Posted: Saturday, January 21, 2012 11:45 pm | Updated: 11:43 pm, Sat Jan 21, 2012.
For two years, you make a name for yourself as one of the best athletes in your state.
Part of a strong senior class, you guide your football team to a perfect season and a state title, then add a basketball championship in March. You earn a scholarship to play at an up-and-coming Football Bowl Subdivision school after finishing on top and being lavished with numerous accolades state-wide before graduation.
Then you get to college and basically become a practice dummy.
Former Bozeman High three-sport standout Tanner Roderick didn't mind that at all. He knew after signing with the University of Nevada Wolfpack he was going to be asked to redshirt his freshman year. Head football coach Chris Ault noted "we redshirt probably 99 percent of our freshmen" because of a couple key reasons.
College football, especially at the FBS level, is nothing like high school football - no matter where it is played. Players are simply bigger, faster and stronger. There might be a case or two across the country: a Marcus Lattimore at South Carolina, a Brett Smith at Wyoming, a kicker or punter here, an offensive lineman there. At Nevada, Ault's policy is to allow freshmen to come in, adjust to the FBS level of play and to college life in general.
Roderick spent his first semester running the scout team offense during practices and found out quickly the difference in game speed is undoubtedly real.
"It was unreal, the different speed," said the quarterback. "When I got there, I was like ‘Wow.' Everyone's fast - o-linemen, d-linemen. It took me a while to get used to it... after a month, you get used to it. Then it's back to just gotta compete."
According to Ault, Roderick did.
Members of the Nevada coaching staff also pay attention to how the scout team does each week as part of the program's development. Ault, who doubles as the Wolfpack's quarterbacks coach, praised Roderick's continual growth during the season. Nevada also conducts two redshirt/rookie scrimmages per season for evaluation purposes.
"I'm really excited for him, he's got a future here and I'm anxious for spring football," Ault said. "It's his first chance to really be on the squad ... his first chance to flourish, execute our offense with any consistency and really feel a part of what we're trying to do in our program."
Roderick, a business management major, also used the extra time to focus on schoolwork. Like most of the redshirts, Roderick spent home game days in the stands watching his team from a different angle and learning from it.
There was one bonus to being a quarterback for Ault. The head coach likes to suit up his redshirt signal-callers for the postseason, which meant the Montana 2011 Class AA football MVP was on the sidelines in Honolulu, Hawaii, as the Wolfpack lost 24-17 to the University of Southern Mississippi in the Hawaii Bowl.
"That was my first game I got to suit (up), that was a lot of fun," Roderick said. "We were there for about a week, went to some luaus, had a couple practices. Other than that, I was just hanging out, enjoying Hawaii and getting the experience.
"I hadn't suited up for a game in over a year, so I mean it was awesome to be able to do that the last game."
Roderick is one of four quarterbacks on Nevada's roster next season and will duel with Devin Combs and Mason Magelsby to backup expected starter Cody Fajardo. After spending a year sitting not only on the sidelines, but in the stands, what is the biggest lesson the Bozeman native takes into spring football?
"Always gotta work hard and compete every chance you get," Roderick said. "Nothing's given; you've got to work for your goals. Strive for the best. Next step is to go and compete in spring ball and try my best."
Gidal Kaiser can be reached at gkaiser@dailychronicle.com or 582-2670.
No comments:
Post a Comment