This likely won't be Cam Ward's only visit to the area in the coming months.
At the very least, the star quarterback is expected to be a top pick for the Giants in the first round of April's NFL Draft.
He will welcome the opportunity to help Big Blue rebuild.
“If they have a chance to get me, they're going to get everything,” the Heisman Trophy finalist said Friday at the Marriott Marquis in midtown Manhattan. “They're going to get that guy. You'll get people who are willing to challenge themselves. At the end of the day, winning means everything. You've got a winner.”
Although the 6-foot-2 Ward described himself as a “low-key guy,” the ACC Player of the Year also talked about the big game.
Despite starting his college career with FCS program Incarnate Word, his rise to the top of the sport is no surprise to him.
He believes there is no pressure in sports.
He thinks he can make every pitch.
He believes he is the best player in this draft, let alone a quarterback.
When asked to describe himself in one word, he answered, “Dawg.”
“I think the tape speaks for itself,” Ward said. “I've said it many times, I'm the best player in the country. The tape says it all.”
Ward, 22, displayed a side of humility, pointing out areas he could improve on, including missing receivers at times and taking too many sacks.
However, it's tricky.
Ward had a remarkable year at Washington State, going from under the radar to becoming one of four Heisman finalists after leading Miami to its first 10 wins in seven years.
Ward threw for 4,123 yards, completed a career-high 67.4 percent of his passes, and scored 40 total touchdowns.
Although Miami missed out on the College Football Playoff, Ward plans to play in the Hurricanes' bowl game against Iowa State on December 28th.
It's important for him to end the year with a win.
And now it's time to start training for the NFL Draft.
If Ward were to go to the Giants, there would be high expectations for his addition.
He has been anointed as a savior and is expected to help bring the Giants back from yet another lost season.
Ward doesn't seem to mind that.
“I don't really believe in pressure,” said the Davey O'Brien Award winner, given to the nation's best quarterback. “I play soccer. No phone calls, that's all I can say. Enjoy life, make plays and everything will take care of itself.”
He added, “I like teams that pick me. I like teams that want to win. You want to win. You know who you're going to get.”
It's been a detour for Ward to get to this point.
He was an unranked prospect out of Columbia High School in Texas.
As a sophomore at the University of the Incarnate Word, he threw 47 touchdown passes.
He had solid performances the next two seasons at Washington State, but was still a national unknown.
That has changed significantly this year.
Now he's on the cusp of stardom.
“It's been special,” he said of the past year. “Personally, everything we accomplished as a team in the regular season was good. It's about putting things into perspective and seeing how much effort we had to put in to get to where we wanted to be. …I'm not surprised. I've been doing it since Incarnate Word. Now I'm doing it on a bigger stage.”
For Ward, the only downside to living in the area would be the traffic.
Before he arrived in New York, he thought Miami was a terrible place.
“If the Giants had gotten me, that would have been great. The stadium isn't here in New York City,” Ward said with a smile. “It will be easy to get there.”
