They hope to find the same success they saw from rookie quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Jayden Daniels over the last couple of years. Coach Brian Callahan is committed to creating a familiar environment for Ward, which he believes is essential for a seamless transition into the NFL.
Ward’s road to stardom started at Incarnate Word, where he spent two seasons. He would then transfer to Washington State and eventually find his way to Miami. In doing so, he brought national attention to himself, as he became a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, putting his talent on an even bigger stage. This rich background prepares Ward with the tools for success to attack the challenges presented in the NFL.
As Ward acclimates to the Titans’ system, Brian Callahan and quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree play pivotal roles in his development. Their constant motivation to him pushes him every day to make sure he’s getting better every day. Callahan’s focus going forward is on a culture of learning from initial failures and iterating and improving on the early work.
“Every day you’re trying to get a little bit better than you were the day before and you put the work in and try to get there and you correct mistakes as they come up. The key is once you make one, you correct it and ideally don’t make it again.” – Brian Callahan
Ward quickly adjusted from a run-heavy Wing-T system at Columbia High School to the fast-paced Air Raid attack at Incarnate Word. This controversial move truly exemplified his remarkable versatility in the field. His old college coach, Eric Morris, started his practice with throws without a defender. Callahan certainly put his best spin on this approach during rookie minicamp. By working by himself, Ward has the freedom to focus purely on sharpening his skills, without any defenders to bring the heat or the pressure.
Ward continued to show his phenomenal leadership when he took rookie Elic Ayomanor under his wing. On one occasion, he directed Elic to repeat a practice rep because it was below his high standards. Examples like these are a testament to Ward’s pursuit of high field and high character.
The Titans’ coaching staff would love to replicate the seamless transition that so many other quarterbacks have enjoyed over the years. I strongly agree with Callahan that we should always be trying to make a rookie’s first year feel more like their third.
“One of the things that we did really well in Cincinnati for Joe when he first got there is we were really intentional about making his first year in the NFL feel like Year 3 at LSU,” – Brian Callahan
To help smooth this transition, Callahan has designed practices to include the language that Ward is used to hearing. They have the coaching staff simplified the playbook, breaking plays into digestible segments, helping him understand before he goes on the field.
“We have it all broken down and put it all in our terminology,” – Brian Callahan
Starting Center competition Ward displayed his competitive spirit when he beat out incumbent starter Jon Copeland. Copeland’s record of 3,341 yards was the program passing record as lately as 2019. This achievement highlights Ward’s upside as he enters a critical season for the Titans.
As training camp continues, the Titans remain excited about what Ward will be able to add to their offense. He is learning and evolving under some of the best position coaches in the game. This has made him one of the most important pieces of the team’s hopes at success for next season.
The franchise hopes that by fostering a supportive environment similar to that experienced by other successful rookies, they can unlock Ward’s full potential. On-field time is short and he and the coaching staff are very intense and deliberate about each practice. They’re hungry for a breakthrough season.
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