Tuesday, January 15, 2002
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Printers’
loss leaves TCU in search of starting QB The void is left by junior Casey Printers’ abrupt decision to leave the team to attend a Division 1-AA school. Printers said he wants to go to a school that has a passing-oriented offense. With a pro-form-type offense, Printers said he will be better suited as an NFL quarterback.
Head coach Gary Patterson said Printers’ departure will mainly be felt with a loss of experience on the team. Printers started 32 games in his three-year career at TCU. “This team is more than just one player,” Patterson said. “This team has other leaders like LaTarence Dunbar, Adrian Madise, Chad Pugh and Corey Connally. But with Casey gone we will have to make up his experience. “This is not the first time a player has left a team. We have people who graduate and young players step in their positions all the time and this is no different,” Patterson said. TCU has four quarterbacks that will be vying for the starting position and the subsequent back-up and third string position. Junior quarterback Sean Stilley is the front-runner for the starting job, Patterson said. But the final decision won’t be made until spring practices. Stilley saw action in five games this season after Printers went down with a shoulder injury. Stilley ended up throwing 48 of 76 of his passes for 545 yards and throwing three touchdowns. He suffered an ankle injury during the East Carolina game in October. Patterson said Stilley has recovered from that injury and should be ready for spring workouts. Redshirt freshman Zach Moore, Tye Gunn and Brandon Hassell are going to be fighting for the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the quarterback rotation. Hassell, more of a traditional passer, earned all-state honors as he threw for 2,522 yards and 22 touchdowns his senior year at Sam Houston High School in Arlington. Moore will fit more into the TCU option-based system. He threw for 600 yards and rushed for 1,113 yards his senior year at Weatherford High School. Gunn, a redshirt freshman from LaGrange High School, was heavily recruited by Arizona, Purdue and Texas Tech. Gunn accounted for over 9,100 yards and 127 touchdowns in his high school career. He earned all-state honors by both the Texas High School Coaches Association and the Texas Sports Writers Association. Patterson said all three will have the same opportunity for a spot. “Their positions will all be determined in spring workouts,” Patterson said. “All of them have not played a single down of college football.” Patterson said Printers did not have any problems with the coaching staff or other players. “His (Printers) decision to leave was solely based on that he wanted to have an opportunity to throw the ball more.” Patterson said. Printers asked Patterson about the pros and cons of his decision to leave. “Casey had a lot going for him if he came back his senior year,” Patterson said. “This would have been the first time he could have the same quarterback coach for two years in a row.” Printers will leave TCU as one of the all-time leaders in several statistical categories. He finished third in career passing yards (4,621), third in career passing touchdowns (37), fourth in career completions (324), and eighth in career passing attempts (578). Printers has one year of eligibility left to play football. According to published reports, he is likely to go to Florida A&M, Southern University, Grambling State or Alabama State. TCU does not allow its athletes to transfer to a school that is in Conference USA, the Western Athletic Conference or the Big 12 Conference. Also, Printers would not have been allowed to transfer to Alabama where former TCU head coach Dennis Franchione, who recruited Printers, is employed. TCU does not allow athletes to transfer to a coach that has been formerly employed at TCU within the past six years. Ram
Luthra |
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The TCU Daily Skiff © 2002 |
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