Around the Horned With Brian Estridge
Nov. 9, 2002
I think it all started last year. You had a sense that something wasn't right. Changes were in the wind, we just didn't know exactly from where they were coming.
Fast forward to August of this year. Since TCU suffered a 2001 season-ending loss to Texas A&M in the galleryfurniture.com Bowl, the Frogs had: 1. Lost their disgruntled starting quarterback to a I-AA school in Florida; 2. Lost their quarterbacks coach to lowly Tulsa; and 3. Received word they were going to open the 2002 season on the road against a highly-rated conference foe. At that point it would have been understandable for the Frog players to have doubts and questions.
Then came Dick Winder, Sean Stilley and Tye Gunn.
When head coach Gary Patterson went looking for a quarterback coach, he didn't give you the normal coach-search speak. He wasn't looking for the next "Jon Gruden," an up and coming genius with all of the gimmicks a computer could spit out for him. Nope, he simply said he "wanted a quarterbacks coach who would coach them like linebackers." Do what? Isn't that the finesse position? Don't they make special rules so those guys don't get hit as hard or as often? Don't they even wear different color jerseys in practice so their teammates won't hit them? That might have been the way it used to be done, but not now, not in the Patterson era.
He found his man in former Texas Tech and Oklahoma offensive coordinator Dick Winder. A grizzled veteran who had seen his share of wars, to the point where he admitted that he doesn't even like the games - he's seen about all he can see - he likes the practices so he can control things and be right in the middle of the action.
He threw out all of the contraptions the previous coach had used. No more throwing to targets, this was about the basics now. The Winder boot camp had begun and the fire was for real. From footwork to progressions, the quarterbacks would drill day in and day out. And when they weren't on the field they were looking at film, learning to read defenses and picking the old coach's brain the best they could. His style quickly began to rub off on them. His West Texas swagger was adopted by his students, Gunn and Stilley.
As the Cincinnati game rolled closer, you could see it in his step. Sean Stilley was the leader of this team. His command of the team was unprecedented - he was ready for the challenge. In years past, the late game breakdowns at Cincinnati would have rattled Sean, but this is the new Sean Stilley and this is now his team and he would respond. He'd lead the Frogs to back-to-back wins before injuring his shoulder against North Texas. And you feared that this would be the end of Sean Stilley - the former high school option quarterback destined to be a career back-up, finally given his chance to only have it taken away by injury.
He could have quit. He could have pouted. And when his shoulder started to heal he could have clamored for his job back. But that's not his style and it's not the style that he learned from Dick Winder. He's a team player and he would just wait his turn. He was devastated when his new friend Tye Gunn (who had stepped in without missing a swaggered step) was injured against Southern Miss. He could have let that bother him. He could have called it a distraction. Heck, he could have even said his shoulder's not ready. But that's not his style and it's not the style of his coach.
Sean Stilley subbed in admirably and he'll do it again today against Tulane. Don't worry about his shoulder or his psyche. Remember he's now a linebacker out of position and he'll fight to the end for the Frogs, just like his coaches.
From the streets and avenues of North Texas to the information superhighway, I'm Brian Estridge. We'll see you on the radio!
