Video
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.
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
Signing day celebration at Neyland…
Tennessee 69, South Carolina 57 men's…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 87
GreerVol22 writes:
spark...poot....fizzle....anything is better than the backfire we've had thus far.
caskew#218608 writes:
Get him on the field.....A LOT! GO VOLS!
smashmouth98 writes:
we need him to make smart decisions. That alone will give us a chance, especially if he is more accurate than Crompton.
CoverOrange writes:
I would have characterized Erik Ainge and Casey Clausen as "gun-slingers" their freshman years. Not so much after that as they got coached up, but definitely their freshman years.
FWBVol writes:
As others have mentioned on other stories, just because a guy is a better practice player doesn't mean he's the better game player. The speed of a game is faster than a speed at practice and some guys react better to the faster speed with the juices flowing.
If we were winning and Crompton was completing 55 percent of his passes I wouldn't be complaining and I doubt if many of us would. But when we are 1-3 and Crompton seems to read defenses the way I read Chinese, it's time for a change under center.
DennisVols writes:
Nick never got a fair shot during the spring or fall camps. Crompton was slated to be the starter going in and unless he screwed up big in scrimmages he was the man.
Well we found out the hard way that scrimmage work and game work are not the same.
When your qb is 14th of 14 qb's in the conference how could it be any worse.
I agree with Plasticman, go ahead and make the decision to start Nick. The team needs to know as much as the fans. Stability has not been a positive for UT so give them something.
orangeblood writes:
i won't go to the game unless he is named the starter
DingoVol writes:
Lane Kiffin is who we need to replace fulmer. He was the OC at USC when Norm Chow left. He is young, could recruit, and knows how to score against college defenses. He might even be able to talk his old man into being the Defensive Coordinator. He has to be close to retiring with the Bucs. How cool would that be. Make the call Hamilton. Kids all over the country would flock here to play for him.
kilovol writes:
I really genuinely feel bad for Crompton. He has some bad ju-ju going on upstairs, along with Foster. However, I strongly believe that means give somebody else a chance unless they are that bad, which Hardesty and Creer have proven isn't the case. Society has fallen into the mindset of "let everybody run the bases!". Unfortunately, it can't work that way at this level. We are playing with a "dumbied-down play book" from an innovative coach because the QB's lack of ability to run this offense. Fulmer even admitted changing 30% of the play calls. I wonder how many he made Clawson take off the play card before hitting the booth. I'm ready for a new QB and for a revamp with the current staff. I want Muschamp and Clawson for '09!
BigVolinCarolina writes:
Being a gunslinger isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's good to take measured risks (as opposed to stupid ones). In addition, it's obvious that things can't be much worse.
piledriver writes:
Ability. Experience. Decision-making. Bottom line is performance. Git 'er done Nick. Here's hoping this opening gives the "gunslinger" his chance. UT's offense doesn't need a Tebow, just somebody who doesn't do more harm than good, who can hit slants, be on target to keep the D from stacking the LOS, so our running game and defense can do it's job. Special teams seems to be settling down & Britton will be back for GA. There may be hope yet.
mattnchatt writes:
I totally agree with Dingo, Kiffin needs to be a Vol. Recruiting coordinator at USC before he replaced Chow as offensive coordinator. The guy can recruit and the Raiders were 8 points better this year with Kiffin in charge. If crazy Al would have given him time, they were poised to be a very good team.
cobbwebb writes:
i just hope stephens succeeds , because you guys will crucify him just like you have crompton! yeah crompton is not getting the job done , ive been politicking for gerald jones at qb full time since the ucla game , however the personal attacks are cowardly! youre talking about a kid that came to this university because he was a fan of it, and now he is villain #1, a kid, what if this were youre son , or little brother, or grandson , c'mon guys lighten up, and give the kid a break ! im just as ticked off as the next vol fan, and no i am not carrying water for fulmer or crompton , but just cut this kid some slack, he knows he is playing badly, im just saying pick his xs and os apart , call him out on his decision making, but leave the personal, nasty , shots somewhere else.
budrhon writes:
Ding - Kiffin might be one of the choices but I believe Fulmer will still be here next season. It's hard to get fired at UT. The Good Ole Boy System is deeply entrenched there. But if the attendance drops below 80K an other recruits back out it could spell doom for Fulmer. The key now is if the change in QB might spells some wins. Georgia game is a must win for UT but I don't see us beating Bama.
OrangePower11 writes:
On the surface this sounds good, but he would leave at the 1st opportunity to get another head gig in the NFL. Im thinking along the lines of Muschamp, Pat Hill, Mike Kelly. Guys who are great coaches but will probably "max" out at the very top of the college game and not bolt for the NFL and who would probably consider UT a dream job.
MrBamSeydu writes:
Decision making also makes a coach. And if they decide to play Crompton, they are deciding they don't care what the fans think or what happened in the first 4 games.
If the coaches don't want to lose the team AND especially the fan base, they will at least start Stephens and see how he does. I'd rather lose to NIU knowing we tried everything we could than beat them rushing for 300 yards and Crompton going 8-24 for 69 yards. It's not about Northern Illinois, it's about the rest of the season and next season too.
a10acfan1 writes:
Just saw the video if Nick. Bright young man. Atleast can give a good interview. Start him.
VOLINCALI writes:
Please!
VOLINCALI writes:
I just woke up from reading this post. Is that one sentence.
Hey run with, were you born in Kentucky, educated in Alabama. Just a geuss.
mbible1utk#324980 writes:
I think a gun-slinger is exactly what we are needing. A quick release is tremendously helpful too. I think that's a part of Crompton's problem. The other part is that he knows who he wants to throw it to when he breaks the huddle, and by God he's throwing it that way no matter what. Maybe someone who can get the ball out to our play makers and not 10 feet over their head is what the offense needs to start clicking. Besides, this is a Texas kid... he probably thrives on live game competition.
VOLINCALI writes:
Don't mess with Texas.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Jack Palance to Jack Nickolson in Batman and the Joker, "You're my main guy"! Got to love the drama. Maybe he'll be another Dewey Warren?
VOLINCALI writes:
I'll take the bait.
What the hell are you talking about?
VOLKING writes:
WeLOve is notorious for incoherent babbling, but is never negative. Just nod and be on you way.
cdonsbach writes:
Actually, the correct quote is, "You're my number one guy!".
jcherrie#219531 writes:
Maybe Stephens throws a lot of balls where one is going 'no no no' and then 'great ball' but I've seen Crompton throw a lot of balls where I said 'no no no' '%^$@%&@&@!' 'who the hell was he threwing to?'
AppreciativeAlum writes:
New QB looks like the has pretty good field vision... Are white contact lenses legal?
OhioVol3 writes:
If Stephens can hand the ball off he's already better than Crompton. Start him. Play him all game, and the rest of the season. End of story.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Proper perspective at this juncture is attained by lowering your expectations.
How low is yet to be determined.
Should Vandy beat Auburn, an adjustment is in order.
CharlotteVol writes:
I lived in Texas during Stephens' senior year - he was a good recruit for us and very much wanted the challenge of the SEC (unlike our recent backout from CA). He was the second highest rated QB in DFW (behind Stafford). Considered to have a strong arm and good but not great accuracy.
Fulmer/Clawson need to give him all 4 quarters this Saturday and give him time to get into rhythm with the line and receivers.
While they are at it, they also need to demote Foster and put Hardesty in at 1st string.
WYLOVER writes:
At least this guy can give an interview without sounding like an idiot.
I want him to do well so I never have to hear Crompton say a word.
wkjq#213863 writes:
I won't even buy it on PPV if Crompton starts!
invisiblekid writes:
Seems a lot of fans are hoping that Stephens succeeds and relgates Jon to the crompost bin.
invisiblekid writes:
Did you know that :
"The Little People of America (LPA) defines dwarfism as a medical or genetic condition that usually results in an adult height of 4'10" (147 cm) or shorter.[1]"
Just throwing that out there as it seems to pertain to our ever-changing perspective.
COACHWATCH writes:
Everyone you mention has one thing in common, they had already proven themselves to be very successful head coaches. We don't have to have a big name, but we don't need to experiment either. Lots of very good, successful head coaches at smaller programs out there that would jump at the chance to come to Tennessee. Harbaugh, Mendenhall, Troy Calhoun, and yes Dave Clawson, even though he is suffering under Fulmer right now.
DeeBee writes:
Every time I think about new coaches, I have a nightmare of David Cutcliff being offered, no offense to him. We need fresh blood, but you never know what the good ol' boy's network are going to come up with, as was mentioned before. We need someone to recruit against Richt and Spurrier in Ga. and SC. We can forget Al. and Fl. Of course that's IF he goes
Volgrad777 writes:
I like Stephens , i think hes an intelligent kid. Lets look at some examples of situations somewhat similiar to ours. You never know how a guy is going to handle game time pressure until he gets some snaps and feels the flow of the game. That means letting him start and not yanking him if he makes one mistake to go back to Crompton. kevin freakin Craft torched us in the 2nd half at UCLA , that guy was awful. Tony Romo , 5 years ago no one knew who he was and wouldnt have given you a nickel for that fantasy pick. Jarett Lee i believe at LSU , not a great qb by any means but when Hatch got hurt he came in and settled down and won the Auburn game for them. In major college football it happens all the time , some guys just have a knack for the game , but we gotta let them on the field to see what happens. The thing with Crompton is this , and i feel for him , hes never failed before , his parents and the Nites have patted him on the back for years and years , he could do no wrong , see no wrong , he was basically coddled. So once he has to deal with adversity he goes straight to the crapper. Last year , didnt get his way and he pouted and butt heads with CCliffe. Im pretty sure thats why him and Coach Cliffe didnt get along because coach knew he was crappy and he wasnt comparable to E Ainge and well , Crompton thought he was all world and should be starting. Crompton just cant deal with failure or adversity , hes never had to and its too late for him to learn. He took for granted the fact he was a shoe in , and thats not how it works in the SEC. You can be replaced anyday by anyone. Honestly , im not attacking him , but i seriously think he might have a touch of the down syndrome or something.
Tebow wears Jorts and drinks wine coolers
Major_Magilicutty writes:
I just know that some of you guys on here screaming for Stephens to start were the same ones who, at the beginning of this season, were saying the Cut and Fulmer had no excuse for not playing Crompton last season.
You guys are no coaches, and should leave such decisions to the coaches.
That said, I want Stephens in the game too.
jasonn1970 writes:
I just don't understand why he's been splitting practice snaps with Crompton. He should have been splitting them with Coleman giving them two viable options. Crompton has already proven himself to be a 3rd stringer.
rbhobbs73#226545 writes:
NO to Pat Hill! He is old and his entire recruiting connections are West Coast and Fresno State is known for lax academic standards....not that UT is Duke mind you, but the SEC has some extra rules as we have seen.
Pat Hill is fine for Fresno State but wrong for UT.
We are the University of Tennessee and this is the FOOTBALL program we are talking about. We can get a coach that is quality and has the name.
We got lucky with Pearl. We got lucky that Haslam and Thornton let Grunfeld make the hire. We were a nothing basketball program that couldn't attract a big name. When we let our AD's do the hiring...we got Houston, O'Neill, Green and Peterson. We are 1 for 5 in basketball with no name coaches from smaller schools.
Does anyone want to go 1-5 by hiring Pat Hill, Brian Kelly, etc...? Maybe they would be great...maybe not.
This is Tennesee FOOTBALL and we are not a nothing program (although a few more years of Fulmer could change that), we can attract a quality coach with a big name...in the words of a certain shoe company....JUST DO IT!!!
SKO_Vol82 writes:
Absolutely! Smartest comment i've seen on here in forever! Bring him in NOW for talks! Start working on Fulmer's exit strategy so he can save face. No one hates Phil, it's just time for a regime change. And, Kiffin IS the guy!
CoverOrange writes:
Cut apparently knew the down-low on Crompton but either didn't tell Phil or Phil refused to listen. Had Cut put Crompton in a few times to prove his ineptness maybe we wouldn't be in the QB mess now.
fedupvol writes:
Sounds Good and I agree with comments.
Also, some hilarious comments on here today... y'all are too funny!
JKW50 writes:
I think we have all said that alot this season.
Volnbama writes:
Gary Pinlker,( I think I spelled it right), has taken Missouri from the outhouse to a NC contender. Young smart and an offensive guru. He would be on my short list if I were Hamilton.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I agree completely with your ideas about giving Stephens a full shot in the NIU game. However, although I hate to nit-pick, what's up with all the apostrophes in Nick's last name? It's just "Stephens"; not a plural--although one sees simple plurals with apostrophes, wrongly, ALL THE TIME these days--nor is it a possessive. If he is your man, spell his name right--Stephens.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Re: Lane Kiffin as a possible successor to CPF. Some have said that he would jump back to the NFL in a minute if the right opportunity came along. Actually, he has more college experience than pro experience. Also, the main reaction around the NFL when he was hired by the Raiders was along the lines of "WTF? He's too young and inexperienced." Even so, he was doing a good job improving the Raiders on offense even though Crazy Al forbade him from even ATTENDING MEETINGS with their sorry defense. I would think that his experience with Raiders "management" would sour him on the NFL for a while at least. I don't know if he could or should be "the guy" here, but he should not be dismissed out of hand, either.
Volchaz writes:
I'm leaning towards Lane Kiffin as well. He'd represent our University well.
Volgrad777 writes:
I just want to add , i never not one time even considered the fact that Crompton should see the field last year , much less start. E Ainge was pretty damn solid. He gave us solid leadership and a chance to win every game. Crompton and the Nites had no business considering him to start. Thats basically a joke. I dont understand that one comment , how some people said Fulmer had no excuse for not starting Crompton??? Where is that coming from , Ainge played well and consistantly all year long. He had no reason to consider starting Crapton.
APPLEJAX555 writes:
this is like a broken stock/investment. The fundamentals here of this story are broken, so until you start putting into place some things that longer term are going to bring some intermediate execution, so as to "table up" and start thinking long term again, you are just spinning your wheels. I think its fair to say that with the games we've dropped and the competition we have around us, that fans are starting to look thru this season. Lets face it, Fulmers not going anywhere. So you might as well look thru this season and start Stephens. Dont start Stephens thinking hes going to be the next Peyton manning. Not fair. it is fair to have some urgency...
We need to be finding solutions now FOR NEXT YEAR RIGHT NOW!
THIS YEAR IS NOW WHAT 6-5 COACHES OFFICIALLY CALL A "REBUILDING YEAR"
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.