Ward, after breaking the Division I record for most career passing touchdowns, refused to play in the second half of the Bowl game that Miami ended up losing 42-41 to Iowa State.
"OK, you're either going to draft me or you're not," said Ward. "If you don't draft me, that's your fault. You've got to remember you're the same team that's got to play me for the rest of my career, and I'll remember that."
The statement rings a bell for many who remember former UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, who told the media ahead of the 2018 NFL draft that, “There were nine mistakes made ahead of me, and I'm going to make sure, over the next decade or so, that they know they made a mistake."
Rosen was selected 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals and was out of the league after just three years on three different teams (Miami Dolphins , Atlanta Falcons).
Ward threw three touchdowns to set the record at 158 (breaking it with 156) and helped Miami maintain a 31-28 lead heading into halftime. But the soon-to-be NFL quarterback addressed that had Miami won, his choice to not play the second half wouldn't even be a story.
"If we had won the game, they wouldn't have said nothing," Ward said. "And so that's usually how it goes. And, you know, you just got to take it on the chin and just keep pushing."
Ward finished fourth in the Heisman voting this past season after throwing for 4,313 yards with 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
Ward is a projected top 10 pick on everyone's draft board, top five on most, and even the number one overall pick for some, such as ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper.
The 2025 NFL Draft will take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin from April 24th to April 26th.