'They effed up' NFL got Cam Ward evaluation horribly wrong according to Miami Hurricanes National champion and Heisman winner
Gino Torretta couldn’t believe what he was seeing
When the Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward, there hadn’t been a doubt in their mind about him being their guy for many weeks. I began reporting on this being the case well over a month before that fateful night when his name was turned in on the draft card. But depending on who you ask, the collective confidence in Cam Ward being a surefire NFL QB prospect lagged at least a football season behind.
Gino Torretta played quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes in the 90’s, a member of the 1989 and 1991 championship teams before winning the Heisman trophy in 1992. He sat down with Jon Gruden last week to discuss his exposure to Cam Ward during his single season at Miami:
Gruden kicks things off by asking Torretta if he got to see much of Cam last year.
“I did. I talked to Shannon Dawson, the O.C., and I'm like, well, what's the deal? Because Cam was coming (to Miami), then he wasn't coming, he was going to the NFL. And then I was like, well, what's the backup plan? He goes, well, we feel pretty good that he's going to come.”
We’ve since learned that Ward’s evaluation by the NFL Draft Advisory Board was that he’d likely be a Day 3 pick if he came out in 2024. This was the reason—or a least a big one in his decision making process—that he transferred for the second time in his college career. This time, he went from Washington State to Miami, where he of course went on to have a Heisman candidate season leading up to being the 1st overall pick.
Seems dramatic that a supposed 4th or 5th round QB prospect could play one season at Miami and become the no-doubt 1st overall selection in the draft, doesn’t it? Perhaps that evaluation was a bit off at the time. Torretta certainly thinks it was.
“All I needed was one day at spring ball. I go, this guy has an elite arm. Who evaluated him in the NFL? That was my first thought. There's no way he should be here (at Miami). You watch a guy throw, and you can just see it. Let's say there's 100 quarterbacks in the league. 10 guys, maybe the ball comes out a little different. The other 90, everybody looks the same. Put shorts and a tee shirt on, everybody kind of looks the same.”
Cam was immediately one of those in the 10% according to Torretta’s eye:
“And I'm like, they effed up. That was my initial thought, because I was like, he reminded me… when he threw the ball, it was like Warren Moon. With Warren, I remember being in Seattle, it always seemed like he would throw the ball perfect. He never threw a bad ball, always a tight spiral. And the ball would almost kind of move for the receiver's angle, make it an easy catchable ball. And that was Cam.”
In just shorts and a tee shirt, Cam has looked the part in that way for the Titans so far too. Now the real test is upon us with training camp: pads, elevated competition, and unfamiliar opponents in joint practices and preseason games. It’s going to be exciting getting to see him try to keep it up in this new light.
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