Collin Rugg, La Jolla's former quarterback who recently matriculated at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, on a full-ride football scholarship, said he is adapting to western Missouri and a football situation that is different from his experience.
He is hoping for his chance to show off some of the skills that he displayed for the Vikings in 2013 and 2015. But he also realizes that as a true freshman, he has three other quarterbacks to contend with, and he may have to wait.
The Cardinals from William Jewell are in their fourth year as an NCAA Division II school. Their new head coach, whose program recruited Rugg, is Shawn Weigel, a long-time assistant. WJC plays in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
Asked about things that are popular in the suburb northeast of Kansas City, Missouri, Rugg replied: "A lot of bbq!" Kansas City is renowned for its style of that palate-delighter, barbecue.
With Rugg traveling with the Jewell football team Fri., Sept. 4, to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Cardinals to play at Drake Saturday, and the interchange conducted by text, answers were understandably terse. The interchange occurred before Rugg's alma mater Vikings' game against crosstown rival Bishop's.
Asked what Liberty and Missouri are like, he typed: "It's pretty flat with some hills but it's very green and pretty humid! Wow that('s) crazy."
Asked if he was enjoying college, he said: "Yes! It's a lot different but I'm getting used to it!" Rugg and his family are know to be extremely close.
On football, he said: "It's alight (alright). A big adjustment!"
Regarding the possibility he may redshirt for the season, he said: "Yeah I'm not sure yet because I am traveling with the team. However if I go on the field for a play I can't redshirt."
Queried if he wanted to redshirt, he responded, "Not really."
Asked what number he was on the team's depth chart, with four quarterbacks on the roster, he declined to answer.
The three quarterbacks ahead of him have all been redshirted previously, according to the team's website: two redshirt juniors and one redshirt freshman. The redshirt juniors are starting their fourth year in college, the redshirt freshman his second year.
Teammate Bull Graft, a running back from Bishop's, is the number-two back for William Jewell. That's got to make it a little harder for Collin as he navigates the four-deep quarterback waters.
Another freshman teammate from San Diego County is Cesar Jacobo, a linebacker who played at Montgomery High in the South Bay.
Asked what's different in Liberty, Rugg said, "The games are on Saturdays now," referring to Friday nights being high school game night. He said students play foosball in the dorms.
Jewell head coach Jerod Kruse resigned in January. So Rugg's recruiting was going on last winter as Weigel, Kruse's former assistant, was in transition taking over as head coach. Several new assistant coaches were brought in, as well.
Redshirt junior quarterback Nick West completed one touchdown pass in the Cardinals' 44-30 season-opening loss at Drake Saturday. Jewell is picked to finish seventh in the nine-team Great Lakes Valley Conference this season, after going 5-6 last year under Kruse.
Jewell has many players from within Missouri, as well as several from neighboring Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Toto, Collin isn't in La Jolla anymore.
Interestingly, Drake, Jewell's opponent in its season opener last Friday, plays in the Pioneer Football League with USD. Drake is a Division I-AA school, in the FCS subdivision (below Division I-A football teams like SDSU, USC, and UCLA).
Rugg is undoubtedly going through the adjustment of finding that, like him, his teammates were stars in high school. In addition, most of them are upperclassmen who already have game experience playing at Jewell in previous years.
But Collin is grounded, not given to partying or out-of-control behavior. In fact, his father Scott said his son's goal is to complete college without consuming alcohol or caffeine.
He has a photo of himself at quarterback with a cross as his profile picture on his Facebook page.
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
No comments:
Post a Comment