DeMarcus Ware
Auburn native DeMarcus Ware (1982- ) was a star linebacker and defensive end for the Troy University Trojans who became one of the most successful defensive players in Trojan history. Ware went on to play linebacker and defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He led the NFL in sacks for two separate seasons and became the second fastest player to reach 100 sacks during his career. He has been inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
DeMarcus Omar Ware was born on July 31, 1982, in Auburn, Lee County, to Brenda Ware, who raised him as a single mother. (He would reconnect with his father later in life.) As a student at Auburn High School, Ware played baseball as a pitcher and right fielder. After Ware injured his arm, his baseball coach steered him toward football. Although Ware played only two seasons of high school football and split time with track and field, he eventually became the football team’s top linebacker.
Ware received his only football scholarship offer from Troy State University (present-day Troy University), in Troy, Pike County, which had just joined the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2001. Upon earning a starting position as a sophomore in 2002, Ware was part of a formidable defensive line for the Trojans alongside fellow Auburn High graduate Osi Umenyiora, who eventually became a standout defensive end for the New York Giants. In his senior season, Ware received the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year award and led the Trojans to their very first bowl game. In the last-ever Silicon Valley Football Classic in 2004, the Trojans lost to the Northern Illinois University Huskies. But Ware’s success brought national attention to the Sun Belt Conference and helped the Troy Trojans firmly establish themselves within Division I college football. By the time he graduated, Ware set the school’s record for tackles for loss with 55.5 total. For his accomplishments at Troy, Ware was selected to the Sun Belt Conference All-Decade Team of the 2000s and inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame.
After his successful tenure at Troy, Ware was selected by the Dallas Cowboys as the 11th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. He was the first player from Troy or the Sun Belt Conference to be selected in the first round of the draft. Almost immediately, Ware became an integral part of the Cowboys’ defense. During his rookie season, he was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for October 2005. Later that season, he was named the National Football Conference’s (NFC) Defensive Player of the Week. In his breakout game, he recorded three sacks and three forced fumbles against the Carolina Panthers.
Throughout his Cowboys career, Ware established himself as one of the premier edge rushers in the NFL with his skill in outmaneuvering offensive tackles and bringing down the opposing team’s quarterback. From 2006 to 2012, he led the Cowboys in sacks and was named to seven straight Pro Bowl teams those years. He also led the entire league in sacks during the 2008 and 2010 seasons; in 2008, he became the first Cowboys player to record 20 sacks in a season. By the time he left the Cowboys, he held the team’s top three spots for total sacks in a season with 20 in 2008, 19.5 in 2011, and 15.5 in 2010. During his last season for the Cowboys, Ware became the franchise leader in sacks with 117 total. He also set the Cowboys’ records for forced fumbles (32), tackles for loss (145), and quarterback hits (185). Although the team only won one playoff game during Ware’s tenure, his leadership helped the team stay competitive. After dealing with multiple injuries and with a much-diminished performance in the 2013 season, Ware was released by the Cowboys on March 11, 2014.
One day after he was released, Ware signed a three-year contract with the Denver Broncos. In his first season with his new team, Ware recorded ten sacks and was selected to yet another Pro Bowl. In 2015, however, Ware struggled with back injuries and missed five games. Despite the initial frustration, Ware was essential to the Broncos’ successful playoff run, which revolved around the team’s defensive dominance. In the AFC Divisional Round, he recovered a key fumble to keep the Broncos ahead in a close game and recorded an important late-game fourth-down sack to slow down the Steelers’ last-minute comeback attempt just enough for the Broncos to win 23-16. The following week, Ware helped keep a historically good Patriots team led by Tom Brady in check during a close AFC Championship game. And, he recorded two sacks to help the Broncos triumph in Super Bowl L against the one-loss Carolina Panthers led by former Auburn University Tigers star and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. Ware played one more injury-riddled season with the Broncos and retired on April 24, 2017.
Ware married Taniqua Smith in 2005. Together, they had two sons, one of whom died shortly after birth, and adopted a daughter. The two divorced in 2012. Ware married Angela Daniel in 2021, and the couple had a son later that year.
After retiring from the NFL, Ware started his own gym, 3 Volt Fitness, out of his garage in Dallas. He has remained involved on the Broncos sideline as a mentor for new players. In 2018, he participated in season 27 of Dancing with the Stars, where he was eliminated one week before the semi-finals.
Ware has earned many accolades honoring his athletic career. He was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame in 2014, and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. Throughout his time in the NFL, he consistently ranked among the league’s top 100 players. He was selected to nine Pro Bowls and voted first-team All-Pro four times. For his productive time in the NFL, Ware was named part of the league’s 2000s All-Decade Team and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
