Rasheed Ward was thinking big.

After the Iowa City NIKE Camp last May, Ward received recruiting calls from Tennessee, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois and Northwestern. They all wanted one of Chicago’s top football talents.

Then schools stopped calling.

The 5-foot-10 wide receiver went on to have a break-out senior season. 45 catches. 1,189 yards. 25 touchdowns. First-team All Chicago Public League selection.

Despite his stellar year, he received only one scholarship offer — Northwestern.

“I guess they just didn’t want to bother with me,” said Ward of the other schools.

Ward, who also lettered in track, didn’t start playing football until his freshman year of high school. But, just three years later he had Iowa, Louisiana State, Florida State, Southern California and Tennessee on his list of interested schools after impressing the coaches at the Iowa Camp. He received calls from Iowa and Tennessee.

He said he didn’t know why coaches stopped pursuing him. NU was the only school not to bow out, and Ward eventually committed to the Wildcats after flirting with Missouri late in the signing period.

Although the Cats weren’t his first choice, Ward said he wasn’t that disappointed when other school’s interest waned.

“This is a great opportunity to get out of the neighborhood I’m in,” Ward said. “I’m going to get a good education and play Big Ten football.”

Ward attends Chicago Harper High School in the South Side of Chicago and lives with his grandparents and six siblings. He’s lived with his grandparents for most of his life.

“His parents just got on the wrong track so we’re taking care of him,” said Ward’s grandmother, Yvonne Ward.

The wide receiver is the first player from the Chicago Public League to sign with NU coach Randy Walker.

Ward’s high school has lower than a 60 percent graduation rate according to the Chicago Public Schools’ Web site. In the 2002-03 school year, none of the 1,375 students in the school exceeded standards in math or writing on the state achievement tests. Only 1 percent of the students met the math standards and fewer than 10 percent in writing.

Ward, an honor roll student and member of the National Honor Society, has a 3.8 grade point average — up from a 3.7 earlier this year — and scored a 20 on the ACT (equivalent to a 940-970 on the SAT). His high school’s average score is a 13.9, according to Chicago Public Schools.

In NU’s class of 2008, five of the 105 students who applied with a 20 or less on their ACT were admitted, as listed on the school’s admissions Web site.

“I feel I can handle the work, it will be a good challenge for me,” Ward said.

Ward’s high school football coach, Terry Lewis, said he’s not concerned about the receiver adjusting to NU’s academic standards.

“I wouldn’t have been so supportive if I knew he wouldn’t be OK academically,” Lewis said. “He’s a mature young man and he understands what he has to do to be successful; he’s never had an academic problem.

“Like a lot of kids, he’s going to need some help in terms of adjustments, but once he adjusts he’s going to be OK.”

Lewis said Ward is the best receiver he’s coached in 37 years.

“Some are faster, some are taller, some run good routes, but Rasheed has the whole package,” Lewis said. “Northwestern will be very happy with him.”

Ward is the only wide receiver in this year’s class and comes into a receiving corps that will feature three seniors and a junior next season. But, Lewis said he believes Ward will earn playing time in his first season.

Lewis said Chicago Harper runs a similar offense that of NU, which should benefit Ward. Still, Lewis foresees challenges.

“I think the biggest problem will be the terminology of plays,” Lewis said. “I’m looking for Rasheed to go in and get some playing time. He’s determined to get in this season.”

If he plays next year, Ward may have opportunities to show opposing coaches what they passed up. NU faces four teams this season that recruited Ward — Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.

“I’m going (to NU) for the education,” Ward said. “But I expect to get a little playing time next year, if not a lot. I expect to play and I’ll be ready.”

Reach Abe Rakov at [email protected].