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Notes, Quotes and Slants
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Pirate
Notebook No. 79
Wednesday, August 21, 2002
By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist |
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Pirates' "Zipper"
adapts to evolving physique
�2002 Bonesville.net
GREENVILLE � Paul Troth still chuckles when reminded of the comparison
Steve Logan made last summer.
Part of his laughter, he admits, is the mere reaction to another classic
Loganism � one of many in a collection of unique phrases conjured by his
quirky-but-clever head coach.
By and large, though, Troth snickers because the term "zipper" no longer
applies to his chiseled physique, which now hovers around 235-240 pounds of
solid muscle.
"I think Coach Logan used that as motivation for me because I was the
runt of all the quarterbacks," Troth said. "Now, I look like a young man
who can handle myself in any possible situation.
"I'm kind of onto wide-leg pants because I gained a little bit of
weight. It's all good weight. I'm not fat or anything. It's a lot of
strength in my legs."
With the added weight, Troth already bears the appearance of an NFL
prototype, with plenty of room to grow. Barely 20-years old, he still
hasn't peaked physically, and could eclipse the 250-pound plateau by his
senior year.
In the meantime, the Pirates' signal caller is trying to adjust to his
new-and-improved frame.
"When you've added 40 pounds, you're still trying to grow into your
body..," Logan said. "He's still trying to situate himself a little bit
physically. I think probably over the next maybe 12-18 months that will be
true."
Mobility was one area of concern even before Troth packed on the pounds.
Acclaimed for his bazooka arm and birddog vision, Troth's niche has always
been his ability to pick apart defenses from the pocket, not with his legs.
Though Troth agrees he is a natural drop-back passer, he continues to
brush off skeptical questions about his speed. In fact, the Davidson native
was so motivated to prove his doubters wrong that he worked overtime during
the offseason to improve his quickness.
"I'm not the fastest of guys, but I've always thought that I was quick,"
Troth said. "I wanted to stay quick, so I went out and worked with Wes
Herlocker a little bit on the track at nights before spring � just kept
working out extra."
"There's nothing wrong with working out extra. To get ahead of the game
� to be better than any other quarterback in the country � I think you have
to work harder."
Troth's sweat and strain has produced noticeable improvements on the
field. Entering spring drills, Logan was concerned the Pirates' passing
game wouldn't have the homerun capabilities it has had in years past.
Troth, however, has gradually erased his coach's preliminary concerns by
proving capable of delivering from long range. His steady progress even
prompted Logan to make comparisons to a previous field general widely
considered the school's all-time best.
"The ball he's throwing has got a tremendous pace, a lot of RPMs," Logan
said. "I was under the assumption early last spring that we would lose the
big, big vertical game that we enjoyed with David (Garrard). As the spring
progressed and the summer has unfolded, I'm beginning to think that we will
keep that really long, vertical passing game because of the way Paul has
grown.
"The ball that he's throwing right now is due to the increase in strength
and mobility and agility that he's achieved through just incredible hard
work and dedication on his part and Coach (Jim) Whitten's work with him.
He's throwing a ball that is not much different than what David Garrard was
throwing last year. That's a mouthful."
While Garrard excelled throwing the deep ball, he sometimes struggled
with his touch. At times, in fact, the intermediate passing game was
ineffective with the Pirates' all-time leading passer under center, which
isn't uncommon for a quarterback with a big, lively arm.
Mindful of that fact, Troth put in extra time over the summer tossing
pigskins through tires to pinpoint his accuracy.
"I always work on my accuracy," he said. "The zip just adds a little bit
on how quick you can get the ball there. Overall, the accuracy has stayed
the same and the zip has picked up a little bit."
That combination could spell doom for opposing defenses.
Comfortable on the road
Logan doesn't seem concerned about debuting his gunslinging prodigy on
the road. In fact, the Pirates' head coach couldn't be happier.
Logan says the Pirates have a history of performing better on the road,
which he attributes to fewer distractions than when playing at home.
"I'm glad we're playing on the road, quite honestly," Logan said. "We do
better on the road here than we do at home. That's just a matter of fact."
"We play well on the road. We get really focused on the road, and being
on the road with a young quarterback is a benefit to me and to him. Now, it
just so happens that the two games we're going to play, there will be lots
and lots of Pirate fans there, which is fine with me. I'm glad that we're
on the road."
Troth's situation is highly akin to the one faced by Marcus Crandell in
1994, who, at Duke, made his first start following a severe leg injury.
That year, the Devils, who were then coached by Fred Goldsmith, squeaked by
the Pirates 13-10, but needed a crucial fourth-down stand deep in their own
territory to seal the victory.
With a stout offensive line and strong stable of runners, Logan has
suggested that he will deploy a game plan similar to the one in '94, which
will enable him to develop Troth slowly.
"I can look back to 1994 with Marc Crandell," Logan said. "We opened at
the exact same place -- at Duke -- with a lot of unknown quantities on both
sides of the football, which is exactly what's taken place this year."
"I went back and pulled that game up -- the little bio on that game --
and I think we threw the football about 18-19 times that game with Marcus.
I was trying to hand the ball to Junior Smith, play some defense, and bring
Marc along and let him get his feet on the ground."
"I think about the sixth game of Marcus' sophomore year, I think we had a
football game around there were Marc threw the ball about 50 times, and we
won the game. So, that's a rapid growth. The same unfolding of events is
probably going to take place.
Logan did, however, admit that he would like to change one thing about
'94's chain of events. This time, he would like to open with a victory.
Did you know?
The NCAA record for yards per reception in a game is held by Terry
Gallaher. The former East Carolina standout shredded the Appalachian State
defense for 218 yards on three catches in a game played back in 1975.
Approaching its 27th anniversary, Gallaher's record of 72.7 yards per
reception in a single game is among the longest standing.
Send an e-mail message to Denny O'Brien.
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archives.
02/23/2007 01:45:24 AM
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