INDIANAPOLIS – Cam Ward's first interactions with the Tennessee Titans have been positive.
"We've had good interactions," the Miami quarterback said on Friday from the NFL Combine. "Myself, with coach (Brian) Callahan, the quarterbacks coach and also the GM. It's a great staff they have put together. They have unbelievable players. I just hope God puts me in a good situation."
Whether the Titans pick Ward with the first pick of the NFL Draft, well, that remains to be seen.
Ward thinks he'd be up for the challenge if that ended up being the case.
"I think I know a decent amount (about the Tennessee's offense)," Ward said. "I was able to watch a couple of their games this past season. A lot of their route concepts are similar stuff that we do (at Miami). So, if I'm drafted there, I just think it'd be plug-and-play."
Ward spoke to reporters here at the NFL Combine on Friday morning, at the same time as Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Ward said he won't throw here in Indianapolis, but he'll instead do everything at his Pro Day next month.
Ward did plenty in college, when he set the NCAA record with 158 pass touchdown passes in his career at Incarnate Word (two years), Washington State (two years) and Miami (one season). In 2024 with the Hurricanes, Ward threw for 4,313 yards and a school-record 39 touchdown passes en route to being named ACC Player of the Year.
Ward won the Davey O'Brien Award (nation's top QB), and he was a finalist for Heisman Trophy (finished 4th in voting).
"I think just what separates me from everybody is the way I approach it, the mindset that I have going onto the field each and every game," Ward said. "And coming from my journey, not a lot of people can do that. So, I just think it shows the world that I'm willing to put in (the work) — whether I go first round or second round, at the end of the day … it's all about establishing yourself with each and every opportunity.
"And I am willing to do anything it takes to win a football game, whether it's be a gunslinger all day, or have to hand the ball off a couple of times. At the end of the day, I know the type of player I am. The teams should know the type of player they are getting in me. I just want to go out there and do the best for myself and my future teammates."
Ward said he's capable of being a leader, in his own way.
"I'm not a rah-rah guy," Ward said. "At this point in your career in the NFL, you shouldn't need somebody to motivate you every day. You've got to be self-motivated. That's the type of person I am, that's the type of leader I am. So, I just think what I can bring to a franchise, no other player brings that."
While Sanders is doing his best to sell himself to teams – and media – here at the NFL Combine, Ward wants to do the same.
In the end, Ward predicts both quarterbacks will have success in the NFL.
"I think we'll both end up being one of the best quarterbacks in the league," Ward said. "I just think the work that he and I are willing to put in, the relationship we have to constantly compete each and every day to better our craft, I think it's going to pay off in the long run.
"We play around, we joke around with (who might go first or ahead of the other). But it really don't mean nothing. A draft pick will never mean anything. At the end of the day, you've got to show whether you can prove it each and every Sunday. You can't just do it one year and show up the next year. You've got to do it every time you step on the field."
