterback in TCU history. He's also the Frogs' career leader in completion percentage (61.1). His 61.8 mark in 2006 set a new single-season TCU mark. Ballard's 59.9 percentage last season ranks third all-time.
Ballard's 4,204 yards passing rank fourth on the TCU career list.
Ballard was a second-team All-Mountain West Conference selection this season. He ended the campaign with no interceptions in his final 154 pass attempts.
