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Talking Leatherneck Football with…Quarterback Coach Quinn Schafer

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

A look at the Western Illinois quarterback spot

For the first time in a long time, the Western Illinois quarterback position is up of grabs. With the departure of three-season starter Connor Sampson, the Leatherneck coaching staff now looks to a new name and a new face to lead the offense this season. Quarterback coach Quinn Schafer sat down to talk about the quarterback competition and what the offensive coaching staff is looking to see as the season opener approaches.
 
Us: It's the most important position on the field, it's the one everyone is talking about when it comes to this team, so how is that quarterback group looking?
Schafer: They've all been good, all seven of them, it's been a four-way competition pretty much, it's still a competition, none of these guys have arrived yet but they've all gotten progressively better from spring, then to August 1 to right now. They've all been coached and take coaching well and are doing everything we ask of them to run this offense efficiently, so I've been impressed with all of them.
 
Us: What are some of the things guys can do to really take charge of that position to stand out? It's a new offense, new scheme and there's not a lot of starting experience for this group.
Schafer: Leadership is a really big thing because none of those guys have played a bunch here. You can't ask them to be leaders, you have to teach them to be leaders, you have to teach them the leadership qualities of it. They've done a good job being vocal in huddles, they've done a good job keeping guys' heads up, it's not just yelling at teammates, you have to cheer them up, get them excited.
 
Us: Seven guys competing, how do they interact and work together while also competing against each other to make the group and team better?
Schafer: I think if you look at the scrimmage film, we had a couple guys either two-point or touchdowns they ran in or threw it in and I look behind me and it's the other quarterbacks cheering them on. We had one of our guys break a 45-yarder and you look on film, the guy he rooms with is running down the sideline cheering him, they're all hooting and hollering, which is what you want. They're all buddies too, I've been blessed, all seven get along great, they talk.
 
Us: New staff, new terminology, new scheme, are you at the point where guys are earning trust?
Schafer: They've done a good job with, 'here's the scheme, here's how we run it,' now it's building off that. You have to earn the trust in the whole offensive staff to execute one play to get to the next play. They've done that well. As far as protecting the ball, that's the best way to earn trust and they've done a good job of that and that's helped them all.
 
Us: Between now and September 1, what do you want to see, what do you need to see from this group or that one or two guys who will be out there against Tennessee-Martin?
Schafer: Consistency. None of them have arrived, I want to see consistency, I want to see them build the days, if you have a great practice, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I need it on Thursday, Friday and Saturday too. They're doing it, I'm seeing more consistency, they're stacking the days and they're understanding what that means too.
 
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