DJR313 Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 The new NU prototype BY DIRK CHATELAIN WORLD-HERALD STAFF BUREAU RELATED STORIES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- » Cryer's family still weathering the storm » Tom Shatel: Buffing up offense good thing for NU RELATED LINKS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- » Big 12 Football » NU Football LINCOLN - The irony behind the quarterback travails at Memorial Stadium: Bill Callahan got this gig partly because the previous regime couldn't attract blue-chip, pro-style quarterbacks to the middle of the Midwest. Rich Gannon, left, and Zac Taylor Scour Nebraska's practice field Friday, 21/2 years after Callahan arrived. You still can't find one. Beyond the soap opera scripts and the angry parents, the recruiting rankings and the depth charts, you'll find a pattern developing at Memorial Stadium. The quarterbacks Callahan and Steve Pederson were intent on luring to Lincoln, hotshot teenagers with cannon arms, scrapbooks of press clippings and heads wired for instant gratification, haven't found a home in the Heartland. Apparently, that's no fault of Nebraska. The failures to satisfy Harrison Beck and Josh Freeman, though, may have clarified NU's quarterback prototype. Husker signal callers of the present - and probably those of the future - are mature, patient and more cerebral than athletic. They're in some cases seasoned journeymen - young Rich Gannons. The reason: It takes time to learn the nuances of Callahan's offense, and the phenoms generally prefer not to stand around holding a clipboard. Callahan won't stop hunting for a young Brett Favre willing to wait his turn. Until he finds him, NU is banking on castoffs and late-bloomers, prospects who didn't get to choose between Ohio State, Miami and USC. For this offense, that's not as bad as it sounds. "It's not always the biggest, fastest guy that's the most effective," said Nebraska offensive coordinator Jay Norvell. "Some guys that aren't as fast, they learn to adapt because they're quick-minded. Those guys can be some of the best players, especially at the quarterback position." The culture of college football recruiting has significantly changed in the past decade, and it may not jive with Callahan's offense. Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said freshman quarterbacks arrive with distorted expectations. They're convinced they can start the day they move into the dorm. "Between the Internet and the natural mentality of an 18-year-old kid and now the parents are piling on, they get themselves convinced of that at a little higher rate," Leach said. "It's not like linebackers, where there's three positions. There's like one, you know?" In recent history, athleticism dictated playing time for Nebraska quarterbacks. Tommie Frazier and Eric Crouch - who played early in their careers - could run with any of their peers around the country. Scott Frost was an athletic thrower turned safety at Stanford. Transfer to Nebraska and premium athleticism again paid off at quarterback. All three truly were running backs playing quarterback, were they not? But Callahan's West Coast offense doesn't place a premium on athletic ability at quarterback. Passers are heady point guards on grass; they excel by avoiding mistakes and turnovers and by utilizing, no, maximizing, all the offensive playmakers at their disposal. Making an NFL-caliber throw down the sideline serves a purpose. But knowing when to hit the fullback - a play's fourth option? - in the flats makes the difference between BCS bowl and Christmas in Shreveport. That may be why Beck grew frustrated that his lively arm couldn't lift him above Zac Taylor and Joe Ganz on the depth chart. The past week's quarterback transactions may symbolize NU's future. Beck leaves; junior-college journeyman Brian Hildebrand arrives. Hildebrand is a former Elite 11 QB like Beck. But like Taylor, he's tasted humility after leaving Oregon State his freshman year. Hildebrand may be more apt to stick it out when adversity strikes. You earn respect and trust from teammates by showing up every day and not making major mistakes, Norvell said. "Especially young players, it's hard for them to realize that," Norvell said. "You gotta have maturity and you gotta have leadership to play." During Callahan's brief four-year head coaching career, two quarterbacks have thrived in his system. Taylor and Gannon became better players when they found the West Coast offense. Both spent the early parts of their careers searching for a home. They developed late. Their noteworthy skill was not how they threw a football, but understanding when and where to throw a football. "Timing and anticipation are so important - a guy that can see the field and know the strengths and weaknesses of their players and the strengths and weaknesses of defenses," Norvell said. "Guys that understand that can really take advantage of it." Oklahoma won a national championship in 2000 with such a quarterback, a junior-college diamond in the rough. The Sooners' next star, Jason White, won a Heisman Trophy without a trophy arm. Texas Tech has chartered a fraternity for prolific passers. Not one made a splash nationally before or after he came to Lubbock. Callahan and Norvell look in the recruiting process for quarterbacks who study the game, who have run sophisticated offenses. Having a father who coached - like Taylor - doesn't hurt. Norvell won't give up on recruiting the nation's best, but Nebraska's best fit may not be the most talented on paper. "Look at Zac," he said. "He's a great player, and we were able to recruit him fairly late in the process. In the springtime, we go all over the country and there are a lot of good quarterbacks out there. You've just got to keep looking and turn over rocks and find guys with the right personality. Some of those guys develop late. "We'll find the right guys to lead this program. There's more out there than you think. Sometimes the guys who are highly rated aren't necessarily the right guys for you." http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=528&u_...3&u_sid=2223089 Quote Link to comment
farmerscarlet Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 This was a great article. Quote Link to comment
Licensed to Ill Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 Read this in the paper this morning and was about to post it on here as well. Great article Quote Link to comment
husker rob Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 the right player in the right system means everything. confidence is a big thing and if the QB is confident in the system you never know haw for you can go Quote Link to comment
Washusker Posted August 14, 2006 Share Posted August 14, 2006 Too bad most kids don't understand that they'll actually benefit in the long run if they take the time to learn the nuances of a system like BC's. Even if it means sitting for a year. Quote Link to comment
BIGREDIOWAN Posted August 14, 2006 Share Posted August 14, 2006 That's an awesome article!!! It says a lot about the character of QB at Nebraska!!!! Keep it up Calli and company!!! Quote Link to comment
huskernumerouno Posted August 14, 2006 Share Posted August 14, 2006 That is good advice for life in general. Great article Quote Link to comment
huskerdavo Posted August 14, 2006 Share Posted August 14, 2006 Indeed great read just need a system man with smarts not necessarily all that sexiness Quote Link to comment
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