Some may see Cam Ward’s calmness as a detriment, but a Miami Hurricanes legend says it’s exactly what you want out of a quarterback.
Jonathan Vilma, who won a college football title with Miami in 2001, says Ward’s laidback demeanor on the field shows he’s constantly thinking everything through.
“The first thing I noticed, which was a little off-putting to a lot of people watching him, is how calm he was, right?” said Vilma, who went on to become a star linebacker with the Jets and Saints. “They were like, man, it looks like nothing fazes him. And I love quarterbacks like that. You want someone where, all right, he doesn’t show a lot of emotion, that’s great because that means he’s thinking right? He’s thinking the game. He’s calm. He’s cool. He’s relaxed. Nothing is going to rattle him. So I love that he has that demeanor about him. The mindset is there.”
Ward is in the mix to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The Titans currently hold that pick and will be analyzing him closely.
The Browns at No. 2 and the New York Giants at No. 3 could also use a talented young signal-caller to reboot their franchise.
Ward had a stellar season with Miami, but much of the draft is about projection.
Quarterbacks must be able to process information extremely quickly at the NFL level, and while Vilma says there will be a learning curve, Ward has the right makeup to make the jump and become a star.
“He’s going to have to speed up his mental play clock a little bit as all rookie quarterbacks have to do when they get to the NFL,” Vilma said. “But the best thing about him is that nothing seemed to rattle him. And if nothing’s going to rattle him, then he’s going to have a lot of success in the NFL because he has the arm, he has the mobility. It’s just a matter of staying cool, calm, learning the defenses and processing faster, which I think he is going to do very well.”
