Every eye is on you. Ten pairs in the huddle, hundreds more on
the sidelines and in the stands. No blinking or flinching is
allowed. A calm exterior on the outside is required to hide a
flurry of thoughts and questions on the inside.
Gilroy – Every eye is on you.
Ten pairs in the huddle, hundreds more on the sidelines and in the stands. No blinking or flinching is allowed. A calm exterior on the outside is required to hide a flurry of thoughts and questions on the inside. You’ll need to process names, numbers and directions within seconds because the clock is always ticking. And when the final whistle blows, pads won’t be the only thing resting on your shoulders. The weight of the game, win or lose, will settle squarely on you.
Welcome to the life of a quarterback.
Gilroy High’s Jamie Jensen was introduced to the position just two years ago. A skinny freshman with a strong, if not inaccurate arm, he was playing for the junior varsity. Last season he was asked to join the varsity squad as a backup to watch and gain experience. This year Jensen will lead a high-powered Mustang offense looking to rebound from a disappointing 4-6 season a year ago.
Expectations are high, and for the new signal caller, preseason hype is something he is trying not to worry about.
“I try to ignore it and play,” Jensen said. “It’s just a game.”
But the game is often played on multiple levels.
GHS coach Rich Hammond knows that with new responsibilities also come new pressures, and recalled some words of wisdom he heard from a fellow football coach at a camp over the summer.
“The Rutgers coach (Greg Schiano) goes, ‘Next to me, the most important face of our program is our quarterback, because he is the most recognizable face, he’s the guy (the media is) going to talk to the most, he’s also the guy who is going to make decisions for us and has more control over the game than anybody else.’ ”
A lack of control is a coach’s nightmare, but control of the game is something a quarterback must have to be successful, which is why Jensen took the advice of GHS coaches and enlisted former Cal coach Roger Theder for private lessons during the spring. Theder is well respected in the coaching ranks for his personal instruction, earning him the title of “quarterback guru.”
Taking a different Mustang receiver with him to practice each week, Jensen spent three months worth of Sundays working with Theder on his footwork, getting rid of the ball quickly and of course, with accuracy.
“I think I’m a lot better at everything,” Jensen said. “Just my steps and throwing the ball.”
With the proper skills in place, the intangibles of playing quarterback are the next requirement.
“It’s about one, decision making; and two, it’s about always being Mr. Cool and being a leader and getting people to follow you and work hard for you,” Hammond said. “That’s not an easy thing to teach. It’s the only position on the field where it’s not about who is the best player. It’s about who runs the offense the best.”
Gilroy’s coach also knows being a leader or Joe Cool requires one quality Jensen has plenty of: poise.
“I yell and scream at him and it doesn’t faze him, and that’s a good sign,” Hammond said. “Sometimes it might seem like he doesn’t care as much, but I think it’s just he doesn’t get rattled very much, he doesn’t get fazed.”
While each experience seems to be a new one for Jensen, one moment this past year did make him step back and realize what could be at stake. Theder arranged for him to attend Stanford’s Pro Day in April, which featured Cardinal quarterback Trent Edwards. Edwards, a Theder pupil, showcased his skills for NFL scouts that day and improved his stock enough to be drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Bills.
“Working with a guy like (Theder) really opens a kid’s eyes up,” said Ed Jensen, Jamie’s father. “It makes them think, ‘Maybe I can do more.’ ”
While the Mustangs’ quarterback said he has hopes of playing well enough to earn a college football scholarship, there is still one last aspect of playing quarterback he will have to deal with – delivering a crisp pass from the pocket while knowing he’s about to be clobbered by a defender.
“That’s one of the most underrated qualities,” Hammond said, “of playing that position.”
Living under the microscope, the life of a quarterback isn’t easy. But if it was, it probably wouldn’t be worth watching.
