Gard entered his senior season as a returning starter at cornerback, but had not carried the ball on offense before this year. Head coach Trent Holt decided to take advantage of Gard's speed and now uses him as one of the running backs for the Grizzlies' offense.
Gard shares the tailback duties with Kyle John and is the team's second-leading rusher so far with 427 yards after five games.
He said he was glad when Holt gave him his chance to run the ball.
"I was ready. I always wanted to play running back, but I still like playing defense better," said Gard. "I like making interceptions-that's the best part of it."
Gard has picked off two passes this season, including one that ignited a 48-12 romp over previously undefeated Kiefer on Sept. 29. He intercepted the pass and returned it 90 yards to open the scoring and stop an early Kiefer drive.
"They were running the ball real good on us and got down to about the 20-yard line. On third down, I picked it off at about the 10 and had a bunch of people blocking for me," said Gard. "It's just a great feeling when you know you're going to go score."
Gard has played football since the fifth grade. He came to Gans from Muldrow during his ninth-grade year and played his first football game for the Grizzlies as a sophomore. It turned out to be a rough night for Gard, who broke his arm in the season-opening win over Arkoma.
"It was in the third quarter and I snapped a bone in my arm. I didn't tell anyone and played the rest of the game," he said. "I don't know if that made it any worse or not. I missed about five games, but my first game back, I had an interception."
Gard has played a role on Grizzly teams that have twice advanced to the state quarterfinals while winning 24 of 29 games. He said the biggest win was the 34-12 victory against Central last season.
"It was great because of the rivalry and because it was the last time we'd ever play them, at least for now," said Gard.
One team he would like to play again is Morrison, because it could only happen if the Grizzlies make a deep run in the Class B playoffs this year. The Wildcats have ended Gans' last two seasons in the state quarterfinals and routed the Grizzlies in week four of this season.
"They do everything right," said Gard.
The senior also participates in baseball, track and powerlifting at Gans. He placed fourth at the eight-man football powerlifting state meet last spring and considers weightlifting his main hobby.
"I lift weights a lot with my dad. It was just something that me and my dad could do together," said Gard. "It's kind of hard during football season, but normally we lift four times a week."
That paid off last summer, when Gard took first place in a competition hosted by Turner Fitness Center in Sallisaw. He bench-pressed 240 pounds to win the 148-pound weight class in his age division.
"We're going back in December for another one and I'm hoping to do a lot better," he said.
Nick Gard, Gans
Birthday: January 5, 1989
Family: Parents Shawn and Sherri Gard, Kim Smith; siblings Josh, Jacob and Ashley McCleod, Ashley Gard
Sports: Football, baseball, track, powerlifting
Favorite Movie: "Remember the Titans"
Favorite TV Show: "That 70s Show"
Favorite Band: Nickelback
Favorite Food: Bacon cheeseburgers
Favorite Team: Oklahoma Sooners
Favorite Athlete: Adrian Peterson
