San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward, 28, has shared an update about his life following the tragic loss of his 23-month-old daughter, Amani Joy, in October 2024.
During an interview on January 6, Ward admitted that he’s unsure about his future in California, where both good and bad memories live.
“I’ve got a lot of trauma in California,” Ward shared with reporters. “I had a lot of great times, but the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, that’s probably going to ever happen to me — knock on wood — happened in California.”
He continued, “Every time I get on a plane and come back to California, Santa Clara, San Jose, and show up here, it just brings up bad memories.”
Amani, whom Ward shared with girlfriend Monique Cook, passed away after battling heart issues. Though the exact cause of her death has not been revealed, the loss has left a lasting impact on Ward and his partner.
“I go home every night by myself because my girl, she doesn’t want to come back to California because of what happened,” he revealed. “So, it is hard being alone, and she’s my strength right now. I need her, and so her not being able to be around me if I’m in California, it’d be tough.”
The cornerback also opened up about struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the trauma.
“I get PTSD a lot,” Ward shared. “I be throwing up, waking up in the middle of the night all the time, sweating and stuff like that. It’s tough, it’s tough. But, you know, we’ll see how it goes. It’s going to be interesting for sure.”
As a free agent, Ward’s future with the 49ers is still up in the air, although general manager John Lynch has indicated a desire to re-sign him if the terms make sense.
“It feels like a final goodbye, but you just never know,” Ward said. “I talked to John Lynch and there’s a possibility that I could be back here. If I am, hopefully we can finish the job and win a Super Bowl next year.”
