Super Bowl champ to mobile app creator, Demarcus Ware has done it all
AUBURN, Ala. (BVM) – Super Bowl champion, nine-time Pro Bowler, high school long jump sensation and mobile app creator. The list of accolades on NFL linebacker Demarcus Ware鈥檚 report card don鈥檛 start – or end – there.
An Auburn native, Ware was a natural-born athlete. He attended Auburn High School and was a four-sport athlete who particularly excelled in football and track. Ware played both linebacker and wide receiver for the Tigers and was awarded the team’s Most Valuable award in both positions his senior year, while also snagging Top Leadership honors after he carried his team to an undefeated season. Ware closed out his final year with seven sacks and 55 total tackles. On the track, Ware recorded a personal-best of 7.14 meters in the long jump and posted a 6.74 second mark in the 55-meter dash.
Ware鈥檚 high school success was widely recognized and earned him a scholarship from Troy University where he attended from 2001-05. As a Trojan, Ware became one of the best defensive players in school history and led his team to the Silicon Valley Football Classic, the program鈥檚 first-ever bowl game.聽
He was named the 2004 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, was a finalist for the Hendricks Award, given to the top defensive end in college football, and finished his college career as the program鈥檚 all-time leader in tackles for a loss with 55.5. In 2012 and 2014, Ware was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame, respectively.
Ware entered the 2005 NFL Draft with high expectations and was taken 11th overall by the Dallas Cowboys, the first ever Troy University alumni and Sun Belt Conference athlete to be selected in the first round. Ware started his professional career off strong and earned the NFL Rookie of the Month award in October after posting 16 tackles, three sacks and seven quarterback pressures.聽
A dominant rookie season led Ware to seven historical years with the Cowboys before he was released after the 2014 season. Picked up the following day by the Denver Broncos, he signed a three-year, $30 million deal, with $20 million guaranteed. As a Bronco, Ware received Pro Bowl mention in 2014, was No. 36 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 list, and secured a Super Bowl championship that same year. It was the following season that the defensive end suffered a season-ending injury and underwent back surgery at the end of 2016. The following March, Ware announced his retirement from the NFL after 12 seasons, nine Pro Bowl appearances, 654 tackles and 138.5 sacks. In true loyal fashion, Ware signed a one-day contract with the Dallas Cowboys to retire as a member of the team that drafted him.
Fast forward four years and Ware has continued to feed his inner athlete. In December 2020, Ware released his own fitness app, Driven to Win, or D2W. Though he studied computer science at Troy University, Ware worked closely with Apple, Inc. beginning in 2019 to help get his vision off the ground. The workout app, which runs at $14.99 per month, guides users through workouts both at-home and in a gym. D2W provides 140 pro-quality exercises viewable from any angle to display perfect form for every movement. Workouts can be watched via a recording of a live trainer or with immersive augmented reality which allows users to virtually import a trainer into their workout space. The app also has the ability to sync with a user’s Apple Watch and suggest rest periods and workout levels based on the athlete’s heart and breath rate.
Explore the catalog of at-home workouts that can all be completed with zero equipment. Move through Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced routines following . Download the D2W Fitness App with the link below! 馃挭
Download the app:
— Driven To Win鈩� (@driventowin)
Now a certified trainer, it seems fair to assume Ware鈥檚 list of accolades will continue to deepen. With his new-found entrepreneurship opening countless doors and a recent 2021 induction into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, this Auburn native is sure to continue his illustrious career in inspiring fashion.
