GREEN BAY, Wisc. (WTVF) — The Titans are expected to make Cam Ward the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft Thursday night.
Not bad for a once chunky, wing-T high school quarterback that got zero recruiting stars. It’s a story about patience, perseverance and the will to be great.
"You really just have to be patient with your time," Ward said Wednesday at the draft. "You never know what God has in store for you. It's not where you start up, it's where you finish. You've got to be willing to deal with the circumstances for the present to make good circumstances in the future."
After receiving very little recruiting interest, Ward started college at Incarnate Word, where he made an immediate impact as the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year in the COVID season of 2020. He was the conference's player of the year as a sophomore.
Ward then transferred to Washington State where he became a prolific passer, throwing for nearly 7,000 yards in two years. After initially declaring for the NFL Draft last year, Ward elected to return to school and enroll at Miami.
Last season with the Hurricanes, he threw for over 4,300 yards and became Division I's all-time passing touchdowns leader. He was named a consensus All-American and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
At each stop, he won over teammates, won games and improved his Draft profile.
"You've got to be able to handle different locker rooms," Ward said. "Especially going from Texas to Pullman to Miami, I was in three different locker rooms with three different cultures. So I got a chance to build a lot of relationships at all three schools that will last a lifetime. So I think it does help you for this position."
As he gets ready to make the jump to the NFL, Ward actually got the advice of a beloved former member of the Titans and Oilers organization. As a fellow Texan, Ward spoke with Hall of Fame Oilers quarterback Warren Moon, a member of the now Titans' Ring of Honor.
"Just getting his advice on what he had to go through, during his time that he played, being in Houston," Ward said. "And also what I can look forward to with my time, you know, if I get a chance to play with the organization he played for or somewhere else. It's been good catching up with him, talking with him and I intend to keep reaching out to him."
Asked for the biggest advice Moon gave him, Ward said it was to just be himself.
"Control what you can control," Ward said. "And just go out there and make plays."
