NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The smile on Cameron Ward‘s face mentioned all of it when requested what he needed to get his dad, Calvin, for Father’s Day.
“Looking for Father’s Day, that is the toughest purchasing to do,” Ward instructed ESPN. “I imply what do you get for somebody who already has every little thing? I do not know what I will get him, as a result of he ain’t actually ask for s—.”
Having already paid to have his dad and mom’ home constructed final yr when he was in faculty at Miami, Ward struggled to provide you with a bodily present for his dad. He laughed as he recalled gifting his dad an ATV for Christmas years in the past, when his mother, Patrice, had gotten him a mini NASCAR race monitor.
Then the right thought got here to thoughts.
“I simply actually wish to spend time with him,” Ward mentioned.
Time. That is the perfect present he might give.
The Tennessee Titans made Ward the No. 1 decide in April, hoping he might change into the reply at quarterback that that they had been looking for. He attributes his journey to his dad and mom, with sports activities being a staple of their family.
“I simply all the time had sports activities round me,” Ward mentioned. “I come from a sports activities background with my dad and my mother. I simply all the time needed to play skilled sports activities. I believe that was simply my calling.”
The Ward household, a close-knit group of 5, has bonded on many journeys — loading up the SUV and hitting the highway to attend numerous sports activities camps. They began by going to camps at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, when Cameron was in fourth grade. He tagged alongside along with his two older sisters, Aaliyah and Chantel, who had been basketball gamers.
Calvin supported his son as he performed numerous sports activities similar to basketball, soccer, baseball and even golf, however having been a former walk-on faculty quarterback at Houston, Calvin taught his son the game he knew greatest when Cameron was 8 years outdated — establishing nets within the yard to throw into.
“Cameron fell in love with the exercises,” Calvin mentioned. “From a younger age he was all the time like, ‘I wish to be knowledgeable athlete in one thing.’ My philosophy was all the time to play as many sports activities as you need. The highway would finally slender by itself.”
THE PROCESS OF getting observed by faculties wasn’t straightforward, however Cameron leaned on his dad all through his taking part in days at West Columbia Excessive Faculty, which is about an hour outdoors of Houston.
Taking part in in a run-heavy Wing T offense restricted his passing alternatives, as he tried 267 passes for two,261 yards in three years. To place that into perspective, Hudson Card — the No. 1-ranked quarterback within the state for the 2020 class in keeping with the ESPN 300 (No. 40 total) — tried 216 passes in 9 video games throughout his senior yr, in keeping with Max Preps, and 369 passes in 15 video games as a junior.
Calvin emailed faculty coaches throughout his son’s junior yr in hopes of getting the zero-star recruit his first provide. He sought out different dad and mom whose children went to the NFL for recommendation on the best way to get extra publicity.
He didn’t wish to be a father or mother who felt his son was higher than everybody else, so he targeted on getting suggestions to make his son higher.
“I trusted the dad and mom that I talked to which may have had children that been by way of [this],” Calvin mentioned, “[telling them], ‘I would like you to be practical about my son. He needs to play on a better stage. I do not want you to sugarcoat something with me.'”
Among the suggestions was to work on his footwork by incorporating soar ropes into his drills. In addition they labored on agility.
“It wasn’t a lot about chasing a scholarship per se, it was simply chasing enchancment,” Calvin mentioned.
In addition they took highway journeys to soccer camps in hopes of getting Cameron on the radar of faculties. A kind of journeys known as for a 3 a.m. wake-up to depart by 5 a.m. for a six-hour trip to East Texas Baptist College, solely to return residence the identical day.
“That is spectacular dedication to serving to his son,” Titans coach Brian Callahan mentioned of Calvin chauffeuring his son throughout Texas simply to offer him an opportunity to be observed.
Throughout these highway journeys, they talked about extra than simply life. Despite the fact that they did not like the identical music genres, they discovered frequent floor by listening to native radio stations. The journeys supplied alternatives for Cameron to ask about his grandparents and what life was like rising up for his dad, so Calvin shared his perception.
“My dad and mom was like, ‘Hey, we do not care about soccer, basketball or no matter. You higher get them grades,'” Calvin mentioned.
“These are issues I wish to put in your life as a result of these are issues I needed to do as a child that I did not get to do.”
That is one purpose why it was vital for Calvin to verify his son received to attend as many camps as potential.
“I will knock on each door, and you recognize, finally certainly one of these doorways going to open,” Calvin mentioned.
An eye fixed-opening weekend got here once they drove simply over two hours to School Station for Texas A&M’s camp. A&M was Cameron’s most popular faculty, so his dad made certain to get him there.
He received to compete with a number of high-profile quarterbacks — together with four-star prospect Haynes King from Longview Excessive Faculty in Texas, who was ranked No. 46 within the ESPN 300 for the 2020 class. He would go on to decide to the Aggies.
“Everybody knew that Cameron out-threw all of these guys,” Calvin mentioned. “However King gained state championship his junior yr and then you definitely had Cameron Ward that do not no person knew of and you bought one scholarship. So who do you suppose a scholarship’s going to go to?”
The journey continued the subsequent day once they drove to San Antonio for Incarnate Phrase’s satellite tv for pc camp. In line with Calvin, the camp began at 1 p.m. however the teaching employees “shut it down at 2 p.m.” as a result of the college’s offensive coordinator, Mack Leftwich, needed to cover his future quarterback from different colleges that had entry to the camp.
“I am like, ‘What the heck is happening?'” Calvin recalled. “It took us three and a half hours to drive there. They did not need no different colleges to see Cameron as a result of they picked up how his arm expertise was completely different.”
The ultimate straw got here when Cameron drove a cross from the other hash marks to a receiver operating a comeback route towards the sideline. Leftwich instructed the Ward household they ended the camp as a result of they had been nervous that he “would not be out there” after different colleges noticed him throw.
“Cameron checked out me and was like, ‘What’s he speaking about? We’re not listening to from anybody,'” Calvin mentioned with amusing.
The journey was value it. Cameron received a proposal from Incarnate Phrase head coach Eric Morris, and he would find yourself there for the 2020 season to start his faculty profession.
CAMERON SHOWED PROMISE early at Incarnate Phrase, the place he gained the Jerry Rice Award given to essentially the most excellent freshman within the NCAA Division I Soccer Championship Subdivision. He adopted that up with 4,648 passing yards, 47 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a sophomore and was named the Southland Convention Offensive Participant of the 12 months.
Now colleges that ignored him popping out of highschool had been displaying curiosity.
“OK, dude, we now have choices we ain’t had earlier than,” Calvin instructed his son. “Let’s be affected person and examine a few of these out.”
However they remained loyal, and Cameron adopted Morris to Washington State for his junior yr in 2022 earlier than finally ending up at Miami for his remaining season.
It was a giant determination on condition that Incarnate Phrase was inside driving distance from the Ward household’s residence.
Now, Calvin needed to drive slightly over an hour to Houston Pastime Airport earlier than even hopping on a airplane to see his son play, however Cameron’s dad and mom by no means missed seeing him play.
“All 57 video games,” Calvin mentioned when requested what number of of Cameron’s video games they attended, which included 25 with Washington State and 13 extra with Miami.
Calvin feels certainly one of Cameron’s largest assessments got here earlier than the 2023 season when Morris left Washington State to take over as the pinnacle coach at North Texas.
“That was the yr that made him,” Calvin mentioned. “As a result of the entire narrative was that he was a product of Eric Morris’ system.”
With out Morris, Cameron needed to show he was a premier quarterback no matter what offense he was taking part in in.
“OK, guess what? Morris is gone now,” Calvin mentioned. “Your system is gone now. Now it is Cameron Ward.”
The long run No. 1 decide accomplished 66% of his passes for 3,736 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions, which arrange one other large determination: declare for the NFL draft or play one other season of faculty soccer?
WITNESSING NFL COMMISSIONER Roger Goodell calling his son’s identify on draft day was simply Calvin’s proudest second.
“Cameron going No. 1, that is nonetheless surreal to me, realizing how he received there,” Calvin mentioned. “It was like a dream realizing your son is the No. 1 quarterback.”
It additionally units up what Cameron mentioned is the perfect recommendation he has gotten from his dad who instructed him that is his one alternative to play within the NFL and “to not f— it up.”
“[My dad] would not let me take no for a solution,” Cameron mentioned. “That is what stored me regular all through the entire course of realizing that I am going to finally get a proposal, however he simply consistently motivated me. He consistently instructed me the journey is rarely going to be straightforward.”
When Cameron contemplated going professional after his fourth yr in faculty, he leaned on his dad — who suggested him to not rent an agent so there was no confusion regarding his eligibility.
“My dad and mom actually let me make my very own selections,” Cameron mentioned. “However they provide me completely different angles to have a look at it. They see it from their perspective then in addition they received to see it from the opposite particular person’s perspective as effectively.”
He determined to forego the draft to raised his inventory for 2025 earlier than transferring to Miami.
He made a giant assertion in his debut with the Hurricanes, throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-17 win over certainly one of their largest rivals, and Calvin beloved each little bit of it.
“That Florida sport,” Calvin mentioned, “all of the discuss — ‘Oh, he hasn’t performed on this measurement of a stadium’ — they did not know what was [about] to hit them as a result of they did not know him. He does not care about all of that. Cameron simply needs to go play soccer.”
Cameron handed for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns final season — each Miami single-season information. He additionally gained the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s prime quarterback, and completed fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy. He set the profession mixed FCS (71) and FBS (87) file with 158 landing passes. The efficiency helped cement him as the highest quarterback within the draft.
“His journey I believe is de facto distinctive and funky,” Callahan mentioned. “A whole lot of it comes from how he was raised. All of the belongings you see from his dad and mom making an attempt to pour into him and provides him all of the alternatives to succeed I believe is admirable, and I believe it paid off for him.”
Quick-forward, and the primary impression the rookie has made with the Titans is an effective one. Whether or not it is having the rookie cross catchers meet with him for movie examine at 5 a.m. or pulling a veteran apart after a missed rep, Cameron has already began to have an effect.
If Cameron’s profession for the Titans is as profitable as his faculty profession was, Tennessee’s quest to seek out its franchise quarterback shall be fulfilled.
Armed with a newly signed contract value $48.7 million, Cameron may give his dad no matter he needs for Father’s Day. However above all else, Cameron simply needs to offer him thanks.
“Thanks for on a regular basis you set in for me and my siblings,” he mentioned when requested about his Father’s Day message. “The cash that you simply put in and all of the behind-the-scenes stuff from the emailing coaches to place my face on the market and get me an opportunity to be who I’m as we speak. Simply know that I am making an attempt to do my half and create a legacy for our final identify.”
