For the Ones Who Believed

 I can’t lie, I thought Draft Night was going to be the best night of my life. 

For years, I’ve daydreamed about what that moment would be like when I received the call …. How I would hug my family …. How I would take the stage, shake Roger Goodell’s hand and hold the jersey of my new team ….

I walked into that green room fully expecting to hear my name called … There was no doubt in my mind. 

When I finally sat down with my family and names started being called, of course I was nervous. I waited my whole life for this moment.

FOR THE 1ST PICK IN THE NFL DRAFT THE TENNESSEE TITANS SELECT CAM WARD ….

… THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS SELECT TRAVIS HUNTER ….

… THE OAKLAND RAIDERS SELECT ASHTON JEANTY ….

Then the teams that said they were interested in drafting me suddenly passed …… With every name called, I slowly started to realize that things might not go how I thought. 

I still had hope when the Chargers got on the board. Even though the night wasn’t going to plan, I had a feeling this could be the moment.

Coach Harbaugh saw what I went through at Michigan. He knows how I’ve handled it, especially where my knee is concerned, and how it hasn’t affected me at all. 

… THE LOS ANGELES CHARGERS SELECT ….

Not me.

Not the kid from Michigan.

I can’t lie, I felt some type of way. Who wouldn’t? 

I was a projected Top 5 pick and now my college coach won’t even draft me? 

I just knew something wasn’t right.

Sitting in that green room waiting is more stressful than you think. 

Watching team after team pass on you, knowing you’re better than some of the players they’re drafting — it’s a feeling that’s hard to put into words. The longer I was in there, the more uncomfortable I was. 

The only thing that kept me sane was seeing my guys in that room with me — shoutout to Colston Loveland, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant — those are my brothers! 

Seeing them get drafted was the highlight of night one for me. 

After getting his name called, Mason even came back to the green room to wait it out with me … which meant a lot. He didn’t have to do that … especially on such a big night for him.

FOR THE 23RD PICK IN THE NFL DRAFT THE GREEN BAY PACKERS SELECT …...

… THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS SELECT …...

… THE NEW YORK GIANTS SELECT …...

I still don’t know how much they showed me on TV, but I did my best to keep my emotions together.

One by one the bodies in the room started to disappear. A room once packed with so much hope, so much excitement for the future …. felt so empty. 

I can’t even remember when we left. It was all a blur. 

From the Draft ending that night, to getting on my flight to Detroit the next morning, to making it back to my apartment that afternoon — I couldn’t stop thinking about what just happened … 

But I also kept thinking about all it took to get me here …. what it took to even reach that green room …. Every early morning, every sacrifice, every game … This journey was about everything that led me here.

The night even started out like a dream …... 

I walked the red carpet with a smile on my face, while my family watched as my moment began to come to pass. One they saw begin at five years old, in my backyard, training with my dad.

If you know me, then you know none of this would be possible without my dad.  

He’s my role model. 

He played corner, so I played corner. 

And I immediately fell in love with it. 

We’d be in our back yard for hours throwing the ball, back pedaling around cones — you name it, we did it. 

It was clear I had a passion for football early, but the chance to follow in my dad’s footsteps really meant a lot to me. 

That’s why choosing Michigan was never really a question. 

To be connected to my dad’s legacy in this way was important to me …… but I knew I had to write my own story, too.

And I wrote the hell out of it.

My time at Michigan … man, it was special. I accomplished every goal I had and then some. 

Start as a true freshman …. Become an All-American …. Go undefeated against that school in Ohio …. Set the Pick-6 record .… Win a Big Ten Championship … Win a National Championship …. earn Defensive MVP …. 

While it’s easy to say the big moments made the experience, it’s really the little moments nobody saw that shaped me as a player. 

That 2023 season was full of special moments. 

That team fought through a lot of adversity which made our success that much more rewarding. 

I mean, I remember during our Penn State matchup that year, Coach Harbaugh had just been suspended from coaching … the whole team was in the lobby when the news hit.

We were just sitting around, watching Coach process everything … all we knew was that all of us needed to be there for him. Having to go play after that … it just brought us all together. At that moment, we knew we’d go to war for each other.

So, to go from that moment, to turning up in the stadium to Sexxy Red and then beating Penn State (again) … it made our bond unbreakable ….  I feel like that National Championship was almost written. It had to happen with a group as tight as ours. 

My pick in the second half was just the cherry on top. The real joy was going out on top with that group of guys.

I know I left my mark … and honestly, I could’ve left more of a legacy if I was able to play more during my last season.

I got hurt with six weeks left. There wasn’t much I could do but be there for my team. 

It was a nerve-wracking situation to be in, but I also knew it was out of my control … I wondered how people were going to take it, but I chose to trust God. 

I knew wherever I ended up … whatever happened, would be what was best for me …. I just had to do my part and get healthy.

Who wants to be injured while they’re transitioning to the next level? Nobody. 

Trust me when I say, I understand that my Draft process didn’t look how everyone thought it would …. or should ……...

And while I didn’t do everything I wanted to do — I did everything I could do during my workouts. The only thing I didn’t do was the 40 …. And if you’re a good scout, you’d be able to tell what that looks like based on my film.

But, through it all, I didn’t fold. 

I trusted the process …. I trusted I’d be healthy again … I trusted who I am …

And while we’re here, let’s set the record straight about my knee.

I’m sure you’re thinking, well, Will, if you are healthy, why would teams take reports about your injured knee so seriously? 

Simple. Over two years ago, I had surgery to get some cartilage removed. Recovery from that procedure is usually dependent on how the body responds. 

Yes … everyone is different. But I was good to go. Played two years on it and have had ZERO problems with it …. The reason I had to sit out last season was a bad case of turf toe. It had nothing to do with my knee — zero. I’m healthy guys.

Anyone can get injured at any moment. So, for people to try to predict that I may reinjure my knee with no indicators doesn’t make much sense to me. 

When I submitted my medical history, I knew some teams might feel some type of way about it, but no, the teams interested said they weren’t worried at all.

Then the media started to pick it up right before Draft …...

That’s when the noise really started. Headlines questioning my health, rumors being spread, scouts second-guessing — all while I’m getting ready for one of the biggest nights of my life.

Honestly, this all just served as a reminder that this league is a business …. And sometimes business gets messy.

So yeah, the process didn’t go how I imagined … but everything changed when the Cardinals called.

I was sitting on my sister Kayli’s couch when my agent came across the room to let me know Arizona would be calling. 

Just as he told me, my phone started to ring …... It was really them.

Once I picked up … it was all a blur. 

I could barely keep up with what I was saying, let alone what the GM, Coach Gannon and the president were saying. All I remember hearing was, “We’re happy to have you,” “You’re going to be on the team,” “We believe in you and are ready to get to work.” 

All the anxiety and stress I’d been carrying was immediately replaced with joy. 

As I hugged my family, it all started to sink in. 

When I got to my grandma … I couldn’t help but cry. I could feel what she felt — how proud she was of me and how hurt she was to see me disappointed on Night One.

As I hugged her, everything I just went through, shoot, everything WE just went through came to the surface. 

The late nights watching films … early morning workouts … the sacrifices my parents made … my doubt … the misinformation … knowing I was going on a journey very few experience ….

I couldn’t have gotten through any of it without my family’s support. It was only right that we popped a couple bottles to celebrate while we watched the rest of the Draft together.

That’s when I realized that I’m going back to the place where I had spent the last few months working towards this moment — a place I love. 

Before the Draft, I was working out in Arizona, telling everyone how AZ had become one of my favorite places. And now, I’ve been drafted there. 

Funny how God works …

And as I take the next step, I have to shout out the city that raised me.

Detroit.

The character I have … The drive I have … The people who showed me the way … that’s the spirit of the city. And I carry it with me everywhere.

I’m bringing the D to the A — this is the moment I’ve been working for.

The Cardinals are building something special with their coaches, culture and players. 

My mission is clear.

1. Prove everyone wrong.
2. Prove myself right.
3. Another ring to match the Natty.

Bookmark this.

This next chapter is for the ones who believed.