Section B·Page 4
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, August 27, 1998
Florida takes on first baseman as team leader
26-year-old goes back to school as quarterback
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The way coach Bobby Bowden figures it, anyone who stood in the batter's box against Roger Clemens is tough enough to stand in the pocket and throw footballs for Florida State.
On Monday night, that's exactly what will happen.
Chris Weinke, who spent four days at Florida State in 1990 before leaving to play pro baseball, is back in school and set to lead the No. 2 Seminoles against No. 14 Texas A&M in the Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium.
"This is something I've been waiting eight years for," said the 26-year-old Weinke, who inherited the
starting role when Dan Kendra was lost for the season with a knee injury.
"Physically, I don't feel that much older. It's not like I've been playing football the last seven years and taking hits every day and my body's broken down. The biggest thing is to be able to execute on the field and make decisions."
Bowden usually grooms his quarterbacks for three years before putting them at the controls of his high-powered offense. But he didn't have that luxury this time, although he doesn't seem too concerned about making a run for the national title with a former minor-league first baseman.
"I never felt so good about a sophomore quarterback," Bowden said. "He's had two springs and a fall practice under his belt, and he's 26 instead of 19. So I feel good about that. Even though he never got in the big leagues, he has stood in the box against them guys who can throw that fastball. Dadgum it, if he can do that, there's no reason
he can't sit in the pocket."
During spring practice, Weinke took as many hits as Kendra, and kept coming back for more. Weinke said that he was nervous and "a bit rusty" last spring but that a year of watching film, lifting weights and working with his receivers all summer had boosted his confidence.
"This spring, I just wanted to fine tune my skills," said Weinke, who makes his first start game in a high school playoff game in 1989. "I knew I was in a situation where I was competing for a job, and I wanted to put myself in position where if they called on me, I'd be able to do the job."
Being the old man on campus was a big change for Weinke, who turned from follower into leader.
"I was the youngest guy on the Triple A team for two years." Weinke said. "I was kind of the quiet guy who stood in the back and tried to learn from the veterans. When I came here, the roles were reversed, and I needed to be an example, take a leadership role on
"This is something I have been waiting eight years for."
Chris Weinke
the team. I showed them I was willing to work, and now I think we're comfortable with each other."
Florida State starting quarterback
And the coaches are comfortable with Weinke, especially when it's critique time.
So why'd Weinke have to do this, anyway?
"You forget a lot of the hoorah stuff with him," Bowden said. "You better tell it like it is ... tell him what he's got to do and how to do it. You wish all your players were like that — 26 and hungry. I mean, gee whiz, you'd make so many fewer mistakes and have so many fewer asking 'Why'd I have to do this?'
After six years in the Toronto Blue Jay's minor league organization. Weinke hit a roadblock in Triple A. The Blue Jays, who gave him a $375,000 signing bonus in 1990, wanted to move him from first base to catcher a year after relegating him from everyday player to pinch hitter.
"That's when I thought about wanting to play college football again," said Weinke, who invested his baseball earnings wisely and says he's financially secure. "They didn't want to trade me, but they didn't want to do anything with me."
So he quietly explored his options with his former high school coach at Cretin-Derham in St. Paul, Minn. The coach sent out feelers to see if any schools were interested. Arizona was. So was Minnesota, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin. But when Weinke left Florida State in 1990, Bowden told him he'd save a scholarship.
A trip to town for a couple of games at the end of the 1996 season, including FSU' s 24-21 defeat of Florida that set up a rematch in the
Sugar Bowl for the national title, was all the convincing he needed. He met with offensive coordinator Mark Richt a day later.
"I couldn't leave this place after a game like that," Weinke said.
Weinie still wonders what course his career might have taken if he hadn't chose baseball.
"Usually, they come back after two years," Bowden said. "But he waits six, and once I found out he as sincere i said 'Let's take him.'"
"In those four days, I got a taste of it and then really left a fan," he said. "I enjoyed watching them play. Obviously, they won the national championship in 1993, and I felt like I could have been part of that team. I felt like I could have probably been the quarterback, but we don't know.
"Charlie (Ward) won the Heisman and did a great job with this team, but I was in a position to compete against him and who knows what would have happened. Now, maybe both of us will get that national championship."
Bishop, Jones lead talented new class of quarterbacks
By Brandon Krisztal
Kansan sportswriter
The quarterback, arguably the most visible position in sports, has not always been the strongest position in the Big 12 Conference, but this year should be different.
Last year all of the quarterback hype was aimed at Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning, but this year most of the attention should be focused right along Interstate 70.
Cream of the Big 12 Crop
Kansas State s en i o r M ich a l Bish o p and M miss o r i senior Corby Jones are two of the most athletic, talented and highly toued quarterbacks in the nation. Both players
Todd Bandhauer Iowa State
are candidates for the Heisman Trophy as well as the Davey O'Brien award, which is given annually to the best collegiate quarterback.
Bishop, who heads into his second season at Kansas State after transferring from junior college, leads the Wildcats in their pursuit of the nation al championship.
Michael Bishop Kansas State
Last season, Bishop set the Kansas State single season quarterback rushing mark with 566 yards on 147 carries and nine touchdowns. He completed 80 of 158 passes for 1,557 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Bishop's final game last season may have set the tone for his 1998 Heisman campaign. He threw for 317 yards and four scores last January in the Wildcats' 35-19 Flesta Bowl win against Syracuse. Wildcats fans and Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder hope that Bishop maintains that high-level of productivity this season.
"Michael Bishop is an extremely competitive young guy," Snyder said. "He wants to win, and he wants to do the things that he has to do in order to prepare himself
to win. He wants to be the best player that he can conceivably be."
Like Bishop,
Jones has high
expectations
this year, following
the Tiger's
impressive '97
season,
in which he set 12
Brandon Daniels Oklahoma
Missouri records and was named to the All-Big 12 First Team
Jones, who has 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash, rushed for 887 yards on 183 carries and 14 touchdowns
He threw for
1,658 yards
and 12 touchdowns
and completed 102 of
191 passes.
Missouri head coach Larry Smith said that Jones was one of the strengths of the Tigers' offense.
"He (Jones) is probably the best athlete I've ever coached and is an incredible competitor," Smith said.
with Jones sporting the famed Heisman pose. In July, at the Big 12 Media Day, Bishop asked Jones to sign the poster. At first Jones thought he was kidding, but when Bishop persisted Jones obliged.
To kick off Jones' Heisman campaign Missouri produced a poster
Bishop's face lift up and as he rolled up the poster. He said that he was going to put it on the wall in his room for motivation.
Odell James Bavlor
In addition to Bishop and Jones, the Big 12 is stocked with a number of other athletic quarterbacks.
Athletic Quarterbacks of the Big 12
Oklahoma State sophomore Tony Lind s a y stepped in as a red-shirt freshman in '97 and led the Cowboys to their first bowl game since Barry Sanders was
Corby Jones Missouri
on the team in 1988. Lindsay earned Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors and posted the conference's highest pass efficiency rating: 157.8. He completed
76 of 123 passes for
1,172 yards and nine
touchdowns.
He also rushed for
564 yards and nine
scores.
mark for yards per punt return by averaging 20.33 yards. His 4.46 speed in the 40-yard dash makes him a game breaking threat on every play, which he demonstrated at the 'Huskers' Red and White spring scrimmage. He took the first snap from center and ran more than 90 yards for a touchdown against the starting defense.
Nebraska
sophomore
Bobby New-
combe faces
the challenge
of replacing
Scott Frost at quarterback for the defending Co-National Champs. Last year, Newcombe started at wide receiver as a true freshman for the 'Huskers.
"Scott (Frost) was a bigger quarterback at 220 pounds and Bobby is only 200, but has more quickness, acceleration and is a bit stronger than Scott," said Nebraska head coach Frank Solich. "Bobby also has more ability to scramble than Scott."
Tony Lindsay Oklahoma State
Newcombe set the single season
Bay lor sophomore Odell James was the highest recruited option quarterback as a high school
Mike Moschetti Colorado
senior in '86. But he could not contribute immediately because a knee injury forced him to red shirt his first season at Baylor.
Last year,
James saw
limited action
in five games
for the Bears
and was suspended for five
other games
for the misuse
of a long-distance phone
card
Oklahoma junior Bran-
receiver and kick returner for the Sooners.
uon Daniels, like Newcombe and James, is unproven as a starting college quarterback but has demonstrated tremendous athletic ability. As a freshman in '96 he played in 11 games at wide
Bobby Newcombe Nebraska
Last season, Daniels played the first seven games at strong safety before switching back to the offense, where he saw minimal time at quarterback.
win Daniels under center, the Sooners are hoping to revive their stagnant offense by going back to the wishbone offense.
Pro-Style Big 12 Quarterbacks
The other six Big 12 schools have
The other two pro-style quarterbacks with something to prove.
'Texas A&M senior Brandon Stewart will lead the Aggies into battle for the third straight season as the starter. Despite leading the Aggies to the Big 12 Championship game and the Cotton Bowl in '97, Stewart was replaced several times by junior Randy McCown when he struggled.
Junior Zac Wegner replaced Matt Johmer at quarterback for Kansas midway through last season and shoulders the weight of the Jayhawks as the starter this
Brandon Stewart Texas A&M
year.
Wegner completed 66 of 144 passes for 970 yards and four touchdowns for the Jayhawks a year ago.
A pair of academicians take over for Texas Tech and Texas this season.
Senior Richard Walton will get the nod at quarterback for the Longhorns after backing up James Brown for three years. Walton accumulated a 3.75 gradepoint-average while studying premed at Texas.
Rob Peters, a junior at Texas Tech, will finally get the opportunity to be a starter, after red shirting as a freshman and backing up Zebbie Lethridge for two years.
Richard Walton
Texas
Red Raiders' head coach
Spike Dykes said that he hoped Peters classroom success, where he has earned a 3.95 cumulative GPA, would translate to success on the field.
After going through spring drills and two-a-day practices, Colorado head coach Rick Neuheisel finally named his starting quarterback Monday. Junior college
ZacWegner Kansas
transfer Mike Moschetti will start and has the task of improving on the Buffaloos' disappointing 1997 season, in which they had to forfeit all 11 games because of an ineligible player.
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