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| Jeff Ballard (American football) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jeff Ballard |
| Birth date | 11 March 1963 |
| Birth place | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in |
| Weight | 280 lb |
| Position | Defensive end |
| College | Brigham Young University |
| Draftyear | 1986 |
| Draftpick | 87 |
| Pastteams | Seattle Seahawks (1986–1994), New Orleans Saints (1995) |
| Highlights | * Pro Bowl (1989) * All-Pro (1989) |
Jeff Ballard (American football) was an American professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League during the late 1980s and early 1990s. A standout at Brigham Young University, he was selected in the 1986 NFL Draft and became a key player for the Seattle Seahawks before finishing his career with the New Orleans Saints. Ballard earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition and later transitioned into roles in business and community engagement.
Ballard was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and raised in a region with strong ties to Brigham Young University and Utah State University sports culture. He attended high school in the Salt Lake area, where he competed in varsity football and track and field for a program that produced collegiate athletes bound for institutions such as University of Utah, BYU, Utah Utes, Colorado, and Arizona State University. During his prep career he drew recruiting interest from programs including Brigham Young University, Stanford, Notre Dame, USC, and University of Michigan.
Ballard enrolled at Brigham Young University and played for the BYU Cougars under head coach LaVell Edwards. At BYU he developed alongside teammates who would reach the NFL and compete in bowl games such as the Cotton Bowl Classic, Holiday Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. Ballard's collegiate career featured matchups against programs like Texas, University of Miami, Notre Dame, Boston College, and University of Alabama. He earned conference recognition in the Western Athletic Conference and was scouted by franchises including the Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Dallas Cowboys prior to the 1986 NFL Draft.
Selected in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, Ballard joined a roster coached by head coaches including Chuck Knox and later aligned with defensive coordinators and staff from organizations such as the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles through league coaching networks. In Seattle he became part of defensive units that faced AFC and NFC opponents like the San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Raiders, Green Bay Packers, and Dallas Cowboys. Ballard's 1989 season culminated in Pro Bowl selection and All-Pro honors; that year the Seahawks competed with playoff teams including the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Oilers.
After nearly a decade with the Seahawks, Ballard signed with the New Orleans Saints, joining a franchise coached by staff who had connections to teams such as the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, St. Louis Rams, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His NFL career paralleled contemporaries like Reggie White, Howie Long, Bruce Smith, Karl Mecklenburg, and Kevin Greene and intersected with landmark league developments overseen by the NFL Players Association and NFL Management Council.
Ballard combined the physical traits typical of elite defensive ends—length, leverage, and explosiveness—developed against college opponents from Pac-10 and Big Ten Conference programs. Analysts compared his technique to pass rushers who employed moves taught in clinics run by coaches from Oklahoma, Nebraska, Penn State, and LSU. His skill set emphasized edge containment versus mobile quarterbacks such as those from San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos, and gap discipline in schemes derived from coaching trees linked to Bill Walsh, Don Shula, Bill Parcells, and Tom Landry.
Ballard's strengths included sustained hand fighting, leverage against offensive tackles from Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers lineups, and run defense execution taught at professional seminars alongside players from New York Giants and Chicago Bears. Special teams and situational pass rush packages utilized his ability to set the edge on third downs during matchups with running backs from Oakland Raiders and receivers from New York Jets.
Ballard's personal life involved community and faith connections common in Utah, with ties to institutions such as Brigham Young University and regional organizations in Salt Lake City. He maintained relationships with former teammates who played for franchises including the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, and Kansas City Chiefs. Ballard engaged with charitable groups and alumni networks that collaborate with entities like United Way, local chapters of YMCA, and civic institutions in municipalities such as Seattle and New Orleans.
After retiring from the NFL, Ballard pursued business and community roles, interacting with corporate and nonprofit sectors connected to markets in Seattle, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and Dallas. His post-playing activities included mentorship and appearances at alumni events with programs like BYU Athletics, NFL alumni associations, and charitable initiatives supported by former players from Pro Football Hall of Fame circles. Ballard's legacy lives on in the histories of the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints franchises and in the record books of Brigham Young University football programs.
Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:American football defensive ends Category:Brigham Young University alumni Category:Seattle Seahawks players Category:New Orleans Saints players