It’s never been easy to come up in a small town, leave as a young adult, and then flourish in the big city.
Some people flourished in those situations and others wilted. Here’s an example of a former Cane who took his opportunity to be great and did so after coming up in a small town, as well as a new member of the Miami football family who’s started to do the same.
For the Miami Hurricanes football program, several recruits came from smaller towns and did well. One of them would be legendary defensive tackle Jerome Brown, who came to The U from Brooksville (Fla.) Hernando. During his four-year stint in Coral Gables, Brown’s 21 sacks and 19 tackles for loss would be prime reasons he went ninth overall in the 1987 NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brown was a popular NFL figure because of his charismatic personality. Perhaps the Transfer Portal brought the Canes another football player with the ability to be dominant on the gridiron and be one fans look to off of it. Coming to Miami from Washington State, quarterback Cam Ward appears to have already flourished under the bright lights of Miami before ever playing a game inside Hard Rock Stadium.
During a video interview with WPLG Sports Ward stated, “Coach (Mario) Cristobal gave me an opportunity. A small-town kid, coming to the big city and trying to make a name for myself.
Ward grew up and played at West Columbia (Texas) Columbia, a town that’s not only far away from Miami in terms of distance but also in regards to culture and opportunity. Columbia’s population, as of 2021, would be 3,611 per City-Data. Miami’s population was reported at 449,514, per the United States Census Bureau.
Where he grew up to where he is now did not cause Ward to flinch. He also discussed his relationship with teammates.
“It’s been good. I’m blessed. Connecting with some of my teammates already. But, at the end of the day, we’re all on the same mission; trying to get work in.”
Ward certainly feels as if he’s proven himself to his teammates as he also noted that Miami players are also seeing his leadership throughout the workouts.
In the video, he’s seen signing autographs including one for a young girl. Good for Ward, good for Miami, and good for everyone around him. It’s great to see a person like Ward take advantage of a tremendous opportunity and make the most of it.
