Immediately following the spring game, Pete and I hosted a live CanesInSight/Canes Connection podcast at Titanic. We were privileged to have the first sitdown interview with QB Cam Ward since he announced for Miami. Below is transcript of the interview, also available on video above:
Peter: Let's go back to your decision. Obviously, you had options. You had the option to go to the next level. You had options to go pretty much wherever you wanted. At the end of the day, why was it Miami and how have things been going?
Cam: I just think Miami was the perfect pick for me. For my last year of college, I wanted to be somewhere where I was the only piece that was getting added. A lot of schools had a lot to offer, but I was looking for more from the offensive line standpoint. Over my three full seasons that I played in college, I've been sacked a lot of times. Some sacks were on me, some weren't. So, I wanted to be protected.
The first thing Coach Dawson and Coach Cristobal showed me was the offensive line. They gave up 11 sacks last year. Once I really watched the tape, they really only gave up six. That got me fired up right there. Along the receiving core, they're returning two starters. We're going to add guys in the summer. A lot of defensive guys are coming back. Bain, Wesley, Kiko, who I actually got a chance to play with at Wazzu. Miami had a lot to offer, and I thought it was the best decision.
D$: Watching you today, there were times where it seemed you had an hour in the pocket. Has the offensive line lived up to the hype?
Cam: For sure. Especially Coop (Anez Cooper). Coop's the focal point in that offensive line. Jay Rivers, starting left tackle coming back. Plug and play Zach Carpenter, the Indiana Transfer Center. I feel like the offensive line is the least of our worries right now.
The biggest thing we’ve got to work on going into the summer is continuing to come together more as a team. That’s going to take time, getting the new guys in, everybody learning everybody's personality. It’s been good. I'm just blessed to be here.
Peter: We’ve gotta ask you about your transition to Miami in terms of the city. You're from Texas originally, played in a completely different part of the country. What's it been like being down here in Coral Gables?
Cam: It's been good. The biggest thing I wanted to do making that decision was to get closer to home. Having my family fly six-hour flights, then drive an hour-and-a-half to get to Pullman, Washington, that's a lot on their bodies. I wanted them to have their input in the decision.
Life's been amazing since I stepped foot on campus. From the team, everyone's been real and respectful of everybody. No matter whether you're on scholarship, no matter whether you’re a walk-on, everyone respects everyone, and I feel like that's how it should be. The things that we've accomplished so far, our 15 practices, are only gonna get us better come August 31st.
D$: In your interview, I heard you talk about catching mangrove snapper out here. You said you wanted to catch a mahi. When you said that, I got 10 texts from people saying, “Man, I'll take him on the boat, no problem, man. We'll get mahi, we'll get sailfish.” Tell us about fishing back home and what you like about fishing?
Cam: My dad put me on fishing. I've been fishing since I was about five years old. In Texas, we don't have the species you have down here. We really just catch red drum. I actually caught a flounder for the first time in, I believe, eight years before I came here. That might have been some good luck.
I love fishing. I just like sitting out there by the water, even if I don't catch nothing. It’s just something to ease my mind, get away from football, and really just get off the phone.
D$: You’ve got to take advantage while you're here, man. You're the quarterback. You can't be catching mangrove snapper.
Cam: [Laughs] I would do the sailfish, for sure.
Peter: We’ve talked about the offensive line, which is one of the big reasons you came here, but that receiving core, that tight end core, some of the talent around you. Talk about some of the guys that stand out and the relationship you build with them. Who are some of the guys right now that you're really excited to work with this season?
Cam: I'd probably say the first one is Elijah Arroyo. He'll be the starting tight end for us. He didn't make a lot of plays today, but the whole spring he's been killing it. Whether it's one-on-one matches versus the linebacker, he beat the corner a couple times on go balls. I'm really excited to see where he's going to end up this fall because he's going to be a big factor in what we do offensively.
Elija Lofton, the freshman, came in catching one hands, two hands. I describe him as a Deebo Samuel for us. You saw him toting that ball a little bit today. A lot of people don't want to tackle him.
We’re going to have a balanced attack, especially once we get Mark Fletcher back coming off injury. What we do offensively is going to be hard for defenses to stop because we can throw the ball efficient. We can run the ball efficient. When you can do that, it's going to be a hard team to beat.
D$: As far as guys you could trust, it certainly looked like you could trust #7 out there today, Xavier Restrepo. Talk about that connection. And he threw the ball pretty good. You think he's trying to come for your job?
Cam: We’ve got a little thing going in the quarterback room. If you throw a good ball, we call it a seed. So I told him after he threw it, it really should have been a P.I. I told him it was a seed. They kind of knew what we were running. Coach Dawso was going down the sideline talking about “Seven, is your arm ready?” Then the whole defense heard it, so they knew the play was coming.
Strep is going to be that guy for us this year. I plan on him having the same season, if not better, than what he did last year. The plays that he makes against one-on-one coverage, the way he can turn his body and move versus zone, it's elite. I got a chance to play with a lot of good slot receivers throughout my college career, but I think he's the best one.
Peter: I have a question that has nothing to do with football. We've been wanting to ask this to you for a while. When you were on your visit, there was a picture that went pretty viral. You ran into a famous musician from Miami, Rick Ross. Miami's a little bit different than Pullman, right?
Cam: It's a lot different than Pullman. A lot. [Laughs]. Yeah, it was good, for sure. That was also the first time I got to meet Rohan Marley. I didn't even know he played football here at U. I'm still watching all the U documentary stuff right now. I'm getting caught up.
Meeting [Rick Ross] was good because I listen to a lot of his music. Not the new stuff, but the old stuff. I like the old Rick Ross. I got a chance to talk to him outside of Prime 112. I have a number. He's a good dude to know. The stuff that he's done for this city, the stuff he's going to do for our football team, supporting us, being there at Hard Rock with the fans. I’m looking forward to it.
D$: You are not a guy that was five stars since you were a baby as far as the ratings. How much do you think being underrated has made you the quarterback that you are today?
Cam: I think it's one of the reasons why I am here, because I carry that with me every day. Every time I step on the field, you don't know when it's going to be your last. Every time I step on the field, I feel like I'm the baddest one out there.
I always pray to God. I'm going to keep doing that, and hopefully one day I'll get to where I want to be.
D$: Some people train year-round. They’re not competing, they're not playing games, they're just training to be a quarterback. You were playing basketball, and from what I understand, you were a nasty point guard. How much do you think that has helped you right now as a big-time quarterback?
Cam: That helped me a lot. I think that's the reason why I can move like I can in the pocket, just putting myself at different body angles, different positions. I also played baseball growing up. I was a shortstop and pitcher. That’s where I get a little bit of my sidearm.
A lot of kids today don't play multiple sports. I think they end up hurting themselves in the long run because your body's not used to making different movements. But then when you finally hone in on one sport, you have every tool in your toolbox.
D$: I know you've been compared to this guy. I can't help but do it. Another Texas quarterback who played baseball, played middle infield, played basketball, was underrated. That's Patrick Mahomes. You were doing a little bit of these shovel passes today and a little bit of the razzle dazzle. Has he been an influence on your game?
Cam: For sure. Him and Aaron Rodgers are really the main two quarterbacks I watch, just because they both bring a different skill set. Pat, he's known for all the playmaking, all the outside the pocket stuff, which is good, but the way I've seen him progress since he got from college to the league in the pocket. Aaron Rodgers, just the footwork he has, the aura he plays with, how he flicks the ball. That's why Aaron Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks, and Pat's going to end up being one of the best quarterbacks.
Peter: Cam, you obviously face the defense every day in practice. Just talk a little bit about that side of the football and how you think that group is coming together.
Cam: That group is going to be the reason why we win a lot of games. The battles that we go through, day in and day out of practice, whether it's the ones, twos, or threes, everybody gets good work in. The scrimmages really tell it all. We have a lot of periods in practice where it’s scripted, but once we scrimmage, that's the real football.
You see those guys running to the ball. And it's not one play where you just see one person. Every play, 11 people running. I think we added the right guys, like Meesh Powell coming from Washington. I got a chance to play against him twice. He's a great player. We already know what Bain’s about. I think we have the perfect fit with the way we play on offense and the way the defense can light you up under pressure, the way they know how to disguise blitzes. I think they do a great job on the defensive side.
D$: I know you met with some legends this weekend. Devin Hester, Andre Johnson. Michael Irvin spoke to you guys, too. How does that hit you when you know all these legends are watching you on Saturdays and putting a lot of faith in you to bring this home?
Cam: It's good. Who wouldn't want to be in this position right here? If you'd have told me that coming out of high school, being a zero-star recruit, I'd end up playing Power Five quarterback, I'd have told you it's true. If you said it would be in Miami, I don't know if I would have told you that.
It's a blessing to have guys like that who want to pour into you, who want to pour into the football team. Because at the end of the day, we’re all trying to win. Y'all want to see us win and we want to win. And that’s what we plan on doing this year, for sure.
