Mario Cristobal Shares His Early Impressions Of Cam Ward At Miami
Cam Ward is already making strong impressions on his new head coach.
Ward has been on campus at Miami for a month and a half after transferring from Washington State. The new Hurricanes starting quarterback has been active in the weight room, organizing throwing sessions with his teammates, and taking teammates fishing during their down time.
The first official spring football practice is this Monday, March 4th, but Ward is already giving head coach Mario Cristobal reasons to be excited.
Cristobal sat down with JD Pickell on The Hard Count on On3 Sports.
Pickell asked Cristobal why they decided Ward was the right quarterback for Miami.
"He's an explosive player," Cristobal said. "He's a great leader. He's got a great presence about him. He's been in big games, big situations, tough situations. He's been overmatched, personnel-wise, and still finds a way to make some dynamic, explosive plays. He can manage a game and make a lot out of a little sometimes."
The above factor makes Miami and Ward an attractive fit for one another. Ward appreciates Miami's strong offensive line culture. Washington State, Ward's former team, give up 38 sacks last season, ranking them 113th in America in that category. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, ranked 17th in the country with just 16 sacks surrendered. Miami surely appreciates Ward's ability to improvise and manipulate the pocket to make plays when the protection breaks down.
Cristobal also spoke on what he likes about Ward's personality.
"He's very goal driven," noted Cristobal. "He's very intense on helping Miami become a prominent football program once again. He does not shy away from competition. We have a young quarterback room that's talented and we have another portal quarterback in Reese (Poffenbarger). Those two guys have approached this the right kind of way. You've gotta go out there and be your best and compete for it."
"Cam has not disappointed. He's been awesome as a leader. He's awesome as a competitor. We have our fourth quarter drills out there and he's trying to win. He's trying to win all the reps."
Cristobal's full interview with Pickell will be available beginning at 11am Thursday at On3 Sports YouTube.
More: Who Will Be The Miami Hurricanes Backup Quarterback Behind Cam Ward?
