http://www.gadsdentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030726/NEWS/307260321/1011
Published July 26. 2003 6:01AM
Croyle eager to throw coach talk behind him
It seems like years since Brodie Croyle has been in a football game. And the Mike Price era is kind of like a dream, if it really happened at all. The fun of throwing the ball all over the field during spring training seems so long ago the excitement has long since faded.
Friday, before going to workout, Croyle sat in the lobby of the athletic building and talked about the past, the present and the future. For a guy so young, the recent past is almost like ancient history; the present has become repetitive (if not boring); but he is excited about the future.
"A lot of people are doubting us, it's going to be fun to prove them wrong," he said.
Croyle has gone through a tough fall, then a hard winter and there's been no letting up. He did not go home for the summer but remained on campus throughout the spring and summer, facing new obstacles with each changing season; running and throwing, lifting weights and working out.
"It's something you have to do if you want to be the best," he said.
All the coaching changes and having to learn different offenses. Trying to decide who to trust has been a challenge, said Croyle. "We've been through a lot, but we're going to be better people because of it."
He is tired of all that and ready to play a game. He wants to forget all that's happened, would like for everyone to stop talking about it.
"Let's get behind the new coach and move on," said Croyle. "That's what we want. And the way we have been working is an indication that is what this team wants and is doing."
Mike Shula is the right man for the job at this time, the quarterback said.
"He's going to be here for a long time, and he's going to win a lot of football games," he continued. "There is going to be a big change in the offense, and I can't talk about what it will be, but it is a good offense and we're going to surprise a lot of people with what all we do."
He said that it will not be like Dennis Franchione ran the past two years; nor a pass-first wide-open offense that Mike Price installed in the spring. However, he indicated that he will still go out and sling the ball around and it's going to be a fun season.
Regardless of the offense, Croyle is excited about having a former Alabama quarterback as his head coach.
"This is something special because he's been in the same shoes I'm in," Croyle said. "He's not only been there, he has the same type personality as I have - kind of laid back and doesn't let things rattle you. What you see is what you get. It's going to be fun to play for a guy like that."
Croyle had little, if any, kind of relationship with Franchione. But that will change. Shula said he wants to spend a lot of time with the quarterbacks, create a line of communication.
"The more you are together, there is less confusion," he said. "You get a better feel for each other and that's important in the final 2 minutes when the game is on the line."
Shula is anxious to get started and see exactly what Croyle can do.
"From what I've seen on film from spring training, his arm strength is more impressive than what I saw on TV last fall," said Shula. "He has good movement, quick feet and delivers the ball much quicker than I'd thought. He has some really good tools to work with.
"In addition, he is a pleasant young man, has a nice veneer about him, and I think this correlates to leadership skills."
Croyle said he thinks about all the great quarterbacks that Shula has been around, not only coaching at Miami, but growing up as Don Shula's son.
"He's going to be great. He knows offense, he knows quarterbacks, he knows his stuff," said Croyle. "If you are thinking about the next level, he's the kind of man you want. He's been an offensive coordinator in the NFL, he knows what it takes to play there. So he's the guy you want to learn from." [...]
kurt
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