The Daily Cardinal presents the second segment of Quarterback Q&A as Ryan Reszel chats with junior Kansas State transfer Allan Evridge.
Daily Cardinal: So did you go anywhere special for spring break?
Allan Evridge: I went to a great resort called Manhattan, Kansas. I went back to Kansas State. I went back and saw the fiancAc—visited her for awhile. It was nothing much for a resort or a vacation, but it was a good person to go see and have a lot of fun.
DC: Last time I talked to you, you were getting used to the drop-back game. How's that progression coming for you?
AE: It's still a work in progress. It's not second nature yet. It's different, but it's coming along a little bit better. I think this summer is where I'm going to make the biggest leaps and bounds. Right now I'm just trying to learn the offense and progress as far as that goes, but summer's when I'm going to try to really knock that out and keep working on the drops and make it more natural and smooth.
DC: How about the offense overall? Is that coming too—the plays, the verbiage in the huddle, all of that stuff?
AE: It really is. I think I took a step forward today whereas I kind of fell off at the end of last week. I got a sickness, and that kind of put me back, which is frustrating. I should have been able to push through it, but it's coming along. It definitely is.
DC: Have you developed a go-to guy?
AE: I really don't have a go-to guy right now, to be honest with you. Right now I'm trying to go to where the ball should go. I'm just trying to figure out who it is. I have thrown a lot to Hubbard today and some other guys. They're all great receivers. Whoever I throw it up to will come down with it. [I'm] just trying to learn as much from each guy as I can right now.
DC: Assuming you're starting next year, what's going to be the hardest part about replacing John Stocco?
AE: That's a tough one. John was a great quarterback. He was a great leader. He did great things for this university. But there's last season and this is going to be the 2007 season. It's totally new ... He definitely put in a great base and a great example, so just try to emulate his example and go from there, but after that, he's gone now. It's the next guy.
DC: So you guys have to move on?
AE: Well, not really move on. I try to learn from everything he did. He was a great quarterback. He definitely showed you a lot of things. So as far as that, I'll just try to emulate some of his thought processes and try to take as much from the way he handled himself.
DC: What's one area Tyler [Donovan] has an edge over you?
AE: Right now he's just comfortable with the game. He's been playing. He hasn't been off. All last season he came in and did a great job. He was under center so he's kind of been in the flow of it whereas I've had a year off and was kind of sitting around. But he does a great job. He's playing well right now so it's a lot of fun.
DC: Growing up, was there any particular quarterback that you admired?
AE: I was ... I probably shouldn't say this, I was a huge Dallas Cowboys fan when I was little. My family's from Texas. I know I shouldn't say it, but my family's from Texas, so I liked Troy Aikman when I was little. I wasn't really, really obsessed, but I liked him. I read a couple of his little books.
DC: Anything in particular—his composure, his leadership?
AE: I was still young then, so he was just the man. He did well, led his team to Super Bowls. You can't really ask for more. He was the Tom Brady of that time almost.
DC: It's fourth-and-10. What receiver [of] all-time would you want to be throwing to?
AE: I don't know that's a tough one. We'll just say Jerry Rice just because he's a legend so he'd be a good one to throw the ball to... Put it up to Jerry and let him do something with it.
DC: This is your second [semester] now on campus. How are you liking it?
AE: I like it a lot ... It's a lot of fun. It's a great campus. It's a big campus, but they really do a great job of making it into a small feel that's very accessible.
DC: Did you find a favorite hangout yet?
AE: I don't go out very much, but I'll go out with TD [Tyler Donovan] and hang out with TD a lot. To be honest with you my favorite hangout when I go out is probably just TD's house. Him and [tight end Andy] Crooks and [wide receiver Paul Hubbard] all those guys live together so I'll go hang out over there ... But there's a lot of fun places, and you can't beat this atmosphere.
DC: So when you guys get together, is it a lot of film watching?
AE: No [laughs] no film watching. We'll watch games on TV or something like that ... We just go out and have a good time and do probably what every other college student does.
Quick Slant
Senior defensive end Jamal Cooper practiced for the first time this spring Thursday.
