Last Updated on November 5, 2026 by Mariah Miranda
Alex Ward is an American football long snapper for the Las Vegas Raiders in the National Football League (NFL). Born on April 22, 1999, Ward grew up in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, before playing college football at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
Beyond his professional football career, Ward comes from a family with strong connections to education, public service and athletics. His father, Jim Ward, is a judge in Florida, while his grandfathers, James Ward and Allen Koester, had distinguished careers in public service and the United States Air Force.
In his personal life, Ward is married to Angela Kulikov, an American professional tennis player. The couple met in Los Angeles in 2023 and married on March 29, 2026, in Agoura Hills, California.
Ward also has an older sister who played an important role in introducing him to competitive tennis during childhood.
Here is everything publicly known about Alex Ward’s family, including his wife, children, parents and siblings.
Alex Ward’s Wife: Angela Kulikov
Alex Ward is married to Angela Kulikov, a professional tennis player who previously competed at the University of Southern California (USC).
The couple’s relationship began in 2023, shortly after Ward entered the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams.
Both athletes have spoken publicly about their relationship and how they supported each other’s professional ambitions.
In March 2024, the Rams published an extensive interview featuring Ward and Kulikov, discussing their first meeting, shared interests and experiences as professional athletes.
The relationship subsequently developed into marriage, with the couple celebrating their wedding in March 2026.
Who Is Angela Kulikov?
Angela Kirsten Kulikov is an American professional tennis player born on March 31, 1998, in Los Angeles, California.
She grew up in Southern California and began playing tennis at a young age.
Her parents are Vadim Kulikov and Debbie De Jesus, and she has a younger brother named Chris.
These family details are documented in her official University of Southern California athletics biography.
Angela developed into a highly ranked junior tennis player before joining USC in 2016.
During her college career, she competed in singles and doubles and earned academic and athletic recognition.
Her achievements included All-American honors in doubles and All-Pac-12 recognition.
She subsequently pursued professional tennis, competing in international tournaments.
In October 2022, Kulikov achieved a career-high WTA doubles ranking of world No. 57.
Her career included appearances at major international tournaments, including the French Open and Wimbledon.
Angela’s background in professional sports has helped her understand the demands associated with Ward’s NFL career.
How Did Alex Ward Meet Angela Kulikov?
Alex Ward and Angela Kulikov met through an unusual connection involving tennis and golf.
According to their March 2024 interview with the Los Angeles Rams, Kulikov had returned to Los Angeles after competing at the French Open.
She needed a practice partner because several of her usual training partners were still competing in Europe.
Angela posted a message on Instagram asking whether anyone in the Los Angeles area was available to practice tennis with her.
Ward responded and volunteered.
However, their first meeting did not involve a tennis practice.
Instead, Ward invited her to join him for a round of golf with Rams punter Ethan Evans and former Rams kicker Tanner Brown.
Angela accepted the invitation, and the two began getting to know each other.
After she returned from another trip to Europe, they went on several dates.
Their relationship developed during the summer of 2023, when Ward was preparing for his first NFL season.
By the time Angela competed at the US Open that year, they had become a couple.
How Alex Ward and Angela Kulikov Supported Each Other’s Careers
One of the distinctive aspects of their relationship is that both are professional athletes.
Although Ward plays American football and Kulikov competes in tennis, they have discovered ways to support each other’s training.
During their Rams interview, Angela explained that Alex had become a valuable tennis practice partner.
Ward had played competitive tennis during childhood and possessed a powerful serve.
Angela used his serving ability to practice returning difficult shots, particularly during doubles training.
She credited the practice sessions with helping improve her return game.
In return, Angela helped Ward practice long snapping.
She learned how to catch his snaps and provide feedback about their accuracy and placement.
Although catching a football traveling at high speed was initially challenging, she became comfortable enough to assist him during offseason workouts.
The couple explained that their different sports created opportunities to learn from one another.
They also understood the pressure associated with competing professionally and maintaining demanding training schedules.
When Did Alex Ward Get Married?
Alex Ward and Angela Kulikov married on March 29, 2026, in Agoura Hills, California.
The couple held their wedding at Villa di Rocca, a venue in the Santa Monica Mountains area.
The date and location are documented on their wedding website, published through The Knot.
The ceremony was scheduled for 4 p.m., followed by a cocktail hour and reception.
The wedding was subsequently featured by Bridal Guide in an article about the couple’s celebration.
According to the publication, family members, friends and fellow athletes attended the event.
The celebration included several references to the couple’s sporting backgrounds.
In one memorable moment, a former teammate of Ward attempted a field goal during the festivities.
Football and tennis were also reflected in other elements of the celebration.
The couple served pizza during dinner, a reference to their first date.
They also prepared homemade hot honey as wedding favors because they enjoy cooking together.
The celebration brought together important people from their personal and professional lives.
Does Alex Ward Have Children?
Alex Ward and his wife, Angela Kulikov, have no publicly confirmed children.
The Las Vegas Raiders long snapper has not made a verified public announcement about becoming a father.
Similarly, reliable reporting about their wedding and personal relationship has not identified any sons or daughters.
Although the couple has shared details about their relationship and marriage, they have not publicly confirmed plans regarding parenthood.
Consequently, there is no reliable basis for claiming that they have children.
Alex Ward’s Parents
Alex Ward grew up in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, in a family with longstanding connections to public service.
His father is Jim Ward, a judge who has served in Florida’s First Judicial Circuit.
While his father’s identity and professional background are documented, reliable public sports biographies provide limited information about his mother.
Alex Ward’s Father: Jim Ward
Alex Ward’s father is Jim Ward, a Florida judge and former Eagle Scout.
His professional background has been documented by Forbes and Mid Bay News.
In an October 2022 interview with Forbes, Alex described his father’s work ethic as an important influence on his personal development.
He explained that watching his father remain dedicated to his responsibilities encouraged him to approach football and education with similar discipline.
Jim has worked in the judicial system in Okaloosa County, Florida.
According to a July 2024 report by Mid Bay News, he served as a judge in Florida’s First Judicial Circuit.
His involvement in public service contributed to the values emphasized during Alex’s upbringing.
How Jim Ward Influenced His Son’s Career
Jim Ward played an important role in Alex’s personal development, particularly through his involvement in scouting.
Both father and son became Eagle Scouts, the highest rank awarded through the Scouts BSA program.
During a July 2024 event in Fort Walton Beach, Alex discussed how scouting had helped him develop leadership and communication skills.
He credited his father and grandfather with encouraging his involvement in the organization.
Alex explained that scouting taught him how to work with different groups of people and adapt to changing responsibilities.
He believed those experiences prepared him for some of the challenges of professional football.
In the NFL, players must quickly establish relationships with new teammates, coaches and staff members.
Ward said the leadership skills he developed during scouting helped him navigate those situations.
His father’s influence also extended to education and professional discipline.
During his college career, Ward pursued an engineering degree while competing at the highest level of college football.
He has acknowledged that his family’s work ethic helped him manage both responsibilities.
Alex Ward’s Mother
Alex Ward’s mother has maintained a relatively private life.
Although Ward has publicly discussed several members of his family, his official Raiders and UCF biographies do not identify his mother by name.
Reliable interviews reviewed for this profile also do not provide enough information to establish her occupation or other personal background.
Consequently, her identity and private biographical details are not presented without independent verification.
Ward’s publicly documented family history focuses particularly on his father, sister and grandfathers.
Alex Ward’s Siblings
Alex Ward has at least one sibling, an older sister whose involvement in tennis helped shape his childhood sporting interests.
He confirmed having an older sister during a March 2024 interview with the Los Angeles Rams.
However, her name and other personal details have not been established through reliable public reporting.
Alex Ward’s Older Sister
Alex Ward’s older sister played tennis while attending middle school in Florida.
According to Ward’s interview with the Rams, he became interested in the sport after watching his sister participate.
At the time, he was in fourth grade.
He explained that, as her younger brother, he wanted to become better than her at tennis.
That competitive motivation encouraged him to begin practicing regularly.
Ward and his sister subsequently attended tennis lessons together.
His interest developed into a serious commitment, and he became one of the leading young players in the Fort Walton Beach area.
Eventually, Ward became skilled enough to consider focusing on tennis rather than football.
Although his sister has not received extensive media attention, her influence helped introduce him to a sport that would later become important in his relationship with Angela Kulikov.
Does Alex Ward Have a Brother?
No brother has been publicly identified in the reliable NFL, college football or family interviews reviewed.
His older sister is the only sibling whose relationship to the Raiders long snapper has been independently confirmed.
However, the available reporting does not establish whether he has additional siblings.
Alex Ward’s Grandparents
Alex Ward’s family includes two grandfathers who had notable careers in public service.
His grandfather Allen Koester served in the United States Air Force, while James Ward served in the Florida House of Representatives.
Both men are mentioned in reporting about Alex’s education, upbringing and professional ambitions.
Allen Koester: Alex Ward’s Grandfather
Allen Koester was Alex Ward’s grandfather and a retired United States Air Force officer.
According to the Raiders’ official biography, Koester served in the military for 28 years.
He retired as Assistant Vice Commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center at Eglin Air Force Base.
His career involved aviation and military technology, fields that influenced Alex’s academic interests.
In an October 2022 interview with Forbes, Ward explained that his grandfather inspired him to pursue mechanical and aerospace engineering.
Alex became interested in engineering during elementary school.
He admired Koester’s professional accomplishments and wanted to follow a similar educational path.
Ward eventually selected the University of Central Florida partly because of its mechanical engineering program.
His grandfather had died before the interview was published, but his influence remained important in Alex’s academic development.
James Ward: Alex Ward’s Grandfather
James Ward was another of Alex Ward’s grandfathers.
According to Forbes, James served in the Florida House of Representatives.
His political career contributed to the family’s history of public service.
He was also involved in scouting, helping establish a tradition that continued through subsequent generations.
During a July 2024 scouting event, Alex discussed how his father and grandfather helped encourage his participation in the organization.
Ward’s family background therefore includes involvement in the judiciary, state government, military service and community organizations.
How Cancer Affected Alex Ward’s Family
Alex Ward has also spoken about the impact of cancer on his family.
During the Los Angeles Rams’ 2023 Crucial Catch campaign, he shared experiences involving relatives and people close to him who had been affected by the disease.
According to an official Rams report published in October 2023, two of Ward’s grandparents had received cancer diagnoses.
He also discussed the death of Patrick Keefe, a former teammate and important high school role model who died from brain cancer.
Ward explained that these experiences helped him recognize the importance of early detection and medical awareness.
His grandfather’s experience with cancer was particularly meaningful because the illness had been detected early enough to allow treatment.
Through the Rams’ Crucial Catch initiative, Ward supported efforts to raise awareness about cancer screening and prevention.
His participation reflected a personal connection to the cause rather than simply a professional obligation.
Alex Ward’s Early Life in Florida
Alex Ward grew up in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where he attended Choctawhatchee High School.
He developed interests in several activities, including football, tennis, scouting and engineering.
During childhood, his older sister introduced him to competitive tennis.
Ward became an accomplished local player and eventually considered pursuing the sport seriously.
During his junior year of high school, he temporarily stopped playing football to concentrate on tennis.
However, after competing against stronger opponents in other parts of the country, he reconsidered his athletic direction.
He eventually returned to football and specialized as a long snapper.
Alongside athletics, Ward maintained strong academic performance.
He graduated from Choctawhatchee High School summa cum laude in 2017.
He also earned the Eagle Scout rank, reflecting his involvement in community service and youth leadership.
Alex Ward’s College Football Career at UCF
Alex Ward joined the University of Central Florida football program in 2017 as a preferred walk-on.
He initially served as a backup long snapper before eventually earning a starting role.
During the 2019 season, Ward became the team’s regular long snapper.
He continued handling snapping responsibilities during the following seasons and developed into one of the nation’s leading specialists.
In 2021, he earned third-team All-American recognition from Phil Steele.
He also became a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, presented to the top long snapper in college football.
Ward continued his success during the 2022 season, earning second-team All-American recognition.
He was selected as a Mannelly Award finalist for the second consecutive year.
His accomplishments also included an invitation to the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.
Across his college career, Ward appeared in 50 games.
Alex Ward’s Education and Engineering Background
Education has been an important part of Alex Ward’s personal development.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UCF in December 2021.
He subsequently pursued additional studies in integrated business.
During college, Ward participated in Lockheed Martin’s College Work Experience Program.
His engineering work included projects involving camera-targeting technology for Apache helicopters.
The experience connected his childhood interest in aviation technology with his academic education.
In 2022, UCF selected Ward for the Order of Pegasus, one of the university’s highest student honors.
The recognition celebrates academic achievement, leadership, university involvement and community service.
Ward also earned multiple American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team selections.
His accomplishments reflected his family’s emphasis on education, discipline and professional responsibility.
Alex Ward’s NFL Career
Alex Ward entered the NFL in 2023 after completing his college football career at UCF.
Although he was not selected in the NFL Draft, he signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2023.
Ward earned the team’s long snapper position and appeared in 13 regular-season games during his rookie season.
He worked alongside punter Ethan Evans and the Rams’ kicking specialists.
During the 2024 season, Ward appeared in all 17 regular-season games.
He contributed to the team’s punting and field-goal operations, helping the Rams maintain consistency on special teams.
His professional career also provided opportunities to participate in charitable activities, including the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative.
During the 2025 season, he appeared in eight games before being released by Los Angeles in November.
Alex Ward Joins the Las Vegas Raiders
On January 20, 2026, the Las Vegas Raiders announced that they had signed Alex Ward to a reserve/future contract.
The move provided him with an opportunity to compete for a place on the team’s special teams unit.
Ward joined Las Vegas as an experienced long snapper with three previous NFL seasons behind him.
He entered the 2026 campaign wearing jersey number 47.
His transition to the Raiders also coincided with an important period in his personal life, as he married Angela Kulikov in March 2026.
Ward continued his professional career in Las Vegas while building his life with his wife.
Alex Ward’s Family Values and Community Involvement
Family values have played an important role in Ward’s approach to athletics, education and community service.
His father and grandfather introduced him to scouting, where he developed leadership skills and participated in service projects.
His Eagle Scout project involved constructing indoor and outdoor benches for the Meigs Middle School football program.
He also helped create training equipment designed to teach young offensive linemen proper blocking technique.
In July 2024, Ward returned to Fort Walton Beach to speak at a scouting event.
During his presentation, he discussed the importance of teamwork, responsibility and adapting to new leadership situations.
He also received formal recognition for his Eagle Scout achievement after previously missing his ceremony because of football commitments.
His involvement in cancer awareness initiatives further demonstrated his interest in helping others.
These activities reflect the influence of relatives who pursued careers in public service, education and the military.
Frequently Asked Questions About Alex Ward’s Family
Who is Alex Ward’s wife?
Alex Ward’s wife is Angela Kulikov, an American professional tennis player who attended the University of Southern California.
Is Alex Ward married?
Yes. Alex Ward married professional tennis player Angela Kulikov on March 29, 2026, in Agoura Hills, California.
How did Alex Ward meet his wife?
Alex Ward met Angela Kulikov in 2023 after responding to her Instagram request for a tennis practice partner. Instead of playing tennis during their first meeting, they went golfing with other Rams players.
When did Alex Ward get married?
Alex Ward and Angela Kulikov married on March 29, 2026, at Villa di Rocca in Agoura Hills, California.
Does Alex Ward have children?
Alex Ward and Angela Kulikov have no publicly confirmed children.
Who are Alex Ward’s parents?
Alex Ward’s father is Jim Ward, a Florida judge. His mother’s name has not been independently established through reliable public sports reporting.
Who is Alex Ward’s father?
His father is Jim Ward, who has served as a judge in Florida and encouraged his son’s involvement in scouting and education.
Who is Alex Ward’s mother?
Alex Ward has not publicly identified his mother in the major NFL and college athletics biographies reviewed.
Does Alex Ward have a sister?
Yes. Alex Ward has an older sister who played tennis during middle school. He credited her with inspiring his own interest in the sport.
What is Alex Ward’s sister’s name?
Her name has not been independently confirmed through reliable public reporting.
Does Alex Ward have a brother?
No brother has been publicly identified in the reliable family interviews and official player biographies reviewed.
Who are Alex Ward’s grandparents?
His grandfathers include Allen Koester, a former United States Air Force officer, and James Ward, who served in the Florida House of Representatives.
Did Alex Ward play tennis?
Yes. Ward was an accomplished young tennis player in Florida and briefly concentrated on the sport during high school before returning to football.
What did Alex Ward study in college?
Alex Ward earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Central Florida and later pursued studies in integrated business.
Was Alex Ward drafted into the NFL?
No. Alex Ward entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2023, signing with the Los Angeles Rams.
What NFL team does Alex Ward play for?
Alex Ward plays long snapper for the Las Vegas Raiders, whom he joined in January 2026 after spending three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.
Mariah Miranda is a dedicated sports journalist specializing in comprehensive NFL coverage, playbook strategy, and team analytics. From offseason Draft planning and free-agency moves to weekly matchup breakdowns and playoff pushes, she delivers clear, data-driven analysis of every division in the league. Driven by a deep understanding of football tactics and locker-room dynamics, Mariah brings fans closer to the gridiron with sharp commentary and player updates.
