NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- As Cam Ward approached NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on draft night, he flashed a confident smile befitting someone who had beaten the odds after starting his collegiate career at a school that's never had a player drafted to the NFL.
Yes, Ward played his final college season at Miami, but his early collegiate days began in front of 6,000 people on game days as a freshman at Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Still, the zero-star high school prospect never lacked self-belief despite Incarnate Word being his lone offer.
"I've had the dream since I was a little kid," Ward said after being selected.