Strange: Will gunslinger be the spark?

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Nick Stephens comes from a small town in Texas. He's played football since the 7th grade. However, the sophomore that is a contender for the starting quarterback position at the University of Tennessee had only one year of varsity football in high school before coming to UT. Watch »

If there's one thing Nick Stephens knows, it's patience. It's a worthy virtue in a quarterback.

"Everybody wants to be the guy and not everybody can be the guy,'' Stephens said Tuesday.

From high school through last Saturday when he stood on the sideline at Auburn, Stephens has spent a lot more of his career wanting to be the guy than he has actually being the guy.

The door on changing that status has been cracked open this week. Tennessee is giving Stephens a shot at unseating beleaguered starter Jonathan Crompton, or at least sharing playing time with him.

This newspaper's Web site, govolsxtra.com, is polling readers on whom they want to see at quarterback Saturday when UT plays Northern Illinois. Stephens is the runaway leader with 59 percent of the vote.

"We need a spark, obviously,'' Stephens said.

While he may be the people's choice, Stephens knows he has to be the coaches' choice in order to get on the field. He must show in practice this week that he can perform at least some of the quarterbacking functions better than Crompton has.

"I've never believed you change just for the sake of making a change,'' said offensive coordinator Dave Clawson. "You change because it's going to help make you better.''

UT fans want Stephens but, in truth, they know little about him. They just know the Vols need better quarterbacking and if he's No. 2 on the depth chart he needs to play.

Whether Stephens can generate points against Georgia, or even Northern Illinois, is still unanswered. We must assume he has not been the starter for a reason.

"I feel like ability has never been a factor,'' Stephens said. "It's been mentally, not making as many mistakes as I used to.''

As he emerges from the shadows, we learn that he's a closet Ohio State fan who grew up in the Dallas suburbs. He played only his senior year of varsity ball at Flower Mound High School. (He had to sit his junior year because of an eligibility challenge after his transfer from a rival school.)

He committed to Ole Miss, but reopened his recruitment after offensive coordinator Neal Mazzone was fired. Then he chose UT over Michigan at the urging of David Cutcliffe.

A redshirt in 2006, his only action in 2007 came in a jayvee game against Hargrave Academy: 10-of-19 passing for 162 yards, two TDs and one interception.

With the arrival of Clawson in the spring, Stephens hoped for a fair shot at replacing his graduated roommate, Erik Ainge. However, Crompton, the favorite, got the job as expected.

"It was disappointing,'' Stephens said, "but Jonathan had been here three years and had some experience. They had every reason in the world to give him the majority of the snaps.''

And so Stephens has played a mere eight snaps, late in UT's 35-3 victory over UAB.

But Clawson said this week's decision wasn't just about Crompton's failures. It was also about Stephens' progress.

"Nick has a real quick release,'' said Clawson. "He has a lot of confidence.

"He probably has more of those (throws) where you're saying, 'No, no, no,' and then you're saying, 'Great ball.' ''

A gunslinger, eh?

"I hear that a lot,'' said Stephens. "I don't really know what that means, honestly.

"But decision-making is something I have improved on in the last month.''

That's good to hear since Clawson said this: "Making decisions is what quarterbacking is all about.''

So many decisions, so little time.

The ability to first make them and then execute them determines who is the guy and who is just waiting and wanting to be the guy.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strangem@knoxnews.com.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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