
Cam Ward will wear No. 1 jersey with Tennessee Titans with the blessing of Hall of Famer Warren Moon
The Tennessee Titans had a pleasant surprise in store for No. 1-overall pick Cam Ward during his introductory news conference Friday.
Houston Oilers legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon arrived as a special guest, not only hugging Ward but giving him his blessing to wear his retired No. 1 jersey as a Titan.
"I wore the No. 1 for a lot of different reasons, and I wore it for a long time starting back in 1976 when I was in college. I think I wore it very honorably for the Houston Oilers organization to the point where I created a Hall of Fame career for myself," said Moon, who flew in from his home in Houston for the surprise announcement. "Now I'm part of the Tennessee Titans family and my Houston Oiler will probably never be worn again — I hope not, but the Tennessee Titans jersey is going to be worn by Cam. And Cam will be starting a new … freshness in this organization to kind of revitalize it and get it back to where it was a number of years ago when we were one of the more successful organizations in the league. I'm excited to see what he's going to do with his legacy wearing this number."
Ward cold-called Moon about a month ago when the Titans were zeroing in on him as the top pick to see if Moon would "unretire" his number for him. The number was retired by the Titans organization in 2006, the year Moon entered the Hall of Fame.
"I didn't know this (Moon's visit) was going on, but I knew this was going to happen, and I'm excited that Mr. Moon is giving me his blessing with this number. But to me, the number would never mean anything. It's all about the plays you make on the field, so I'm ready for this opportunity with my teammates," said Ward, who became the top pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.
Ward, who was born in 2002, acknowledged he didn't know about Moon until the draft process began and the possibility of playing for the Titans began to become a possibility. So he watched highlights to familiarize himself with the franchise legend, who stepped away from the game in 2000 at age 44.
"Before I called him I made sure I watched his highlights to make sure he was legit. He was. He was legit. I'm trying to get up to his level one day. It might take me a little time, but I'll get there eventually. He's a Hall of Famer and for me to be in that same number that he was in is an honor," Ward said.
The Titans now put their faith in Ward to become the face of the franchise and elevate a team that has endured three consecutive losing seasons, bottoming out at 3-14 last year.
"We went through the whole process with him, and we came away impressed obviously with the player, but also the person that he is, the leader and the teammate. We didn't think there was anyone more deserving to represent this franchise than Cam Ward," general manager Mike Borgonzi said.
Ward, who played at three different schools — Incarnate Word, Washington State and Miami — said being taken first overall by the Titans was the fulfillment of a lifetime dream.
"I've been praying for this since I was 6 years old. I'm ready to get to work, ready to be with my teammates and try to win some games in the future," said Ward, who threw for 4,313 yards with 44 touchdown passes for Miami last season.

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USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga was mentored by Troy Polamalu
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Fox Sports
4 hours ago
- Fox Sports
NFL breakout candidates: One player from each AFC team primed to make a leap in 2025
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AFC North Baltimore Ravens: S Malaki Starks Unfortunately for the Ravens, the stakes have been raised for their latest first-round pick. When Baltimore picked Starks in April, they were no doubt hoping Ar'Darius Washington would build on his fantastic 2024 season and take some pressure off the rookie. That plan went awry just two weeks later, when Washington tore his Achilles. There's still a ton of talent in the Ravens' secondary, but it would be big if Starks is ready for a big role from the jump. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Amarius Mims Mims was my pick here last summer. While it didn't quite come to fruition, I'm comfortable doubling down. Mims missed a sizable chunk of training camp and still allowed just four sacks in 13 starts. There's plenty to work on, but I'm still betting that Mims — who is still just 22 — can grow into a force for the Bengals' offensive line. Cleveland Browns: LB Carson Schwesinger Perfect combination of talent and opportunity. Draftniks were pumped when Cleveland made Schwesinger an early second-round pick this year, having fallen in love with his instincts and nose for the ball. There's also a clear path to the field in Cleveland. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is out for the year due to injury, which means the Browns are somewhat thin. Here's guessing draft nerds aren't the only ones who know his name by October or November. Pittsburgh Steelers: C Zach Frazier This feels like a layup, because Frazier is already on his way to being a standout center. As a rookie, PFF graded him fourth among all starting centers in run block grade, and sixth in pass block grade. He allowed just 12 pressures and one sack in 15 appearances. If he continues on this trajectory, Frazier should be the Steelers' first Pro Bowl center since Maurkice Pouncey called it a career in 2020. AFC South Houston Texans: WR Jayden Higgins There's playing time available for someone who wants it. It looks likely that Tank Dell is going to miss the entire 2025 season due to the timing of last year's gruesome injury. Even with Christian Kirk joining the squad, there's still an open job alongside him and Nico Collins. Ironically, there are a couple rookies out of Iowa State to choose from, but I'll roll with the 6-foot-4 guy who can separate. Indianapolis Colts: S Nick Cross Colts fans will probably say that Cross has already broken out, but I'm not sure how many outsiders are aware that the former third-round pick out of Maryland racked up 146 tackles and three picks last year in his first season as a starter. What makes this fun is that Cross should have more help now. The Colts' secondary was a bit understaffed in 2024, but the front office addressed that by signing proven vets in Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum. Indy's secondary could be an actual strength this season, and that's an exciting prospect for a guy trying to raise his profile, like Cross. Jacksonville Jaguars: DT Maason Smith Smith is the classic case of a guy who saw the light toward the tail end of his rookie year. It wasn't always a smooth ride, as the 2024 second-round pick was a healthy scratch six times last year. But once he got back into the lineup in Week 13, it seemed to click. Of Smith's 17 tackles as a rookie, 12 came in the last six weeks of the season. The same can be said for his pass rush stats — 11 of his 14 pressures and two of his three sacks happened in December and January. If he can carry that progress over into Year 2, it'd be huge for a defensive front that already employs several quality pass-rushers. Tennessee Titans: OT J.C. Latham Here's guessing Latham's life is about to get a lot easier. That's not to say he was bad as a rookie, but it's tough when you're forced to switch to left tackle and protect a rotating cast of quarterbacks. Year 2 looks better for a lot of reasons. For starters, he's back at right tackle, where he started. And maybe more importantly, Cam Ward's poise, pocket presence and maneuverability should make life easier on the Titans' entire offensive line. Latham wasn't bad last year, it's just that I have high hopes for how much better this year could be. AFC West Denver Broncos: RB R.J. Harvey The Broncos are running it back with a very similar lineup to last year, and the newcomers — Evan Engram, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, are all known names. That doesn't leave a lot of options for breakout stars, but I'm excited about the rookie running back. Harvey joins a wide-open group with no true favorite for playing time. Working with a playcaller of Sean Payton's caliber, there's big opportunity for Harvey to jump onto the radar. Kansas City Chiefs: S Jaden Hicks It's always telling when a successful team lets a free agent walk out the door. Justin Reid was an underrated piece of the Chiefs' dynastic defense during the three years he was in Kansas City, so it piqued my interest when they let him walk in the spring. Then again, if you watched Hicks during his rookie year, maybe you aren't surprised. Despite playing just 330 snaps on defense, Hicks still managed to finish with 29 tackles, three interceptions and five pass breakups. Give him a full year of starts under Steve Spagnuolo, and we might be looking at the next star safety in that secondary. Las Vegas Raiders: C Jackson Powers-Johnson It's not that Powers-Johnson was bad as a rookie, it's mainly just that there'll be a reason to watch him in 2025. Pardon the pun, but the Raiders were a black hole for relevance last season when Powers-Johnson made his debut. That won't be the case now, as he gets set to block for Ashton Jeanty and protect Geno Smith. Los Angeles Chargers: LB Daiyan Henley You've probably heard the story, but it bears repeating. Henley tore the labrum in his left shoulder during a Week 4 loss to Kansas City last year, and he proceeded to play through it. Not only did he gut it out, he thrived to the tune of 147 total tackles — including a streak of six-straight games with double-digit stops. Needless to say, the guy's a beast. If that's what he can do with a bum shoulder, here's guessing he'll be a Pro Bowler by the end of Year 3. David Helman covers the NFL for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team's official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback's time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_ . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

Associated Press
18 hours ago
- Associated Press
Titans embrace Callahan's competition hoping to boost performance, accountability and wins
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