Former Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year Taken #1 in the NFL Draft

Football fans across the state of Louisiana are probably very familiar with the #1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Quarterback Cam Ward was selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans, and even though he played his final college football season with Miami (FL), he played a lot of games across the states of Texas and Louisiana during his college career.

Before landing at Miami, he spent two seasons playing for Washington State, and prior to that his career started at Incarnate Word...which is where he won the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award.

What Did Cam Ward Do at Incarnate Word?

Ward's freshman year was an odd one. His first year of college football was played during the pandemic. Which means his 2020 season was actually played in the spring of 2021.

That delay to the start of the season may actually have helped Ward in the long run. He was named the starting quarterback his freshman year, and started the season hot. Ward led the Cardinals to an upset win over the #19 ranked McNeese State Cowboys in Lake Charles. In his first start, Ward threw for over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns.

The season would see Ward and his UIW team travel to Lake Charles, Thibodaux, and Beaumont for games. He would end his abbreviated freshman year with 2,260 yards passing, and 24 touchdowns against just 4 interceptions.

When Did Cam Ward Win the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year?

His second year at UIW is when Ward took the next step. His 2021 season saw Ward take UIW on the road to Youngstown, Ohio, Houston, Thibodaux, Lake Charles, and Natchitoches...giving fans all over Texas and Louisiana a chance to glimpse the future #1 overall pick in the NFL draft.

At the end of the year, UIW's record was 10-3, and Ward had thrown for 4,648 yards, 47 touchdowns (just 10 interceptions), on 384 completions for a 154.2 passer rating. Those stats helped Ward lock in the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year for 2021.

It also helped Ward lock in his next college stop.

Where Did Ward Go After Incarnate Word?

After winning the Southland OPOTY, he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Ward was a desirable transfer candidate for major programs, not just because he had proven himself in the Southland Conference, but because he was technically going into his sophomore season. Even though he played his freshman year as the started at UIW, it was the COVID year. Any NCAA athlete who played that year did not have the season count against their eligibility. Which means Ward still had three full seasons he could play.

He eventually agreed to play for Washington State, and would be an instant hit with the program. Taking the Cougars to the LA Bowl in his first season under center. That season he threw for 3,231 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just 9 interceptions.

Ward was even better his second year at Washington State, even if his team didn't perform as well. He threw for 3,735 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. The team finished that year with a record of 5-7, missing a bowl game.

He would once again enter the Transfer Portal, and make his way to the Miami Hurricanes program.

In his first (and only) Miami season, he threw for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. The Hurricanes were ranked in the top 20 most of the year, and moved all the way up to #4 in the nation. But they lost to Georgia Tech on the road in November, which hurt their playoff chances. They would end up losing again at Syracuse, and even though they were bowl eligible, they were left out of the playoffs.

Now, Ward turns his attention to the NFL. Where he will take over as the signal caller for the Titans after being taken #1 overall.