After sleeping for only 90 minutes in the hours between hitting the stage as the No. 1 pick of the Tennessee Titans in the 2025 NFL Draft and sunrise in Green Bay, Cam Ward walked into the team complex with his eyes wide open on Friday morning.
“You have to be an elite communicator, that’s what I learned being in college,” Ward said. “I think that’s why we were able to have one of the best offenses at Miami last year. Continuing to get better each year, in and out, and making sure we’re always communicating.
“Being a teammate, being a real locker room guy, also holding people accountable. … At the end of the day, it all starts on the practice field. Nothing translates to game day if you don’t rep it over and over. I plan on getting to work.”
Between an embrace with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the lunchtime introductory press conference in Nashville on Friday, Ward had a celebration with his parents and “small circle” in Wisconsin and estimated he closed his eyes at 4 a.m. before a 5:30 wake-up call to appear on “Good Morning America.” Ward was soon aboard “Miss Amy’s” private jet — the mode of transportation belonging to Titans principal owner Amy Adams Strunk — for the dawning of his first day as a pro quarterback.
Make that, a franchise quarterback, a label not lost on Ward.
“Somebody who can lead their teammates for numerous amount of years, not just one season,” Ward said. “You’ve got to be consistent in the National Football League. That’s why you see some of the best quarterbacks out here, Pat (Mahomes), Josh (Allen) and Lamar (Jackson) in the playoffs every year. That’s where I want to get to in my career, real fast.”
Ward said he doesn’t get enough credit for processing what he sees on the field and his feel for the pocket. He plans to prove the Titans made the right pick.
“That’s all I really need, all I need is one shot, I’ll make the most of it,” Ward said. “For them to draft me No. 1 overall, I know they don’t regret it. I’m going to make sure they don’t.”
College football’s all-time leader in career passing touchdowns with 158, Ward played at FCS Incarnate Word, Washington State and Miami in five seasons. Preparation is a constant with Ward, whose coaches praised his eagerness to put in overtime watching film and fighting to get better.
“It’s something that you do fall in love with,” Ward said. “I really didn’t start learning football until I got to Wazzu. As I progressed throughout my career, I started to love it even more. I just think over time I’ve gotten better, learned how to watch film the right way.”
Ward was introduced by former Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon, who appeared in-person at the team headquarters to sign off on Ward wearing the jersey number 1.
“A lot of our journeys are similar about what we were told about not being good enough,” Moon said. “As far as the number an everything is concerned. I wore the No. 1 for a lot of reasons and I wore it for a long time. … I’m excited to see what he’s going to do with his legacy and wearing this number.”
Ward said he called Moon last month but didn’t know the live presentation was going to take place. He said the player, not the person, makes the number, and he knows he will be judged by performance. He said he didn’t know about Moon until February and began watching his highlights to make sure the Pro Football Hall of Famer was legit.
“He was,” Ward said with a laugh.
