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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 2020)
Sports 7A Thursday, April 23, 2020 Th e Observer What is ‘It’? Identifying intangibles in QBs By Ralph Russo The Associated Press Sam Howell has been a quarterback since fi rst grade. His father told him then that to play the position he needed to be the leader of the team, and that more would be expected of him than other players, both on the fi eld and off. Howell, coming off a record-breaking freshman season at North Carolina, has come to think of quar- terback as a lifestyle. “I know everyone’s looking at me,” Howell said. Evaluating and pro- jecting quarterbacks at any level is probably the most challenging part of building a football team. More so than any other position, what makes a quarterback successful is almost impos- sible to measure or quan- tify. That mysterious and ill-defi ned “It Factor.” “I don’t think there is a science to it,” said Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who spent two seasons as a quarterback coach in the NFL under Chip Kelly before landing in Columbus. “If there was I think it would be a lot easier for everybody. I think in 2020 they wouldn’t still be asking what it means.” Joe Burrow, Tua Tagov- ailoa and Justin Herbert lead the next batch of quar- terbacks set to enter the NFL. They are the con- sensus top three QBs avail- able in this week’s draft, all with a chance to be selected Thursday night within the fi rst 10 picks. Their prodigious skills, prolifi c production and Mills joins EOU staff as defensive coordinator By Ronald Bond The Observer Mark J. Terrill/AP fi le photo In this Jan. 1, 2020, fi le photo, Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert passes against Wis- consin during fi rst half of the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game in Pasadena, Calif. Herbert is a likely fi rst-round pick in the NFL draft Thursday. impressive athleticism are obvious. As are their few physical shortcomings. The rest? Well, there is a reason why they are called intangibles. In the era of personal quarterback coaches, 7-on-7 summer leagues and schol- arship “offers” to eighth graders, the holistic devel- opment of quarterbacks begins early. David Morris is the founder of QB Country and best-known for a college career spent as Eli Man- ning’s backup at Missis- sippi. He works with all ages and talent levels of quarterbacks, from tweens aspiring to start for the JV team to Daniel Jones, who was selected No. 6 overall by the New York Giants last season. For Morris there are two aspects to the intangibles. One is mental capacity: The ability to learn and pro- cess football. That can show itself on the whiteboard or fi lm room, breaking down plays and defenses. The hope is that transfers to the fi eld, but not always. Then there are the players whose mastery of the subject matter doesn’t really shine through until they get between the lines. For Morris it’s the differ- ence between book smart and street smart. Both can be successful and most good players have at least some of each. There are readily available ways to identify and develop a play- er’s mental capacity, though projecting its growth poten- tial can be trickier. The second intangible is more about personality TREASURE VALLEY STEEL, INC. Manufacturing Zee & Cee Purlins In-HouseCustom Cut Exact Lengths • 24 Colors • Custom Trim • 2 1/2” Corrugated • Delivery Available • Full Soffitt Line • 3 ft. Gulf Coast Panel • 3 ft. PBR Panel • 3 ft. Mesa Panel • 3 ft. Tuff Rib Panel • Standing Seam DELIVERY • 2 ft. Delta Rib AVAILABLE • 3 ft. Pro Panel 40 Year Full Paint Warranty • WeatherX Paint System ONTARIO 541-889-4214 BOISE 208-336-7505 1460 N. Verde Dr. Toll Free 1-866-887-8335 6619 S. Supply Way Toll Free 1-888-717-8335 WWW.TREASUREVALLEYSTEEL.COM and how it relates to lead- ership. One way or another, a quarterback has to be a team leader, whether he is gregarious or reticent, laid back or intense. Some quar- terbacks will pick a team- mate up with an optimistic ‘atta boy.’ Others get a point across more sternly. “I’ve seen that many dif- ferent personalities can get it done,” Morris said. “And so whether he is vocal or dynamic or alpha or more reserved, is he a leader? How does he lead? And then is he confi dent in his leadership style?” Confi dence is a word that comes up a lot when it comes to elite athletes of all kinds. With quarterbacks, it is especially important because the position comes with such a harsh and unre- lenting spotlight. LA GRANDE — One of the assistant coaches who helped the Eastern Oregon Univer- sity football team reach the national semifi nals in 2016 is back in La Grande. Bryan Mills, who spent last season as the safe- ties coach Bryan Mills for Eastern Wash- ington University, has been named the defen- sive coordinator for the EOU football program, the school announced Tuesday in a press release. “His commitment to character-driven athletic programs, his knowledge and passion for the game of football, and his expe- rience as a college coach will no doubt lead our defensive unit to a new level of excellence,” EOU head coach Tim Camp said in the release. Mills has experience coaching on the EOU sidelines. The Imbler High School and Pacifi c Uni- versity graduate was the defensive backs coach for the Mountaineers during the 2016 season, which includid Eastern upset- ting No. 1 Marian on the road, 17-0, in the quar- terfi nals on the way to a semifi nal berth and a fi nal record of 10-3 for the most wins in program history. “I am extremely grateful and excited to be rejoining Eastern Oregon University and the Eastern Oregon com- munity,” Mills said in the press release. “It’s always been a dream of mine to coach for the team I grew up watching and make this community proud.” Mills has spent the last three seasons at EWU and had just wrapped up his fi rst season as the Eagles’ safeties coach. Prior to that, he was a defensive analyst for two years. The 2019 EWU squad, which fi nished with a record of 7-5, had one of the better teams in the Big Sky Confer- ence in passing defense in terms of interceptions collected (12, tied for third), defensive comple- tion percentage (59.1%, fourth) and yards per pass attempt (6.8, second). The EWU defense allowed 266.3 yards per game last season, which was ninth in the conference. He also was a safeties coach for two seasons at Pacifi c before his fi rst stint with EOU. Mills will take over a Mountaineer defense that struggled during the fi rst half of 2019 but improved as the season progressed. EOU, which went 4-7, allowed 42.4 points per game in the fi rst fi ve con- tests of the season, and 36.5 through the fi rst six, but fi nished giving up just 24.2 points per game in its fi nal fi ve games. 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