Whereas Cam Ward hasn’t determined if he’ll throw on the NFL Combine subsequent week, the quarterback is aware of how he’ll reply any scouts or workforce personnel who ask him if he give up on the Miami Hurricanes workforce by not ending his closing sport with them.
“Okay, you are both going to draft me otherwise you’re not,” Ward stated Monday evening earlier than receiving the Davey O’Brien Award because the nation’s high school quarterback. “When you do not draft me, that is your fault. You have to keep in mind you are the identical workforce that is bought to play me for the remainder of my profession, and I am going to keep in mind that.”
Ward was showered with online criticism after he did not play the second half of the Hurricanes’ 42-41 loss to Iowa State within the Pop-Tarts Bowl in December. He broke the NCAA Division I record for profession landing passes earlier than halftime.
The quarterback, who might be the primary participant taken within the NFL Draft in April, stated the choice to not play within the second half of that bowl sport was predetermined by him and your entire teaching employees.
“I simply suppose all of us bought what we wanted out of it. They seen issues that they suppose they should work on … for this season developing. And so they additionally knew, you already know, what I had on the road,” Ward stated. “We really feel like we’re doing what’s finest for this system and myself. I imply, it was a tough resolution, particularly when, you already know, some guys on our workforce did not play who I believed ought to have performed. It was additionally, you already know, these guys thought of their future the identical manner I thought of mine.”
Miami coach Mario Cristobal has defended Ward, and final month referred to as the accusations of him quitting on the workforce “a false narrative.”
“If I might do it once more, I might do it the identical manner,” Ward stated Monday, although he later added, “I want we might have ended up profitable the sport. If we had gained the sport, they would not have stated nothing. And in order that’s often the way it goes. And, you already know, you simply bought to take it on the chin and simply preserve pushing.”
Why Cam Ward sitting out second half of Pop-Tarts Bowl just isn’t a giant deal | The Herd
With the primary of his three TD passes within the Pop-Tarts Bowl, when he threw for 190 yards to push Miami to a 31-28 halftime lead, Ward broke the Division I — FBS and FCS — document at 156 touchdowns, yet another than Houston’s Case Keenum (2007-11). Miami used Emory Williams at quarterback within the second half, and has since added former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck as a transfer.
Ward completed his school profession with 158 landing passes and his 18,189 passing yards — 6,908 at Incarnate Phrase, 6,968 at Washington State and 4,313 at Miami — is third-most in NCAA historical past behind solely Case Keenum and Dillon Gabriel. In his lone season with Miami, Ward set single-season college document for yards, completions (305), landing passes (39) and completion proportion — each for a season and a profession, at 67.2%.
As for the upcoming mix, Ward stated he hadn’t give you a plan of what he would do subsequent week in Indianapolis, Indiana. He does plan to throw at Miami’s professional day, which runs from Feb. 27 to March 2.
The O’Brien Award ceremony happened three weeks after Ward accepted the Manning Award. He adopted Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner who additionally gained each of these quarterback awards earlier than being the second general draft decide final yr after which main the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Recreation.
“To see him succeed,” Ward stated, “is motivating for not solely myself however the entire different quarterbacks.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
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