Reesing should get Heisman attention

Undefeated team, Flutie-like play warrants national recognition

By Bryan Wheeler

Thursday, October 25, 2007

On Nov. 23, 1984, the day after thanksgiving, No. 10 Boston College traveled to Miami to face the defending national champions and No. 12 at the time. Boston College won the nationally televised game 47-45 on a last second Hail Mary pass by 5’10” quarterback Doug Flutie. The now famous pass caught the attention of the nation, and Flutie went on to win the Heisman Trophy that year. The Boston College football team finished the season ranked No. 8, at 10-2, including a Cotton Bowl victory against Houston.

Before Doug Flutie played at Boston College, the last short quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy was the legendary Davey O’Brien, who the national quarterback of the year award is named after, back in 1938.

Sophomore quarterback Todd “Sparky” Reesing, is having success very similar to Doug Flutie’s Heisman campaign. Kansas is winning and slowly getting more attention now that games are being nationally televised.

Flutie, who was an All-League performer at Natick High School in Massachusetts, was overlooked by colleges because of his height. The only school to offer him a scholarship was Boston College.

Reesing, a stand out at Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas, was also overlooked by in-state schools Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. It’s the same story. An all-star high school quarterback who was doubted because of his height goes on to college and succeeds.

While Reesing may not have the same amount of national attention as quarterbacks like Florida’s Tim Tebow or Kentucky’s Andre Woodson, he is certainly getting attention in the Big 12. The coaches who did not offer him scholarships, Dennis Franchione at Texas A&M and Mack Brown at Texas, are both kicking themselves now.

“Anybody who didn’t recruit him, including us, made a mistake,” Brown said Monday at the Big 12 football coaches teleconference.

On Tuesday, during Texas A&M’s media luncheon, coach Franchione was asked whether he remembered Reesing’s play at Lake Travis. He said, “Yeah, just a gutty winner. I think the descriptions our guys used when looking at him were ‘competitor’…kind of like Chase Daniel…‘fiery’, ‘winner’, does whatever he needs to do to move his team. I think he’s playing that way right now.”

The opposing defenses that have tried to stop Reesing on the field have also noticed his play.

When then No. 24-ranked Kansas State lost to Kansas, junior defensive end Ian Campbell said after the game, “I was impressed with Todd Reesing. He’s not a very tall or big guy, but knowing myself personally, you can’t judge a book by its cover. I was impressed with how he handled himself and he does very well when he scrambles as well. They’ve got a solid team and he’s got a good receiving corp.”

After losing to Kansas last weekend, senior line back Jordon Dizon, Colorado’s Dick Butkus Award semifinalist, said, “He’s as fast as our linebackers and almost as fast as our db’s, and he isn’t a quarterback to shy away from contact; he’ll lower his shoulder to get some extra yards. He was able to get yards with his feet when he needed to, and he did a good job keeping their offense on the field. He played well today.”

If Reesing continues to play the way he has the rest of the season, he will have very similar statistics to what Flutie had during his Heisman year. In 1984, Flutie passed for 3,454 yards and 27 touchdowns, and rushed for 149 yards. Reesing is currently on pace to pass for 3,094 yards and 29 touchdowns, and rush for 368 yards.

Given Kansas’ success this season, the Heisman voters should be watching. If Doug Flutie caught their attention in 1984, and if Davey O’Brien did in 1938, Reesing should be considered. After all, he is only a sophomore, and Kansas is 7-0 and ranked No. 9 in the BCS.

Edited by Chris Beattie

Comments

AggieCoach (anonymous) says...

AggieCoach.com asks: Didn't Flutie build his candidacy for the Heisman by playing RANKED teams? In fact, the Heisman voting was already completed BEFORE he led BC over Miami 47-45 during that Thanksgiving day weekend. If Reesing isn't being mentioned yet, it won't be happening this year. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Flu...

October 25, 2007 at 6:53 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

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