Ward leads talented group of players who went from hidden gems to top NFL draft prospects

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Quarterback Cam Ward might be the first player off this year's NFL draft board.

Five years ago, he was pretty much off everybody's radar outside of West Columbia, Texas.

Back then, Ward worked behind center in his high school's run-heavy Wing-T offense. His roughly 12 throws per game didn't give him much chance to match the gaudy numbers of top recruits, and not many college coaches were making the one-hour drive from Houston to his hometown of roughly 4,000 people.

So, Ward took the only scholarship he was offered, from an FCS school in San Antonio.

Now the best player in Incarnate Word history could be the No. 1 overall draft pick on April 24.

"I prayed for this moment, since I was 6 years old,” Ward said during the league's annual scouting combine. “I think I could have gone to the NBA. I always told myself when I was a little kid, I wanted to go pro with something. So whether it was baseball, football or basketball. I always had that big dream, and I never let somebody stop me on it.”

Ward's determination helped him win the starting job as a college freshman, which propelled him to a record-breaking career that took him to Washington State and then Miami, the cusp of the College Football Playoff and now NFL franchise quarterback.

It's the underdog story every American athlete envisions, the one fans embrace.

But for Ward and many others who made the journey from hidden gem to NFL prospect, this is no longer a pipedream. It's reality.

Among those expecting to hear their names called on draft weekend are tight end Harold Fannin Jr. of Bowling Green and running back Cam Skattebo of Arizona State, who emerged as stars last season. Their stories sounds awfully similar to Ward's.

Fannin took the only scholarship offer he received after falling behind academically during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Skattebo opted to stay home after only two FCS schools, William & Mary and Sacramento State, came calling.

Both excelled.

“Leaving Sacramento State was a big thing for me because I was home, I was comfortable," Skattebo said. “Coach (Troy) Taylor took the opportunity at Stanford, and I knew that was my chance to take an opportunity somewhere else at a higher level. Going to Arizona State was the best decision I’ve made in my life. It set me up for success."

Similar stories can be found across the college landscape. The combination of the transfer portal and NIL money has given sometimes overlooked small-school players an avenue to show scouts how they fare against better competition while the extra cash has allowed others to stay on campus, refine their skills and improve their draft stock.

Ward and Skattebo are perfect examples.

Both made the jump from the FCS to the FBS and used their fifth and final college seasons to enter the Heisman Trophy debate, produce double-digit win seasons and, yes, generate more looks from the pro scouts.

Others took different paths to the draft.

Linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. of South Carolina was the first player from Strong Rock Christian School in Georgia to play at an FBS school.

Tight end Colston Loveland made the trek from Idaho to college football's winningest program, where he was part of a national championship team and helped Michigan pick up win No. 1,000.

Linebacker Carson Schwesinger of UCLA and safety Dan Jackson of Georgia began their college careers as walk-ons, while linebacker David Walker left the Division II Southern Arkansas Muleriders to join Central Arkansas, another FCS school.

Yet each earned one of the precious 329 invites to the league’s annual scouting combine in Indianapolis and all but Skattebo, Jackson and Walker are now regarded as top-five players at their respective positions. Some never doubted they could make it.

“I knew this was my goal and I kind of had the belief in myself of what I could do,” Schwesinger said. “I remember after a couple of the first practices at UCLA, I was talking to my mom, and I was like, ‘I’m going to go to the NFL.’ So there was a confidence level obviously there, but there’s still a level of discipline you have to have when you start as a walk-on and kind of just working harder than everybody you’re going against.”

Others had to convince themselves they really could be a pro.

"It kind of clicked probably earlier this year, when I was leading the nation in receiving yards,” Fannin said. “That’s when I realized it — and I got on the watch list for the Mackey Award — that’s when I realized I've got something going for me.”

Now, each is only a few days from finding out their next team and a few months away from fulfilling lifelong dreams.

If Ward lands with the Titans, as many expect him to, he will use what he's learned from his challenging path: work hard and just keep proving himself.

“From playing Wing-T to traveling to Pullman, Washington, all the way into Miami, I just think getting to experience different atmospheres, traveling across the country, it’s going to end up helping me in the long run,” he said. “At the end of the day, you never know where football will take you.”

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