Cam Ward is not the first Cam Ward to play for the Hurricanes
At the start of the season, Miami quarterback Cam Ward had +2200 odds to win the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the best college football player in the country. This means if you bet $100, you would win $2,300 if he won the award. As of now, his odds have dropped to +250, meaning a $100 bet would only return $350 if he wins.
This shift highlights how unexpectedly strong a season Ward is having for Miami, as he attempts to bring the Hurricanes back to prominence in the NCAA. Miami in the 80s and 90s were one of the best college football teams in the country. They were nutritious for having multiple high draft picks every year but after some scandal they have had trouble recruiting and have faded in to irrelevancy over the past few years.
His phenomenal performance has led to him signing an NIL deal, making him an official Adidas athlete.
Adidas has signed its newest NIL athlete:
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 23, 2024
Miami QB Cam Ward. pic.twitter.com/c93339lYxM
If you're looking for Cam Ward rookie cards, you may need to be cautious, as you could also come across cards for Cam Ward, the goalie who played for the Carolina Hurricanes back in the 2000s. The twist? Both athletes played for teams called the "Hurricanes."
While many refer to the quarterback as Cam Ward, when searching for his cards, you should look for "Cameron Ward," as that's the name used on all of his cards.
Ward was featured in the first Bowman Chrome U licensed football set after NIL came into effect. In 2021, Topps returned to college football cards, though those sets were unlicensed. The 2022 set, however, is licensed, and you’ll find him represented in that collection. Before transferring to Miami, he played for Washington State, the team featured on his First Bowman card.
So far this year, Panini has released multiple cards of Ward in his Miami uniform.
The kids say he’s HIM. Don’t miss the chance to add him to your collection.
— Panini America (@PaniniAmerica) October 6, 2024
Shop a new set of Cam Ward’s Instant Cards Monday October 7th at 10am CT here: https://t.co/98xePxUVAK #PaniniNIL #WhoDoYouCollect pic.twitter.com/CZyDNCnlPG
We are still in an era where professional rookie cards hold more value than college cards, even though now, college cards are being released while players are still in school. With the rise of NIL and licensed college cards, this could change in the future, but for now, collectors are still paying top dollar for pro cards, with less emphasis on college ones.
Adam has been a sports content creator since 2016, initially focusing on creating sports-related graphics for his Instagram page. In 2018, he transitioned to writing and podcasting about sports cards. Since then, he has worked both independently and with companies within the industry, producing podcasts, videos, and written content on sports cards.