Northwestern State University of Louisana

Ballard rewrote the record book as a quarterback for the Demons from 1974-76.  He earned first team All-Louisiana honors his sophomore season, beating out current Louisiana Hall of Fame member Steve Foley, who played quarterback at Tulane and became an All-Pro safety for the Denver Broncos.  During that season, Ballard completed 140 passes for 1,668 yards and three touchdowns.  His 140 completions currently ranks third on the NSU all-time single-season records list and was a school record at the time. A native of Bogalusa who originally attended Mississippi State, Ballard is the only first team All-Louisiana quarterback to hail from Northwestern.  Along with his All-Louisiana honor, Ballard also earned first team All-Gulf South Conference and All-American honorable mention accolades.  He was also named the team captain and most valuable player during his career.