This is the OTP. I'm Amy Wells, and I am joined by the newest Tennessee Titan, your future quarterback, mister Cameron Ward.
Cam.
We're so happy to have you here. What has this day been like?
Its good, It's been a dream come true.
It has been a blessing, you know, and you know, I've just decided to get to work with my teammates.
Your road to the draft and to the Tennessee Titans was anything but straight throughout your career from high school all the way through college. A lot of different stops, a lot of different obstacles that you had to overcome.
Is there a stop along.
The way, whether it be coming out of high school, going to Incarnate Word, going to Washington State, going to Miami, was there a stop that really influenced you or led you to this moment right now?
I'll say you I w my first school, you know, who gave me the opportunity to play at the college level, and I just think that I learned a lot there from Coach Morris and Coach Leftwich. The staff that he had there is one of the first places where I was actually be able to make an impact on the game. Throwing the football, or I started really learning more about offense. So I'll say, U, I w made that made that that play special for me.
You seem like a guy who, throughout your career you've just had to say, okay, watch me a lot of times.
Is that fair to say? Yeah? I wouldn't say he watched me. I would just say pause.
Really okay, why pause?
Because I got the controller? Okay.
So you like to be in control of showing people what you are capable of doing. That's interesting, That's an interesting way to approach it. Why is that control something that's so important to you.
I just think the perception people don't put, you know, my all myself, but quarterbacks in particular, when in reality they might not know the first thing about us. And so it's actually kind of crazy to me in my being, but you know, it's it's the position you want to be yourself in, especially you know, as a little kid, want to be you know, the face of a franchise, the face of you know, organization, and you know just
want to be a you know, a good teammate. So you know, I'm happy to be in a position though you.
Were consistently putting yourself in positions to have the game on your back, have the team on your back, make the big play when it matters. Why is that a time that is so exciting to you?
I just think just because all the hard work I put in, and then me also, you know, just praying about it each and every day since I was a little kid, and then also just you know, wanting to, you know, just be better than what I was the year before. It took a lot of hard work to get to where I was. Some bad days, also a
lot of good days as well. And you know, I played with, you know, some unbelievable teammates at all my stops, even high school, and so I just think it all, you know, helped me get to, you know, this moment, being a Tennessee Titan.
You come from a really athletic family. Dad was a football player, Mom was a basketball coach. All of your sisters played sports. What's it like growing up in a household where everybody else I'm thing.
To do with sports. It's good.
It makes you a competitor, off rip, I would say, And I'm just you know, glad that it's been done deal for a while now that I'm the I'm the best in the best athlete in the house.
Are you the best athlete in the house? Even if you asked everybody.
Else, they would they would say I am would they maybe I would say? The only one who wouldn't say it's probably Chantel. But everybody knows the truth. Who really is the best athlete in the house?
What could she beat you in?
Throwing a shot put a discus? That's really it. She can't beat me nothing else though, not even close.
So this competitive nature that you have, does this come from your sisters? Does it come from your siblings competing all the way through life?
I think I think it comes from them, my parents, everybody. Uh, we we canceled family game nights because we can't compete no more without fighting, and so we haven't had a game night probably about four or five years. And so it gets real competitive on our household. And if you're not competitive, you're not welcome.
You're all grown up. Now, could you maybe bring it back?
Or no? I don't think it's coming back. No times, So I don't think it's coming back.
No to So do you think that there are values that that instilled in you that are really positive though? And maybe or why you're the leader that you are now?
I think so.
Just from a from a I think it created, you know, just a relationship level in my opinion. Uh, you know, you just got to and I think it translates over to no matter what sports you play, me specifically playing football. You know, I think it connects me, you know, with the locker room, my guys, especially you know, being around Vetch was being in the league, you know for a couple of years. You know, I'm excited to you know, get that going, get their procession on everything they've been through.
But I think it's helped me along the way.
One of your teammates said that you are an incredible leader, and he described it as you know how to demand greatness out of your teammates while still being a respectful teammate. That's a hard balance to find. How do you know when to push and when to let guys be.
I don't know, it's kind of hard. It's kind of like all in the in the moment. To me, I never take anything into the locker room, you know. I love cracking jokes with my guys, whether it's in the huddle or in the locker room. But on the football fields, all business and like to me, if I have to give your ass a little bit.
You know, I'm willing to do in it.
So I just think it's just, you know, it all comes with the territory play the quarterback position. But you know, I love my teammates, and I think you know, I've always had respect for those guys and they always have respect for me.
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to the OTP. Tell me a little bit about your play style on the field. How would you describe the things that you're able to do on the football field.
I think what I can do is different. I like to call myself a playmaking pocket passer. I can win from the pocket when I need to. I can scramble and make plays when I need to. Whether it's quick game, intermediate or throwing the deep ball. I think I have
all three of those in my bag. And I just think while I got better at throughout my college careers, playing more on time and also you know, getting us into good run checks and helping the run game helps with the past game I learned down the back end of my career, and so I just think, you know, me just playing in three different systems helped me, you know,
to this moment. Even when coach Kyllahan, who's runs a similar offense than what I were in last year, a lot of concepts translate over and so you know, it's it's an e sighted time for me for sure. And I mean I'll get to play with one of the best offensive mines for my first year, hopefully for more years to come. But you know it's funny, you know, come May eighth, I'll be ready to go.
Coach Callahan was very complimentary of you and your brain. The way that you're able to process and kind of ingest an offense, the way you're able to diagnose a defense. Does that come from switching systems so much You've learned how to kind of translate the different languages and put them all into something that makes sense in your head.
Yeah, it's come from that lot.
And I also think it's come from me get a you know, extraordinary amount of reps throughout college. Me playing fifty plus games has also helped my case. And you know, once you do something over and over, you're gonna consistently get better at it over time.
And so I think that's helped me.
You've been called Houdini where even if things are breaking down, you can not only get out of trouble, but you can make something happen out of that play. How how do you learn how to do something like that? Some of the things you do are bananas.
I would say, just practicing it, honestly, putting your body in where positions you don't think you're gonna throw the ball in. But you know, my my quarterback coach, he motivates me to do that stuff. He's one of the biggest reasons why I selected this high in the draft. And you know, I would say the thing I like about him, Daryl, is that he hasn't you know, changed my Game's only changed just my base and just my footwork to help me get to this level.
But I say, My quarterback coach got a lot to do with that.
How important is it to work with somebody who doesn't change what is innately you like? How valuable has that been to your growth?
That's very important because the end of the day, where they work with somebody, they're not the ones on the field. You're the one on the field, and so if they're trying to change your whole game to fit what they think you should be doing, it's not gonna work out in the long run. You gotta be able to know how to play. You gotta be able to watch film and see how players are gonna end up. And I just think, you know, the the more reps you get like I got in my career is gonna help you over.
Tom Here at the Tennessee Titans, you're gonna be working with Brian Callahan, as you mentioned earlier, and he is known for working with great quarterbacks. What are you most looking forward to about that relationship.
I'm almost looking forward to, I would have to say, just him teaching me more about football than what I already know.
I'm behind the eight ball.
It's a lot of people who's ahead of me right now, who's you know, established themselves in the league, and so you know, I gotta I gotta catch up in a short amount of time, and so you know I'm ready for that.
He's also gonna challenge me every day. I'm excited for it.
But I mean, I get I'll get one of the best play calls in the NFL, So you know, I know it's gonna be all right.
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Okay.
You had warn Moon come out and surprise you today and give you his number, essentially tell you that you could wear number one for the Tennessee Titans. What did that moment mean to you?
It really didn't mean a lot to me.
Just from the number standpoint, it meant a lot, you know, just cause He took Tom out of his way to come and do that for me.
So I'm grateful that he did that.
And you know, I'm grateful for you organization, you know, allow me to you know, wear a number. But you know, I I'm excited, you know, to make plays for my teammates, for his organization. You know, I'm excited to you know, get it going in the next couple of weeks.
It's time for you to create your own legacy with the Tennessee Titans. Where do you start in creating something like that?
Getting the playbook, watching film and also learning my teammates names.
Learning your teammates' names. How hard is that going to be? Are you a names person?
Yeah? I am okay it.
It actually is really hard. But you know, once you see him every day, then it's easy. But I ain't see everybody yet, so that's that's the hard part though. But come come about. I would say, after Ot wants to vest get here at the rookie minning, can there That'd be easy for me.
What are you hoping that people say about you and your rookie year when they watch you play.
Well, if somebody wants to win, we wouldn't do anything you know, put himself in a team in the best situation to you know, ultimately try to win the championship at you know, some point in his career.
Kim Wardan, you are so excited that you're here. Welcome to the Tennessee Titans for Amy Wells and Kim ward of course, thank you for listening to the OTZ.