If Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward knows anything, it’s that he didn’t get where he is alone. Sports have been part of his life for his whole life, and his parents made sure he and his siblings got where they needed to be, when they needed to be there.

Today, Father’s Day, Ward is acknowledging the impact his father, Calvin, had on his life and his career.

Even as a child, Ward wanted to be a professional athlete.

“Cameron fell in love with the workouts,” Calvin told ESPN. “From a young age, he was always like, ‘I want to be a professional athlete in something.’ My philosophy was always to play as many sports as you want. The road would eventually narrow on its own.”

Obviously, Ward landed on football and when he hit high school, his dad did research. He spoke with other parents of players who made it to the NFL, and he sought advice from coaches and others who would be honest about what Cam needed to do to improve.

Calvin drove his son all over the state of Texas to get him as much exposure as he could for college. It was never about getting a scholarship; he just wanted to help his son improve and improve he did.

After earning his spot at Incarnate Word, everyone knows what happened next. He transferred twice, improving at each stop along the way, and ended up being the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2025 NFL draft after being a zero-star recruit out of high school.

While at Miami, Ward began to repay his parents for their support throughout his life by building them a home, so what was Ward going to get him for Father’s Day?

“Shopping for Father’s Day, that’s the hardest shopping to do,” Ward told ESPN. “I mean what do you get for someone who already has everything? I don’t know what I’m going to get him, because he ain’t really ask for (expletive).”

It didn’t take him long to decide on what he wanted to do though.

“I just really want to spend time with him,” Ward said.

As a parent, you want nothing more from your grown children than a little bit of their time. It is absolutely the best gift Ward can give his dad. However, succeeding the way that he is in life has to come in at a pretty close second for Calvin Ward.