NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Cam Ward is an early-morning guy.
A super early-morning guy.
And in the leadership fashion that Brian Callahan has been urging the Titans to adopt, Ward is bringing people along.
Xavier Restrepo said this week that he, Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor and Gunnar Helm all join Ward regularly for 5 am arrivals at Titans headquarters to start their workdays.
Restrepo said that’s what he did with Ward at Miami, "Every single day."
"He’s here earlier than some of the coaches," Nick Holz said. "He gets in early and he’s very detailed and regimented about how he studies. He’s got a way he’s kind of learned in the past, and kind of takes in new information.
"We got with him early and he said, ‘Can we meet this way and kind of do some things?’ And then it’s been really good for him, really good for us too, learning some different ways to teach and things like that."
Brian Callahan said he feels like he’s got a handle on Ward’s style. Certainly the Titans plugging into that will help him transition into the NFL.
"Every player I've ever been around likes to be coached. So I think he likes coaching, he can take hard coaching," Callahan said. "I think his mother would be the first to tell you -- she's very adamant about that part of it and that's where you get the feel that he's capable of seeing—he's seen all different types. And so he responds to all of it pretty well, I think ultimately because he wants to be good and whatever message it is, he can take the coaching part with the message.
"Generally speaking, you don't holler at quarterbacks the way that you do with some other positions, but there's a time and a place and there's lot of things he's learning right now about defensive structure, about what he can get away with, with the throws, with the timing. So it's sort of an everyday learning process for him, and it's been really good. But we coach him hard just like we coach everybody else."
In terms of the way the Titans are rotating the quarterbacks, where Will Levis or even Brandon Allen may work in front of him, Ward still got as much or more than any of the four QBs as Wednesday’s open session.
"I’m on Coach Callahan’s timeline," he said. "So that’s really not my decision. I’ve still got a lot to work on, I’ves till got a lot of processing to do to play in the NFL. But I think I am getting up there at a rapid pace. So I’m excited."
