Cam Ward (American football)
| Miami Hurricanes – No. 1 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Class |  |
| Major | Business |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 25, 2002 West Columbia, Texas, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 223 lb (101 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| Bowl games | |
| High school | Columbia (West Columbia, Texas) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Cameron Anthony Ward (born May 25, 2002) is an American football quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes. He previously played for the Incarnate Word Cardinals, winning the 2020 Jerry Rice Award, and the Washington State Cougars. He won the 2024 Davey O'Brien Award with Miami.
Early life
[edit]Ward was born on May 25, 2002, in West Columbia, Texas.[1] He attended and played football at Columbia High School, completing 72 of 124 passes for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior.[2] As a senior, Ward averaged only 12 pass attempts per game due to playing in Columbia High's Wing T offense.[3] He committed to play at the University of the Incarnate Word, his only scholarship offer.[4][5]
College career
[edit]Incarnate Word (2020–2021)
[edit]Ward began his collegiate career at Incarnate Word. He was named the Cardinals' starting quarterback going into his freshman season, which was played in the spring after being postponed due to COVID-19.[6]
He passed for 2,260 yards and an FCS-leading 24 touchdowns against four interceptions with two rushing touchdowns in six games during the shortened 2020–21 FCS season, and won the Jerry Rice Award as the most outstanding freshman in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.[7] Ward passed for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns with 10 interceptions as a sophomore and was named the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year.[8] After the end of the season Ward announced that he would be entering the NCAA transfer portal.[9]
Washington State (2022–2023)
[edit]Ward announced his commitment to transfer to Washington State on January 10, 2022.[10] He enrolled at the school for the second semester of his sophomore year and was named the starting quarterback for the 2022 season during the Cougars' spring practices.[11] Ward completed 64.4% of his passes for 3,231 yards with 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions and also rushed for five touchdowns.[12] Ward entered the transfer portal on December 1, 2023.[13] He graduated from WSU during their December commencement.
Miami (2024–present)
[edit]He initially declared for the 2024 NFL draft following the 2023 season but later decided to use his remaining eligibility to transfer to Miami for the 2024 season.[14] This decision was influenced by the opportunity to improve his draft stock and take advantage of the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rules in college football.[15] Ward announced his commitment to transfer to Miami on January 13, 2024.[16] During the 2024 season, Ward led Miami to a 10-2 record. Miami lost a close shootout at Syracuse during the final week of the season with a final score of 42-38. The loss eliminated Miami from the ACC Championship Game, allowing Clemson, to make it into the conference championship game instead. Clemson later went on to beat SMU in the conference championship game 34–31, and clinched a playoff berth doing so. Miami finished 13th in the final CFP rankings, and they were the second team out of the playoffs, just behind Alabama. Ward finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.[17] The Hurricanes matched up with the Iowa State Cyclones in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Playing in just the first half, Ward threw for three touchdowns, setting the career combined FCS (71) and FBS (87) record with 158.[18][19] Ward opted to not play in the second half, in which Miami was outscored by Iowa State, ultimately losing 41–42.[18] Ward's decision received criticism from some commentators and fans.[20] When asked in a post-game interview, Miami's head coach Mario Cristobal decided to keep Ward's reasoning for sitting the second half private.[19]
Statistics
[edit]| Season | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Comp | Att | Pct | Yards | Avg | TD | Int | Rate | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | ||
| Incarnate Word Cardinals | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 6 | 6 | 3−3 | 183 | 303 | 60.4 | 2,260 | 7.5 | 24 | 4 | 146.5 | 38 | 2 | 0.1 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 13 | 13 | 10–3 | 384 | 590 | 65.1 | 4,648 | 7.9 | 47 | 10 | 154.2 | 74 | 65 | 0.9 | 1 | |
| Washington State Cougars | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 13 | 13 | 7−6 | 320 | 497 | 64.4 | 3,231 | 6.5 | 23 | 9 | 130.6 | 107 | 58 | 0.5 | 5 | |
| 2023 | 12 | 12 | 5−7 | 323 | 485 | 66.6 | 3,735 | 7.7 | 25 | 7 | 145.4 | 120 | 144 | 1.2 | 8 | |
| Miami Hurricanes | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 13 | 13 | 10–3 | 305 | 454 | 67.2 | 4,313 | 9.5 | 39 | 7 | 172.2 | 60 | 204 | 3.4 | 4 | |
| Career[21] | 57 | 57 | 35−22 | 1,515 | 2,329 | 65.0 | 18,137 | 7.8 | 158 | 37 | 149.9 | 402 | 469 | 1.2 | 20 | |
Personal life
[edit]Ward's cousin is Baylor Bears and Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones.[22]
References
[edit]- ^ "Cam Ward for He1sman". University of Miami Athletics. October 7, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Luca, Greg (March 19, 2021). "UIW's Cam Ward stands out through 'remarkable' transition to earn Jerry Rice Award". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Talty, John (September 3, 2024). "Beating Florida was huge, but getting Cameron Ward over Florida State is Miami's biggest in-state win in 2024". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Olson, Max (January 26, 2022). "The rise of a quarterback enigma: Cameron Ward's journey from zero-star prospect to FCS to Washington State". The Athletic. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
- ^ Springgate, Scout (July 31, 2024). "Cam Ward Reveals Why He Entered College Football Transfer Portal". athlonsports.com. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ Luca, Greg (March 19, 2021). "Freshman QB Cameron Ward used fall workouts to emerge as UIW's spring starter". expressnews.com. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
- ^ "UIW Freshman QB Ward Wins 2020-21 Jerry Rice Award". Yahoo Sports. Associated Press. May 3, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Wilson, Dave (December 9, 2021). "Incarnate Word QB Cameron Ward enters college football transfer portal". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Luca, Greg (December 9, 2021). "As Eric Morris departs and Cam Ward mulls transfer, Incarnate Word still hopes to build momentum". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Wilson, Dave (January 10, 2022). "Incarnate Word QB Cameron Ward transferring to Washington State". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Clark, Colton (March 26, 2022). "'He's gotta be our engine that starts the car': Cameron Ward is key in Washington State's new, 'quarterback-driven' offense". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ Woods, Greg (July 22, 2023). "What's the next step in WSU QB Cameron Ward's development? He says it's twofold". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ "2024 College Football Transfer Portal". 247Sports. August 28, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ "QB Cameron Ward commits to Miami after declaring for NFL Draft". FOX Sports. January 13, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Cam Ward Quarterback Miami | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report". www.nfldraftbuzz.com. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ Baumgartner, Blake (January 13, 2024). "Cam Ward, the ex-Washington State QB, heading to Miami". ESPN. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ Lewis, Juston. "Miami's Cam Ward finished fourth in Heisman voting. Why he lost out to Travis Hunter". acksonville Florida Times-Union. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Wolken, Dan (December 28, 2024). "Cam Ward sitting out the second half isn't the biggest sin. But it's a bad look for Miami". USA Today. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Forde, Pat (December 29, 2024). "Cam Ward's Pop-Tarts Bowl Decision Highlights December Calendar Woes". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ^ De Lima, Matt (December 30, 2024). "Joel Klatt's Strong Response to Cam Ward's Controversial Bowl Game Decision". Athlon Sports. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ^ "Cameron Ward Career Stats". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ Adelson, Andrea (September 27, 2024). "Cam Ward and Kyron Drones are cousins and training partners. And now they're opponents". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.