Draft Watch: West Virginia @ South Florida

1) Jarrett Brown – The senior quarterback had to wait for three years, biding his time behind West Virginia legend Pat White before he could be the man in Morgantown. At 6’ 4” and 220 pounds Brown has good size, his arm is NFL quality and he is an excellent athlete who can make things happen with his legs. However, he has not improved his stock through seven games (injured early in win versus Marshall); his touchdown to interception ratio of eight to six is unimpressive, and he struggled in his two toughest contests—at Auburn and last week against UConn. He has completed 67.1 percent of his passes overall, but connected at just a 56.3 rate against the Tigers (1 TD, 4 INTs) in WVU’s lone loss of the season. Against the Huskies, the West Palm Beach native completed only 59. 3 percent of his passes and failed to find the end zone (1 INT). In cornerback Jerome Murphy and safety Nate Allen, the USF Bulls have a dangerous secondary that will take advantage of Brown’s mistakes.

2) Noel Devine vs. Kion Wilson – This should be a fun match-up, pitting the speed and open-field shiftiness of Devine against the hard-hitting and sound tackling of Wilson. Devine is coming off a 178-yard performance against the Huskies, which included a spectacular sideline, game-winning scamper that displayed both his speed and balance. He likes the lights too. Earlier this season on Thursday night against the Colorado Buffaloes he rumbled for 220 yards on 22 carries. This is an interesting match-up against maybe the speediest defense the Mountaineers have faced to date led by Wilson, who tops the Bulls with his 49 tackles. The junior college transfer is flourishing in his second season at the Division I level and facing a back like Devine in the open field will be the ultimate test.

3) Better prospect George Selvie or Jason Pierre-Paul – Could Selvie not even be the best defensive end prospect on his own team? Gone are the days of video game numbers for the former high school center, which he put up as a sophomore. Last season much of that was attributed to double and sometimes triple teams, but this year more often than not, Selvie is being slowed down one-on-one. The senior still leads the line with 27 tackles, but not tackles for a loss (6.5 TFLs) or sacks (3 sacks). Pierre-Paul may not be as polished as Selvie, but is bigger and perhaps a more impressive athlete. Although he is still refining his pass rushing skills (2 sacks), Pierre-Paul has lived in the opposition’s backfield this season and leads the Bulls with his 9.5 tackles for a loss. Not many ends can combine size, speed, athleticism and wingspan (81”) the way this junior college transfer does. He has better upside than Selvie, but Pierre-Paul would be wise to return for his senior season to refine his game. It will be interesting to see how each does when matched up with WVU's top tackle Selvish Capers.

Photos Courtesy of WVU Sports Communication, USF Athletics Communications

Big East: Week Two Review

By CHRISTOPHER MOGOLLON - BIG EAST INSIDER

We take a look back on a record set, a game-losing safety, and the week that was in the Big East.

Game of the Week: Sloppy field, sloppy offenses, and a sloppy finish. That’s the best way to describe Connecticut’s 12-10 loss to 16th ranked North Carolina in a game that saw the deciding points come on a safety. Neither team ran or passed the ball well, and each gave up two turnovers. The Tar Heels’ valiant fourth quarter comeback was sparked by the offensive line winning the battle in the trenches. Running back Ryan Houston’s clutch 30 yards on six carries led North Carolina on a game-tying touchdown drive. The player of the game was Lindsey Witten. The 6’ 4” senior sacked the quarterback 3.5 times and is the conference leader with a seven on the season. Unfortunately for the Huskies, a holding penalty in the end zone committed by Dan Ryan was just enough for North Carolina to grab the win.

Team of the week: This is cautious praise because it was against Buffalo, but this week Pittsburgh did something they rarely did last year—looked good on offense. Quarterback Bill Stull threw for three touchdowns for the first time in his career. The 54-27 win was charged by true freshman Dion Lewis. If his debut wasn’t impressive enough—20 carries for 137 yards and a pair of TDs versus Youngstown St.—this week he put on a clinic, rushing for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Four Buffalo turnovers left them with little chance to match the Panthers’ firepower. When was the last time you heard that? It’s the most points Pittsburgh has scored since 1999. The only blemish in the win was Pitt’s inability to stop Buffalo wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt, who racked up 157 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns.

Record Setter: Congratulations to Matt Grothe for passing Pat White as the all-time Big East career yardage leader. Grothe broke the record on a 12-yard scramble in the Bulls’ 35-13 victory over Western Kentucky. The senior threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns.

Don't Forget About: Jarrett Brown was just too much for East Carolina to handle, as the West Virginia quarterback threw for 334 yards and four touchdowns in the Mountaineers 35-10 win. A key hookup with wide receiver Alric Arnett for a touchdown put the game away in the third quarter.

Freshman Watch: A win over Howard isn’t likely to stem the tide of panic at Rutgers just yet, but quarterback Tom Savage surely gave Knights fans something to smile about. The true freshman threw for 223 yards and displayed a cannon of an arm. He connected twice with Tim Brown on big plays, including a 49-yard bomb on his first throw of the day.

Wide Out Week: Four different Big East wide receivers put up big performances in week two: The 'nice hands award' goes to Jock Sanders (West Virginia) for the second consecutive week. The Mountaineer led all wide outs in receptions, pulling down nine balls for 99 yards. In the ‘it’s been a while’ category, Carlton Mitchell (South Florida) hit the century mark (130 yards) for the first time since his freshman year (2007). You can call Tim Brown (Rutgers) ‘Big Plays’. He led the conference in yards, racking up 132 for the Scarlet Knights on just three catches. Finally, it should come as 'no surprise' that Marshwan Gilyard (Cincinnati), had his way with SE Missouri State, posting 111 yards and two touchdowns.

Photo Courtesy of USF Athletics Communications

CFI Countdown: #25 West Virginia Mountaineers

2008 Record: 9-4 (Big East: 5-2)
Bowl Game: Won Meineke Car Care Bowl vs. North Carolina 31-30
Location: Morgantown, West Virginia
Stadium: Mountaineer Field @ Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000)
Head Coach: Bill Stewart
Overall: 18-29 (5th season)
@ West Virginia: 10-4 (2nd season)
Link to WVU Football Page

After entering the season with high expectations, it is hard to make the argument that the Mountaineers weren’t at least somewhat of a disappointment in 2008, despite winning nine games (with the senior class winning a record 42 games) and a fourth straight bowl game. However, for the first time with Pat White leading the way, WVU failed to win 11 games and finish in the top 10. That they did so in Bill Stewart’s first season at the helm has the Morgantown faithful keeping a wary eye on the head coach’s sophomore effort.

When the Mountaineers Have the Ball

Offensive Coordinator: Jeff Mullen (2nd Season)
Scheme: Spread Option
Starters Returning: Six
Key Losses: QB Pat White, OT Ryan Stancheck, OG Greg Isdaner, OC Mike Dent, WR Dorrell Jalloh

Senior signal caller Jarrett Brown is not your typical first year senior starter—the kid has skills—he simply had the misfortune of playing behind one of the winningest quarterbacks in the history of college football the past three seasons. Whenever he has had the opportunity to play, Brown has represented himself well, displaying the ability to beat opposing defenses with his arm and legs. If the Mountaineers are going to throw more in ’09, as Coach Bill Stewart vows, then the receiving corps will need to step up as well. In seniors Alric Arnett and Wes Lyons, junior Jack Sanders, sophomore Bradley Starks, as well as freshman Logan Heastie, they have the weapons to make the transition. That doesn’t mean the running game will be an afterthought, not with the explosively dynamic Noel Devine (pictured), who at 5’ 8” (175 pounds) is a dangerous homerun hitter who will strike fear in opposing defenses. To allow the skill players to do what they can do, the offensive line will need to mesh after losing several key longtime contributors. Right tackle Selvish Capers is a nice building block.

Top Pro Prospects: 1) OT Selvish Capers (SR), 2) RB Noel Devine (JR), 3) QB Jarrett Brown (SR)

When the Other Team Has the Ball

Defensive Coordinator: Jeff Casteel (8th Season)
Scheme: 3-3-5 Stack
Starters Returning: Six
Key Losses: LB Mortty Ivy, CB Ellis Lankster, S Quinton Andrews

It all starts up front with defensive end Scooter Berry (pictured) and noseman Chris Neild—a pair of juniors who were the linchpins of the number one scoring defense in the Big East last season. Berry has the quicks to get into the backfield, while Neild is as active as they come in the middle. While it will be difficult to replace Mortty Ivy, 2008 Fiesta Bowl MVP Reed Williams makes his return after suffering a serious shoulder injury. The secondary needs to replace a pair of key contributors and will rely on a sophomore duo—cornerback Keith Tandy and safety Robert Sands—to fill in. Sands has the ability to flourish as a playmaker.

Top Pro Prospects: 1) LB Reed Williams (SR), 2) DL Scooter Berry (JR), 3) S Robert Sands (SO)

The Schedule

Out of conference they face East Carolina, Auburn, and Colorado—can they avenge 2008 losses to the Pirates and Buffaloes without slipping up in their trip to Auburn, which is sandwiched in between? Early season losses to ECU and Colorado derailed any chances for National Title contention last year. In conference play, they face three tough road tests (@ South Florida, Cincinnati & Rutgers), with two coming in the final three games of the season. They also play host to Pittsburgh on Thanksgiving weekend, having lost the last two Backyard Brawls to their border rival.

Pivotal Point

We can talk about the questions on the offensive line, the adjustment in offensive philosophy, and the potential vulnerabilities in their pass defense, but nothing can stack up to having to replace Pat White. No matter how much confidence Florida native Brown has earned, it’s one thing to fill in for the man…it’s quite another to be the man. It will be unfair, but the comparisons to White—a legend in his own time—are inevitable. As critical as his running and passing is to the offense, it is how Brown replaces White as the team’s leader that will dictate how high these Mountaineers will climb. Not to be underestimated is the loss of kicker/punter Pat McAfee.

CFI Final Analysis

Since going 1-6 in Big East play (3-9 overall) in 2001, the Mountaineers have been in the thick of the Big East race, winning the conference title in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007—and this year will be no different. The second year under Coach Stewart and the first without White will go a long way in determining how people feel about the program’s future. Don’t expect a top ten finish or 11 wins—like in 2005, 2006 and 2007—but another bowl appearance and a top 25 finish should be in the offing.

Check back tomorrow to see who is #24 in CFI’s Top 25 Countdown

Photo Credit: WVU Sports Communication

Draft Spotlight: Quarterback

How Many First Round Picks?

Three, and this one is pretty close to a slam-dunk. Matthew Stafford (Georgia) is the number one guy, which is why he is the only signal caller in the conversation for the number one overall pick. If you ever watched a full Stafford game as a Bulldog, you thought at least once or twice, “No one in else in college football could have made that throw”. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee anything at the next level. He didn’t always make the best decisions, but always seemed to be dealing with slippery-handed pass catchers and an inexperienced offensive line. Georgia football coach Mark Richt compares Stafford to NFL legends John Elway and Dan Marino.

“He is very strong and durable, he is very agile,” Richt adds. “His arm is unquestioned in its strength, but he can also make any throw you would want a guy to make. He is highly intelligent. He loves the game. He’s a humble guy who wants to put the team first; he’s exactly what everyone is looking for. I think he will be a very high pick, if not the first pick.”

As for number two, it’s a toss up. Before you put Mark Sanchez (USC) in the top ten, could you find one person who called him a first round pick before his Rose Bowl performance? Didn’t think so. Sanchez has potential, but is a borderline first-round talent who will get over-drafted.

Finally, we come to the brick-house named Josh Freeman out of Kansas St. Yes, he is raw, but he has more potential than Sanchez and maybe as much as Stafford. I like Freeman more than I liked JaMarcus Russell coming out…the difference? Freeman didn’t have Dwayne Bowe, Buster Davis and Early Doucet to throw to or a defense stocked with future NFL talent constantly giving him the ball back.

Who Are the Top Senior QBs?

No senior quarterback will approach the first round and they all may have to wait until day two to hear their name called. The candidates include Pat White (West Virginia), Curtis Painter (Purdue), Thomas Brandstater (Fresno St.), Stephen McGee (Texas A&M) and Brian Hoyer (Michigan St.).

White is the most likely to go in the second round, but that has more to do with his “slash” potential than his ability to go under center in 2009. Hoyer appears to be a rising player on some people’s draft boards despite the fact he struggled to complete 50 percent of his passes as a senior.

The upside that Painter, Brandstater and McGee bring shouldn’t be underestimated. Don’t be surprised if one or more of this trio outperforms one or two of the big three as pros. It happens all the time. Quarterback coach Bob Johnson, who worked with Sanchez, Painter, Brandstater, White and Nathan Brown had especially high praise for the former Boilermaker.

“Curtis Painter is going to surprise people and end up starting in this league,” Johnson told the NFL Draft Bible in a radio interview. Brandstater and McGee may not have the arm strength of Painter, but provide a little more in terms of mobility.

What Happened to So-and-So?

“Sometimes your senior year doesn’t go quite the way it’s supposed to and maybe his didn’t, but there are a lot of things to be said about that whether it was protections or receivers or a new coordinator, whatever it was.”

That was Coach Johnson on Curtis Painter, but he easily could have been talking about Hunter Cantwell (Louisville), Cullen Harper (Clemson), Rudy Carpenter (Arizona St.) or Todd Boeckman (Ohio St.). Of this quartet Cantwell and Boeckman have the best arms. Cantwell is inexperienced and spotty, but if a team can be patient and coach him up, he possesses the raw tools. Boeckman was a victim of circumstance at OSU—after their National Championship hopes vanished, it was time for the Terrelle Pryor era to begin. Boeckman is a statue in the pocket, but he has a pro arm and could be a Free Agent bargain.

Coming out of the Big XII, Graham Harrell (Texas Tech) and Chase Daniel (Missouri) were as productive as anyone in this class of quarterbacks, but they simply don’t stack up physically. Yes, people have questioned the fact they are coming out of spread offenses, but scouts wouldn’t be as worried about the “system” label if Daniel was three or four inches taller and Harrell had a stronger arm.

John Parker Wilson (Alabama) is a solid game manager who led the Crimson Tide to an 11-win season, but he doesn’t offer much potential.

Who Could Be This Year’s Joe Flacco?

If you’re looking for someone who is going to step in as the starter and win a playoff game, the answer is “nobody”. The top small school candidate is Rhett Bomar (Sam Houston St.), who has the size, arm and athleticism to start under center in the League. Like Flacco who began his college career as a Pitt Panther (before transferring to Delaware), Bomar started at the Bowl Subdivision level, leading the Oklahoma Sooners to their last bowl victory before moving on to Sam Houston St. Accuracy is the biggest question make with this small school stud.

Not far behind is D-III standout Jason Boltus (Hartwick), who throws an impressive fastball. He's an intriguing prospect and it’s amazing that someone with his kind of arm slipped through so many cracks. Two other names to keep an eye on are Michael Reilly (Central Washington) and Nathan Brown (Central Arkansas).

Who Are Some Sleepers?

His stock may have dropped more than any other quarterback's throughout the evaluation process, but there is still a lot to like about Nate Davis (Ball St.), namely his rocket arm. His did not put his best foot forward on his way out the door, playing his worst two games of 2008 in his final two games as a collegian, but if you can snag him anytime after the third round, he could end up being a steal. Another strong-armed mid-major quarterback who could surprise is David Johnson (Tulsa). A one-year starter, Johnson did the most with his opportunity and proved himself to be capable threat. Unlike most spread offenses, the Golden Hurricane stretched the football field and not many throw a prettier deep ball than Johnson. Willie Tuitama (Arizona), like Davis, is short, stocky and athletic with a good arm, while Chase Patton (Missouri) hopes to be the next Matt Cassell and overcome zero college starts before embarking on an NFL career.

Who Are the Stars of Tomorrow?

If you heard enough of Pat White and what position he should play on Sundays…wait till next year! Everyone and their mother will have an opinion on Mr. Tim Tebow (Florida). Is he a quarterback? Tight end? H-Back? Fullback? Maybe even a linebacker? If he does stay “under center”, he will be asked to do very different things on Sundays than he does as the Gators' star. Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan), Zac Robinson (Oklahoma St.) and Juice Williams (Illinois) are three more dual threats, with Colt McCoy (Texas) coming out of the Texas spread. And keep an eye on 6’ 5 mid-major quarterbacks Tim Hiller (Western Michigan) and Rusty Smith (Florida Atlantic).

Red-shirt junior Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) will be the favorite to go number one overall heading into the season, but don’t sleep on former Longhorn Jevan Snead (Ole Miss), with Jake Locker (Washington), Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame), Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) and Pat Devlin (Delaware) all talented juniors.

No one looks the part of the old school prototypical pocket passer more than the 6’5/255 pound sophomore Ryan Mallett (Arkansas), while fellow second-year studs Terrelle Pryor (Ohio St.) and Robert Griffin (Baylor) are 100 percent new school.

Part I of an VIII Part Series - Tomorrow: Running Backs

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media, College Press Box (Louisville), Sam Houston State Athletics, Walt Beazley, University of Tulsa, Purdue University Sports Information

Q&A: Bill Stewart, Head Coach, WVU

College Football Insiders Coaches Corner interview with West Virginia Head Coach Bill Stewart. Hosted by Daniel Mogollon. Click to listen.


Coach Stewart is 10-4 as head coach at WVU, including bowl wins over a Bob Stoops-led Oklahoma team and Butch Davis' North Carolina squad. So how are things in Morgantown?

Stewart: It’s going really well Daniel. Thank you for having us on and thanks for your interest in Mountaineer football. We had our meeting last night, at six o’clock we met. We made sure they're all back safe and sound. Classes just began after a week of spring break, it’s always nice for these lads to get out and enjoy themselves. We had lifting this morning as usual. We’re going to lift on Monday’s and Thursday’s, generally. We’re going to practice Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday so we’ll meet today at four for a short meeting and we’ll practice tomorrow and Wednesday, then we’ll lift again on Thursday and practice on Friday and Saturday and that will conclude week number one. We’re excited about spring practice. This is a great time and the sun is out in Morgantown, how about that? Spring is here and I hope it’s here to stay.

Since this is the eve of spring football at West Virginia, what are your goals for the spring, other than staying healthy, of course?

Stewart: Well, first and foremost we want to stay healthy. We want to have fun, but we work really hard. We had something all winter. Phase one is the winter conditioning and it's tough. We call it “another level”, 6 am workouts. Some people call it “4th quarter”, some people call it whatever...but we call it another level because we have to pick up our game and elevate it to another level. We have been doing that with eight, 6 am workouts, four weeks, two a week. Then we have had very hard and strenuous lifting, much running, much agility, much strength. We did yoga, which was really great. That’s phase one. Now it’s phase two, coming in, that’s spring ball. That’s the time when you get to work on your skills, holding up your game, try to improve the squad for next year and try to formulate the plan. Trying new things, new wrinkles, that’s what we are excited about now. But what we’re going to do is first...offensively, we need to get better on third downs, although we weren’t as bad as people think. Just statistically, we just lost key situations in a couple games but we need to improve our third downs offensively and by that I mean a short-yardage package. I really want to haul in on that. I still want to push the ball vertically down the field number two, because we think we have a strong-armed quarterback coming back in Jarrett Brown, so we really want to push that ball vertically downfield. Then we want to take advantage of all of our skills...we need to spread the wealth. With Patrick White gone, number three, we need to spread the wealth. So number one, improve short yardage, number two, push the ball vertically down the field and number three, spread the wealth since Pat’s departure. That’s offensively. Defensively, Daniel, we need to get off the field. We were not good, we were the number one team in America last year in the red zone—you know, keeping people out of the end zone—but not we were not good at time of possession or getting off the field. So first and foremost, I want to really stress three-and-outs, three-and-outs. We are going to hammer that and pound it into our guys' heads. Three-and-out, three-and-out, because we have to get off the field. Offensively we averaged 53 snaps a game last year, but we should be in the 60’s. That’s the defense. Offensively we had some drives, but the defense has to get off the field and give us the ball. So we really need to stress that. We also need to get a better blitz package. When you get a better blitz package, number three then, you’re going to have to play man-to-man coverage better. On defensive we're going to have to get three-and-outs and get off the field, develop a more consistent and more fun fire zone blitz package and number three, improve our man coverage. We have some good guys that can do it, we have some guys that are great at it but we've all got to get great at it so we can blitz more, that’s our forte. Kicking, we need to replace Pat McAfee, but how do you replace a guy that has done all that he has done? On kick-off coverage, we were number two in the nation, Daniel, on punts and number 117 out of 119 on kick-offs. I’m the guy coaching both of them so I should get a raise for one and probably knocked on the head for the other one.

(Laughs) How important is this spring to Jarrett Brown, both as a passer and in terms of taking over that leadership role after four seasons of winning under Pat White?

Stewart: He is up against it. It is his ball. It’s his job to lose, he’s earned that right. I coached him here for three years before I became the head coach. All he’s ever done when he has gone in is won. Every game that he has started for Patrick White he has won. He has watched a lot of games for three years, studying Patrick's play. Really, for four years, but who knew Pat was going to be that good for four years when Jarrett came? I compliment him for staying, I compliment him for persevering. He is not Patrick White, he is a different player than Patrick White. But he is good leader, he leads in his own way. This is going to be a big spring for him.

Let’s get to the soap opera part of the segment. According to reports from Pro Day, you told teams Pat White would be a quarterback, so teams did not ask him to run routes. White said he didn’t run routes because he wasn’t asked to. What happened that day?

Stewart: Pat White is a quarterback. Patrick White is a quarterback and that is what he’s going to be. He was pitching and catching, and being worked out and did a good job. I didn’t what him to pull anything, so if someone wanted him to run routes then they can come on in and work him out. All I know is he's going to be a 2nd or 3rd round pick and to those people who don’t think he can play quarterback, I just hope he never plays against them because he will beat them. I run this ship in Morgantown, and I had one guy come up to me and say they were looking at him as their third quarterback. I looked over at him and wanted to say, “Have you ever seen your first and second quarterback play?” But that’s not my role. They’ve got their job, I’ve got my job. My job is to protect my players. We have had the Denver Broncos in here to work Patrick out, and he ran routes for them after he threw. We had the New England Patriots in here, and he ran routes for them after he threw. But I’m not going to get that kid throwing and running all these drills, exhausting himself or hurting himself trying to be a receiver when he is a quarterback. I’ll say it again: people who don’t think he’s a quarterback, I hope you never have to play against him because he will beat you. That’s the end of the story.

I guess I don’t need to ask you what’s your take on the whole Pat White debate?

Stewart: All these guys who sit in these TV booths, and there a lot of great guys many of whom are my friends, who keep on saying he’d be better as a receiver, they have never been on the sidelines and seen that fire in his eyes. I guess as long as they never have to play against him and lose, they never have to be accountable. I’m telling you guys, he’s a quarterback. He is the greatest winner in college football today. There are some NFL teams that agree with me and we’ll see when the Draft comes.

Tell me more about his intangibles. His leadership skills, I think because he is not that demonstrative and kind of quiet that gets overlooked a little bit.

Stewart: I’ll tell you what. I don’t know about NFL locker rooms, but I know some NFL coaches really well. I have worked with some NFL coaches and I know they win because they have great locker rooms. First and foremost, before Patrick White even goes to the field, he will always be a positive influence in the locker room. Second, he will always be a positive influence in the community. Thirdly, he will be a great role model in society because he is a powerful man of faith. Now, with all that is going on in the world today, why somebody wouldn’t want this guy in the locker room, quarterback or receiver, I don’t get it. All I can tell is what he did for us. He is the greatest winner I've ever been around in my 37 years of coaching. He is the only guy that has won four college football games and three MVPs. He is a four-time bowl winner, and in three of them, he was MVP.

Kenny Britt had 12 for 151 yards, you held Donald Brown to a season low 82 yards, LeSean McCoy ran for 183 yards and Hakeem Nicks had his memorable performance with eight catches for 217 yards and three touchdowns. I can bring these up because you went 3-1 in those games. Who was the most impressive player you went up against?

Stewart: You talk about Kenny Britt, Mike Teel and those kids are great. Kenny Britt, I love watching him play, but didn’t like playing against him. Man he can play. He is going to have a great future. Donald Brown, what can you say about that guy? LeSean McCoy, holy cow! You talk about great backs, I mean, they are great backs. Hakeem Nicks, you know what I told the defense at halftime? You want to hear some great coaching, Daniel? I’m at halftime in Charlotte. I walk in, I never say much to the defense. I tell them, “Fellas, that number 88 out there, Hakeem Nicks, you don’t have one guy, two guys, or probably three guys that can cover him.” Then I looked at them and said, “Good luck.” We had to get him off the field somehow, then offensively we need to spread out wealth, have to stay out there on third downs and that makes us the better football team. Daniel, it’s all about intangibles. The great ones are always going to take it to you, the Britts, Browns, McCoys and Nickes. Matt Grothe, I just love watching him play. I don’t like playing against him but my God, the kid just wins. There are so many great players in the Big East, Tony Pike is another one. There are just so many great players that scare us tremendously. I have such great respect for these people. Then you look at Dan Hawkins, the quarterback out there in Colorado, I’m already thinking about him. There are so many great players we’re going to play this year, it’s scary. We have to step our game up. We have to take better control of the ball. We have to stay on the field offensively and get off the field defensively and try to play field position. We are not there yet either. We’re going to be a young football team, we’re going to be very young. We’re not nearly there. I think 2010, 2011, and 2012 are going to be very exciting for West Virginia football. Daniel, I’m telling you the God’s truth, I’m worried about 2009 because of how many new players in key positions we have, if that makes sense.

Back in 1995 you gave a kid named Mike Tomlin his first job in the coaching business at the Virginia Military Institute. What do you remember from your first impressions of meeting the now Super Bowl winning head coach?

Stewart: I played against him in 1994. I have a warm spot in my heart for William & Mary because I coached there in 1981, 1982, and 1983, Michael was a senior captain with Shawn Knight on that 1994 William & Mary team that went to the playoffs. I was building the VMI program that first year. All I saw was a classy young man who could catch balls, block like Hines Ward, and played with such tenacity. He is just so tough, so dependable and just had fun. I watched him on film up to a game, after a game and I told my players, “You should just play like this guy”. Lo and behold, I got wind that he may want to go into coaching or law school, so I called up Jimmye Laycock, my old boss, and told him to tell me all about him. He told me, “Billy he’s everything you saw”. I told him to come up and visit me, so he came up and I talked him out of law school for a year and his Mother just about killed me, God bless her. She hugs me today for it today. I told him, “Come up here to VMI and coach for us”. I told him, “You’re going to be a coach”. First meeting, I come down there in the spring or fall, he’s 23 years old now and just played against these guys for four years. He said, “Coach, do I meet in there with coach Sherman?“, our quarterbacks coach, I said, “No Michael, you have your own room”. All I did was pat him on the backside and told him to make them play like you did. Let me tell you, I have walked by that meeting room, never had to poke my head in, never wanted to poke my head in because I wanted to give him that security. That guy coached back then exactly how he does now. A ball of fire, enthusiastic, a guy who knew what he was talking about. The best the receivers ever played at Virginia Military Institute was when Mike Tomlin was coaching them in 1995. We beat some good teams that year, including a big upset at Liberty. We beat some really good teams. Michael Tomlin was one of the reasons for that and I will forever be grateful. I told Hines Ward one day after a practice in camp, “If he had your God-given speed, he’d still be playing and you’d be coaching”. That’s how good Michael Tomlin was. A tremendous competitor and that’s why Mike Tomlin is successful with the Steelers and a great fit for the greatest organization in football. It’s a great marriage. But that’s why Mike Tomlin is who he is, and he’s just been that way since he was a young fella and I’m just so lucky to be a part of his life. I gave a guy a job and the rest is history. I’m proud to know him and honored to be his friend.

Photo Credit: WVU Sports Communication

All Access: Pat White QB Or Not QB

As NFL.com senior writer Steve Wyche wrote last week, Pat White drew 25 NFL teams to West Virginia’s pro day workout. White said he would run pass routes and go through receiver drills upon request, but no teams requested. Now it looks like teams were waiting for their own private individual workouts to see White in other capacities. White worked out with the New England Patriots on Wednesday, spending the majority of the workout on wide receiver drills, and worked out with the Denver Broncos on Wednesday, according to league sources.

Mancini's Take: It looks as though, White is finally coming around to running routes. The college quarterback can say all he wants about wanting to play his original position, but, at some point, economics have to enter the equation. White will be drafted higher as a receiver than he will as a signal caller, and therefore stands to make more money that way. The problem with the former Mountaineer as a quarterback has never been his arm, but his lack of size. White is about 6' tall...maybe, and rail thin. Why doesn't he throw on some weight, you ask? Well, that might be counterproductive in that more bulk might compromise his speed. I don't know about about you, great oracle, but I don't want to see a muscle-bound Pat White bouncing around out there like Donovan McNabb. I'd rather see him be a sleek, multi-purpose speedster.

Mandel's Take: I'm with you, Reverend. In my mind, White is going to be Slash 2.0. Remember that scene in Trading Places when people start to notice the Duke brothers are trying to corner the orange juice market? Then all of the other traders pile on, thinking that if the Dukes are investing, there must be something to it? Well, the Patriots are the Duke brothers. They do everything within the law--and sometimes outside the law--to ensure their own success and are envied and loathed by everyone else. If they think Pat White can be a useful player, the rest of the league is going to come around to that line of thinking, and they should. White can be a wildcat/WR at the very least and until he proves he can't play some QB in certain situations, he should be given a shot there too. When his name is announced, it should sound something like this, "The New England Patriots select...Pat White...Football player...West Virginia." I'd take him on my team any day. The game is evolving. Teams that recognize it will corner the orange juice market.

Photo Credit: WVU Sports Communication

Coaches Corner: HC Bill Stewart, WVU

Coach Stew is 10-4 as headman of the West Virginia Mountaineers out of the BIG EAST, including Bowl wins over a highly touted Oklahoma Sooners team led by Bob Stoops in his first games in the Fiesta Bowl as WVU's head coach and a thrilling victory over Butch Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Stewart joins College Football Insiders founder Daniel Mogollon in this CFI Coaches Corner on the eve of West Virginia Spring Football, filling us in on what the Mountaineers hope to accomplish this spring, as well as giving insight on several players heading into the 2009 NFL Draft, including his take on the great Pat White debate. What happened at the Mountaineer's Pro Day? Is Jarrett Brown ready to take over the reigns? How impressed was he with the likes of Kenny Britt, Donald Brown, Shady McCoy and Hakeem Nicks?

Click to find out and much more, including the lowdown on Mike Tomlin as a rookie coach fresh out of college back in 1995. 19 Min.

Photo Credit: WVU Sports Communication

Pro Day Rewind: Week Four

A very busy week has passed us and there was a tremendous amount of news and notes to sift through, so I’ve taken the liberty of boiling it down for your perusal once again. We’ll of course hit the louder points (Andre Smith, Pat White) but there was also a lot of noise made by players in a more positive light.
Let’s take a look at the week that was.

Alabama: While the press has mostly been talking about Andre Smith’s divisive Pro Day, he wasn’t the only one working out who made an impression. For example, take safety Rashad Johnson. The 5'11, 200-pound former walk-on continued to generate heat after his solid Scouting Combine workout with some excellent positional drills. Johnson kept his general workout numbers from the Combine but that didn’t stop scouts from leaving with his name on their tongues.

Also making their mark were quarterback John Parker Wilson and center Antoine Caldwell, both of whom stayed with their Combine numbers while running positional drills. Wilson showed some good touch and strength in his throws while Caldwell really shined in his drills. Two tight ends of note also worked out, doing both workout and positional drills. Travis McCall was slower in his 40 and shorter in his vert than Nick Walker, but was faster in both the shuttle and three-cone drills by about three-tenths of a second in both, and lifted 20 bench press reps to Walker’s 14.

Smith continues to add to the concern in some corners that he lacks the attitude and work ethic necessary to excel in the NFL. On one hand, he had lackluster numbers in many of the workout drills—slow 40 times, an unimpressive 19 lifts in the bench press, and mediocre shuttle and cone times. He took his shirt off and looked physically overweight, not cut at all, and flabby. On the other hand, reports are he did very well in positional drills and some teams–most notably the San Francisco 49rs who pick tenth–reportedly came away impressed.

Smith will likely need to prove himself yet again in individual workouts over the next few weeks.

Boston College: The Boston College Eagles welcomed representatives from 15 NFL teams to Alumni Field last week, and the folks who showed up got another look at why B. J. Raji is the top defensive tackle in the 2009 Draft and one of the marquee defensive linemen overall. Raji stood on his Combine numbers but looked agile and deadly in his positional drills, gliding across the turf with a smoothness which belied his 6’ 2”, 337-pound frame.

Fellow defensive tackle Ron Brace also had a good workout, running the 40 again and improving his time from the 5.4 he ran in Indy to something in the 5.0 to 5.2 range. While not as athletic and nimble as Raji, Brace also did well in positional drills and should fetch a spot somewhere in the second round. Both tackles looked very good and shouldn’t last past the first day of the Draft.

Thirty-six other players attended the Pro Day, including linebacker Brian Toal. Toal had missed his whole senior year of play due to a broken leg and was happy to be able to show off for scouts, since the lack of playing time limits their ability to watch him on film. He did everything scouts asked of him, including offensive and special teams work, along with defensive drills. Toal’s biggest question marks may come from teams who are worried about his injury-plagued career at BC, but Toal functioned at 100 percent and certainly made it known that he was willing to do whatever it takes.

Ohio State: Multiple players from the Ohio State Buckeyes were looking to set their draft status right. Chris Wells, James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins all had questions post-Combine, while wide receiver Brian Robiskie was looking to prove that his Combine performance was no fluke. Twenty-nine teams came by to watch the workout, so the pressure was certainly on for all involved.

OSU’s track is known for being very fast, so much so that scouts have said that one needs to add anywhere from .07 to .1 of a second to times. Still, Wells’ 4.34 and 4.46 were an improvement over his combine times. Of course, one of the biggest knocks against Wells has been durability, but he looked in fine shape and has clearly been working very hard to not only shave off seconds of his 40 time, but make sure he is sharp in all aspects of his game.

Unfortunately, the same improvements were not evident in some of the other Buckeye athletes. Jenkins ran a 4.46 and a 4.53, which left both observers and Jenkins feeling as if he is likely to convert to safety at the pro level. On a positive note, Jenkins seemed to accept this and appears to be willing to make the switch in order to make a team.

Laurinaitis also lacked a vast improvement in his 40 time, running a 4.68 and a 4.78. Laurinaitis has battled questions this off-season about whether he had topped out during his early college career, with people pointing to his mediocre senior year. There seem to be some splits amongst analysts as to whether the former Buckeye linebacker can achieve what was originally expected of him at the pro level. Unfortunately, he was unable to answer those questions on this day.

Robiskie ran a 4.47 in his 40 and performed well enough throughout the day to continue intriguing scouts, solidifying his position as a potential second round pick.

Oregon: Almost two dozen teams (as well as six coaches) were represented at and around Autzen Stadium as former Duck players turned out for their chance to make an impression.

Several players stood out from the crowd. Safety Patrick Chung was impressive in position drills, though he let his Combine numbers stand for everything else. DE/LB prospect Nick Reed, who was not invited to the Combine, gave people second thoughts about that omission. His workout drills stacked up very favorably next to some of the numbers others at his position put up at the Scouting Combine. His 40 times (one with the wind, one against) would have ranked him fourth among the defensive linemen and sixth among linebackers. His 4.28 short shuttle would have been second best and his 6.96 three cone would have placed him third in the defensive line group (Stats thanks to GoDucks.com). While workout numbers aren’t everything, these were certainly worth noting and scouts came away impressed. Reed is open to a transition to linebacker, and other college defensive linemen have made the change successfully.

Other players who stood out were running back Jeremiah Johnson—who improved on his Combine 40 times with a 4.57 and a 4.61—and wide receiver Jaison Williams, who blew his Combine numbers away with a 4.47 in the 40 (4.63 at the Combine), a 6.94 three cone (7.37 at the Combine), and improved his vertical by an inch, bringing it to 36.5. Williams’ problem, however, has been his inconsistency and while he looked fine in drills, he will need to prove he can be relied upon if he is to make it in the NFL.

Maryland: Along with 50 scouts at Maryland’s Pro Day were quite a few receiver coaches, all there to see what former Terrapin wide out Darrius Heyward-Bey could do in position drills. Heyward-Bey performed admirably, looking smooth and confident running his drills. Heyward-Bey chose to let his outstanding Combine numbers stand.

Auburn: Every NFL team was present for Auburn’s Pro Day, and while there was a big barbecue afterwards, I’m pretty sure they were there for the players. Cornerback Jerraud Powers looked very good in positional drills and ran 4.43 and 4.45 40s, which vastly improved his time from the Combine. Defensive lineman Sen’Derrick Marks did well in his position drills and added several drills he didn’t do in the Combine, such as the bench press (16 reps) shuttle and three cone.

West Virginia: The biggest draw here was, of course, Pat White, whose coach announced he would not be running wide receiver drills prior to the workout. White had said he would be doing pass routes early, then wide out drills upon request. However, many scouts left after he threw and there appears to be confusion as to whether he was really available, but nobody asked if he was really interested in those drills. White once again looked sharp throwing the ball and stood on his results from the Scouting Combine for his running and weight drills.

Some other Pro Days worth noting:

Fresno State: As reported early last week, quarterback prospect Tom Brandstater did not work out for scouts due to a torn lat muscle. He has set up a private workout on April 11th. Meanwhile, tight end Bear Pascoe improved on all his Scouting Combine numbers and continued to look good to scouts.

Oklahoma State: Tight end Brandon Pettigrew had to tell everyone he couldn’t work out, but also let the scouts know his agent would set up a time in a few weeks to make up for it. Aside from that, high winds made it nearly impossible for players to do positional drills and all other drills were done indoors on a rubber track. Defensive back Jacob Lacey was the standout of those who did drills, his highlights included a 4.50 and 4.45 in the 40 and a 41-inch vertical jump.

Arizona: The marquee player here was of course Eben Britton, who drew eight offensive line coaches among the crowd of 50 scouts. Britton continued to look good in position drills and looks to be a first day–maybe a first round–selection. Also standing out was quarterback Willie Tuitama. Tuitama, who was not invited to the Combine, reportedly threw the ball very well in positional drills and could be an intriguing late-round pick or street free agent. A Wildcat who really opened new eyes to his ability was safety Nate Ness, who ran a 4.46 and a 4.49 in the 40, had a 36-inch vertical jump and certainly made scouts take a look at him after being somewhat unknown outside of Tucson prior to this Pro Day.


Kansas State: Quarterback Josh Freeman attracted a bunch of quarterback coaches to the March 14th Pro Day, including ones from Tampa Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, St. Louis and Seattle. Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will be on hand Monday with a board to diagram plays and new Head Coach Rex Ryan and GM Mike Tannenbaum will be on hand for a private workout Tuesday, while Jacksonville QB Coach Mike Shula will come by on March 23. Freeman looked accurate and on point during positional drills and it’s clear he is drawing interest from many teams.

Oregon State: Cornerback Keenan Lewis came to Corvalis 17 pounds lighter than he weighed in Indianapolis. Apparently, prior to the Combine, Lewis was taking Creatine to increase his weight. While his 40 time remained the same, Lewis improved his vertical by five inches (to 38.5), his broad jump by seven inches (to 10'10"), ran a 4.42 in the short shuttle and a 6.89 in the three cone, both of which he chose not to do in Indianapolis.

Purdue: Twenty-three teams were represented, including Seahawks D-line coach Dan Quinn. Quinn was definitely here to get another look at defensive tackle Alex Magee, who kept his bench press numbers from Indy, but re-ran everything else, dropping his 40 time to 4.82 and 4.85, his shuttle to 4.42 and performing well in positional drills. Quarterback Curtis Painter showed off his arm in positional drills, but still looks to be a project at the next level.

Northwestern: While there were several players to watch here, most intriguing was the presence of linebacker coaches from the Eagles and Bucs who came to see Western Illinois' Jason Williams, who had worked out at W. Illinois’ Pro Day on a wooden gym floor. On a decent surface, Williams turned in sharp 40 times of 4.49 and 4.44. Of the Northwestern players there, wide receiver and special teams player Eric Peterman stood out with his 4.48 and 4.50 40 times and a nice 31 inch vertical.

Abilene Christian: The story here continues to be wide receiver Johnny Knox, who drew a trio of receivers coaches. In all, 15 teams showed up and were not disappointed. Knox not only has incredible speed, but can catch the ball and looked rock solid in his position drills.

Texas Tech: Michael Crabtree was, of course, sidelined because of his recent foot surgery. Quarterback Graham Harrell, once a Heisman hopeful, continues to slide on draft boards. While he did run a 4.95 in the 40, Harrell had some issues in his position drill and struggled with some of his throws. On a sad note, offensive tackle Rylan Reed was having a great Pro Day (41 bench reps!) when he injured his knee on his first 40 run. Reed had to be taken to a hospital and the NFL Draft Bible join many others in wishing him a speedy recovery.

Nebraska-Omaha: Twenty teams came to the Pro Day and were treated to an outstanding effort by tight end Zach Miller. Miller ran a 4.53 and a 4.54 in the 40, had a 37.0 vertical, a 10 foot 4 inch broad jump and just crushed his positional drills despite a torn tendon in his hand. He certainly left scouts talking.
Last week's Pro Days could fill 50 pages, and the same is true of this week's. Here are just a few of the Pro Days and athletes worth noting in the coming week.

LSU kicks things off on Monday as several players will vie for the scouts’ attention. Tyson Jackson is one of the top defensive ends in the draft and could lock a first round slot up with a solid performance. Meanwhile, wide receiver Demetrius Byrd will try to move up draft boards and show that his hands and route running are not the problems some think they are.

On Tuesday, Cal-Poly puts on its Pro Day and of course Ramses Barden, the big Division II stud, will attempt to keep his status heating up and show he knows how to use that towering height.

Pittsburgh has their Pro Day and everyone wants to see if LeSean McCoy can respond to Chris Wells’ performance last week and hold off UConn’s Donald Brown for the third running back spot. Linebacker Scott McKillop has told the NFL Draft Bible that he will likely stand on most of his Combine numbers and do only the positional drills.

In North Carolina, Hakeem Nicks is a guy to watch, but fellow wide receivers Brooks Foster and Brandon Tate can also make a move on scouts’ note sheets with good position drill workouts.

On Wednesday, I’m hoping to see Zack Follett and Alex Mack with my own eyes at California’s Pro Day in Berkley. Follett plays like a beast and I am really looking forward to watching his position drills to see if he can match the aggressiveness he plays with on the field. Mack has shown me pretty much all he has to on film as well, but I’m anxious to see what he does in person. Position drills are very telling as are scout reactions just after a player participates.

Meanwhile, Florida Gator wide receiver Percy Harvin will work out in the hopes that he could overtake guys like Jeremy Maclin and Darrius Heyward-Bey for the number two receiver slot. It’s possible that whomever ends up number two could go first as there is a chance Michael Crabtree will fall a little to the Raiders, who are known to avoid receivers lacking in 40 times.

Penn State had several players run well at the Combine, but aside from Derrick Williams, none of them is sure to be drafted. So while Williams is likely to go late round two, guys like Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood will need to kill their drills to prove there is more to them than pure speed. Defensive end Aaron Maybin has something to prove and a faster timed speed would help and Maurice Evans has some work to do as well.

On Thursday, Georgia hosts its Pro Day and scouts will be there in full force to see several potential top draft picks. Matthew Stafford didn’t work out at the Combine so his position drill will make him the biggest person of interest for most team officials. Stafford won’t easily drop in most people’s estimations. Running back Knowshon Moreno has been going back and forth with Chris Wells in many analysts’ rankings and after Wells burned up a fast track, scouts will want to see how Moreno responds.

Missouri hosts its second Pro Day as well and will feature some offensive studs themselves. Quarterback Chase Daniel has to overcome questions about his height as well as concern about his working out of the spread so frequently. Receiver Jeremy Maclin has shot to the top ranks of the wide receivers and is another wide out who could jump ahead of Crabtree if the situation is right on draft day. A solid workout would bolster his case that with Crabtree hurt, it’s safer to go another way. Tight end Chase Coffman could help his cause with some speed and some solid positional drills.

Finally, on Friday, we have another Pro Day I hope to see with my own eyes—San Jose State. Players like defensive end Jarron Gilbert and cornerbacks Coye Francies and Christopher Owens aren’t as well known as their counterparts at the bigger schools, but they may make just as much of an impact. It will be intriguing to see which teams make the trip out to San Jose and who gets the most attention.

Of course, that’s not nearly everything...not even close. Each week will bring many more players to our attention and every Monday at the Pro Day Rewind, we’ll make sure you know who made the biggest impact during the previous week and what might be the next name on your lips by week’s end.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images, SEC Sports Media, College Press Box (Boston College, Maryland, Oklahoma St., Kansas St., Texas Tech, Penn St.), WVU Sports Communication, Purdue University Sports Information, Mizzou Media Relations

Q&A: Bob Johnson, Quarterback Coach

Interview with Bob Johnson co- founder owner/operator of Camp Quarterback with sons Rob and Brent Johnson, conducted on the All Access Football Radio by Ralph Mancini, Daniel Mogollon, and Rodney Towe.

You coached Mark Sanchez at Mission Viejo High School, can you tell us what his assets were then and what his assets are now and how he compares to Matthew Stafford?

Johnson: I did coach Mark in high school, so did my son Bret and later years Rob. It was a lot of fun. He is a great quarterback. He had a great 2 years for us–we won the CIF Championship, and we lost two games in two years. He is an extremely good leader; he still has that quality, very accurate. I think that is one of the best qualities that you can ask for in a quarterback, plenty of arm strength and pretty much the whole package. He is very athletic, very strong, he can escape the rush real well, keeps his eyes down the field all the time. He had a lot of those qualities in high school and just worked on them and other little things subtly. Here he is, one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft with Matt Stafford being the other one and a couple of other guys right around him. It’s an exciting time for him, he’s been working hard the last three months and he’ll have a great Pro day at USC on April 1st and then wait for the draft.

What do you say to the people who say, I am a little concerned because he's not that experienced, he only has 16 starts?

Johnson: I don’t see that at all. He had 16 starts and he is playing everyday against one of the best defenses in the country and they get after it at USC and compete together one’s versus one’s. No one ever seems to mention that, but if they ever come by a USC practice, every day of his year starting and the three to four games he started as a sophomore he’s going against the best defense in the country, arguably. He’s getting pressured playing behind a young offensive line; he knows how to handle pressure. I don’t see that 16 starts as being too much of an issue. Matt Cassel did alright without any starts. I'm sure people can give you stats on everything. I just throw it out the window. He’s a 22 year old, he’s had plenty of football and he’s going to go through the same growing pains as everyone else, but he’s ready to go.

Years ago, Bill Walsh would say when he was evaluating quarterbacks he would always search for the guy that throws a very catchable ball and that is one of the things Sanchez does. Could you tell us how important that is for a quarterback transitioning from college into the pros? How important is it to throw a catchable pass?

Johnson: Mark really has a nice touch on the ball and when he has to he can really bring it in there big time. He showed his arm strength several times this year with some tight balls into tight coverage down the field on some seam posts and some wheel routes against cover 2, getting it in there at just the right time. When he has to take it off he really does. He’s an athlete. He played basketball as well in high school and like a lot of these guys played baseball for a long time, but stopped it after a while. I think it is a great quality, one of the top ones, there is no doubt. He doesn’t just come to the ballpark waiting to throw a fastball. He has all the throws there are. He can take it off on certain balls, which he really has to. It’s a great quality, when you’re ranked that high most of the guys have all of those qualities, some of them more than others.

Speaking of great athletes at quarterback, you’re also working with Pat White and he’s probably been the most debated player in terms of “is he or isn’t he a quarterback”. You know better than us–is he a quarterback and should he allow anyone to move him to wide receiver, if he believes he’s a quarterback?

Johnson: I think you do allow them (NFL teams) to, they’re calling the shots, if that’s what they choose to do. Is he a quarterback? Absolutely. He played four years in college and it’s what he wants to do. He proved it in the Senior Bowl. He had very good practices. He had a very good game, had a great combine. He’s been out here with us for three months and it’s been my pleasure, because he is a great young man. He can certainly play the quarterback position, but I wouldn’t go so far that he should tell somebody what to do. It’s pro football, so if he gets to a camp and has to do some things to help the team out I think he’s willing to do that too, but he certainly wants to play quarterback first and he’s told me that, he’s told everybody that. He’s not saying no to something else. I don’t think you should do that. I think that would be a bad decision. He’s very talented. He can do a lot of things and with a lot of this gun stuff they are doing now and the different stuff they put in the game or certain plays for him, he can do a lot of things with the football in his hands. So I wouldn’t limit it to saying I’m the guy, all I am going to do is play quarterback. I don’t think anybody would want to hear him say that in pro football.

A lot of the focus with Pat is on his athletic ability, can you talk a little about his intangibles and leadership skills. I think because he is a quiet young man and he’s not very demonstrative, that gets overlooked with him.

Johnson: I am so impressed with the guy. He’s got a good ball. He needs to put on some weight probably and get a little bit more durable for that next level, but he knows that, all the kids do. He’s very athletic and you’ve seen what he can do in college and he’ll do a lot of those same things in the pros with the ball in his hands. He can make people miss. He can throw on the run. He can do a lot of things. He can drop back and throw as well. I think his leadership skills are very strong. He’s got a great personality even though he’s quiet, he’s quick to smile. He’s not extremely hard on himself. He’s just hard enough on himself to keep improving. He’s very competitive and I just see him doing very well at the next level, I really do, at quarterback. He’s got a chance there just as much as he does at being a multi-talented guy and helping out at receiver and with any kind of plays they want. He’s a good take. He’s really gone through this process and come out smelling like a rose, so to speak.

I really want to ask about Nathan Brown. Here’s a player that, when you see him for the first time, doesn’t have the physical attributes to really wow you but if you watch him in the flow of the game, he’s a guy that I think can get it done. He operates well within the flow of the offense. Can you describe some of the challenges that Nate Brown is facing coming from a smaller school versus some of the higher profile quarterbacks?

Johnson: He’s got to get over some things. He’s always going to be thought of as coming from a Division-IAA school, a smaller type of school, not playing against quite the competition, and that is all true, so it is a bigger adjustment for him when he comes in. I think he’s very capable of making that adjustment. He’s a very competitive kid. He holds things inside a lot and has a chip on his shoulder, so to speak, just to show everybody. That has worked quite well for a guy like Ben Roethlisberger. I had the pleasure of working with him for just a week one time. He always wanted to show people that he’s going to make it on his own just because some of the big schools wouldn’t take him to begin with, he really wanted to do that and I see a little bit of that in Nate. He’s certainly a totally different kid than Ben as far as size and all that, but he's got the same kind of attitude. He’s got a little bit of a good chip on his shoulder, not a chip on his shoulder in any bad way whatsoever. You really wouldn’t notice it, but I know it’s there. I know he wants to down deep show everybody. He’s tired of getting in line second to last or something when it comes to some of these quarterbacks. He’s got plenty of arm strength. He’s got plenty of skill. I just hope he has a great career. He’s certainly going to get with a team and have his chance, that’s for sure. Hopefully the chips fall good for him and he’s going to need a break here or there early on in his career to get a chance to show people and I hope he gets that.

As a man with 35 years coaching experience and a former quarterback at Fresno State, this is a question you can answer–with all your experience, what qualities make an elite quarterback on any level? What qualities do they need?

Johnson: The biggest quality that I like in a quarterback, if I was to just name one, it is pretty hard to just name one and stop, but accuracy would be that one. Without accuracy you can’t be a great quarterback. You can have all the protection in the world, you can be the toughest guy in the world, which is a very big quality, but if you can’t complete the pass, you’re gone. You can’t play. Accuracy is huge. The windows of opportunity as you get to the higher levels, especially the pro level, get smaller and smaller, they're ready to break on your ball. It’s easy when you have all the protection and no one is in front of you and coming at you when you’re playing high school football, especially for the good ones. It becomes so easy. Then college is a little different from the pros where you have extremely tight windows. Accuracy has to be the number one thing. The next one is toughness, if you don’t have it, you’re not playing because it is going to break down, there is going to be a battle, there’s going to be a war and you’re going to have to rally the troops. If you’re not a tough guy, you don’t play quarterback in pro football, so you have to be tough. The leadership qualities are huge. There have been a lot of great arms and guys who can do those two things I just said but they can’t lead and they think a whole lot of themselves and not much of the team. There have been some guys like that and that doesn’t work so the leadership and sharing the wealth by taking those linemen out to dinner because you can’t play without them. Peyton Manning’s one of the best of all time and he can’t play without an offensive line, that was shown when all of that was done. Tom Brady last year (in the Super Bowl) when they got pressure up the middle and the Giants found a way to get to him was very average in that game. Tom Brady was average, Peyton Manning was average in a couple of games when the Patriots were getting to him. You just can’t do it without a line and those guys are top of the line. You have to have a lot of character to withstand that. There’s a lot pressure on you and a lot of those things, but accuracy and toughness are without a doubt, to me, the top two qualities.

Let's not forget Tom Brandstater from Fresno State and Curtis Painter, who spoke about playing for you...

Johnson: I can’t have an interview without mentioning them because they work just as hard and they’re just as skilled in a lot of ways. Tom Brandstater, who played in the East-West Shrine game from Fresno State, he’s a Bulldog, and so you got to mention a Bulldog and he’s very good and had a very good combine, maybe one of the best combines of anybody back there from what I understand. He’s a 6’4 1/2 kid who can really sling it and I think he has a chance to have a real good pro career and you’ll see that. Another kid who I think is going to be a starter, I think someday he is going to start in the league, I think people are missing a real sleeper if they don’t take him early, earlier than they thought and that’s Curtis Painter from Purdue. He was picked as the top senior coming into his senior year and now they have a couple of seniors ahead of him. I don’t know who is putting that together but they didn’t play quarterback and they haven’t coached a lot of quarterbacks. Curtis Painter is going to surprise people and end up starting in this league. Curtis is a great kid, they all are. Those guys...I’m the lucky one to be coaching those guys the last 2 1/2 months. They’re great kids. It’s awesome.

I’d like to point out that we do have Pat White and Curtis Painter as our top 2 senior quarterbacks. I guess you agree with our rankings.

Johnson: I sure do. I really do and I don’t know them all, but I know a few of them. I am partial, there’s no doubt, to those two guys because I’ve been with them and I’ve been with Curtis a little bit longer this time. Last summer at the Elite 11 he was a counselor for us. Sometimes your senior year doesn’t go quite the way it’s supposed to and maybe his didn’t, but there are a lot of things to be said about that whether it was protections or receivers or new coordinator, whatever it was. Curtis was the same guy that earned all of those stripes before his senior year and for people to think too much less of him based on the senior year, they will be sorry.

Do you think people are making too much of the spread offense or is it a bigger adjustment than before going from college to the pros if you are coming out of the spread?

Johnson: Being in the gun doesn’t help a guy a whole lot. It’s a big deal. They can certainly learn it, they’re all athletes, but the gun guys sometimes have a little tougher time, there’s no doubt , taking that drop, especially the guys that played in high school. There’s so many high schools in the spread and in the gun and that doesn’t prepare them as well for the pros. They can certainly learn it and they will learn it, but the guy who has been under center is better at taking his drops than the other guys, at least initially.

You have Camp Quarterback and you run that with your sons Rob and Bret Johnson. Would you like to tell us anything about the camp?

Johnson: It is on CampQuarterback.com. Bret’s done a great job. I have never been on a website in my life. The website’s nice and all that stuff is real good, but I'm just an old school guy who shows up when he tells me to. He and Rob have done a great job of taking it to the next level. I am at every camp. All three of us are and that’s a fun deal. We get Mark Sanchez back. We get all of our ex guys back, and several of them are pro guys. It’s just so much fun for this old guy to be around that and stuff and we really are hands-on guys. It’s not like giving out a tee shirt, having a pro guy talk to them and saying thanks a lot guys. We get down and dirty with them and the camp has really been special for the guys and we have been told that by many. That’s a nice deal, I am glad you asked about it. There’s four weekends, they can check all the dates at CampQuarterback.com.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (West Virginia), Kathe Osborne (USC), Purdue University Sports Information, Southland Conference