Lzen
10-22-2007, 01:29 PM
http://www.kansan.com/stories/2005/nov/30/reesing_profile/
Under-sized, under-appreciated, future quarterback has potential
By Kellis Robinett (Contact)
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
AUSTIN, Texas — In the world of Texas high school football, Todd Reesing is king.
The excitement that follows the senior quarterback, who has verbally committed to Kansas, is unreal.
At every home game, he is introduced to thousands of fans as he runs out of an inflatable tunnel through a screen of smoke.
He plays in front of sell-out crowds everywhere, and radio stations have been known to broadcast his games statewide.
Any of his football games this year could have passed for a scene in “Varsity Blues” or “Friday Night Lights.”
“That’s how it’s been all year,” Reesing said. “We’ve had packed stands and wild crowds. It’s been a lot of fun.”
But for all the excitement he brought to Lake Travis High School and all of the Austin area, there was nothing he could do on a football field to impress the college football experts.
One look at a media guide was all it took to chase the college coaches and scouts away.
They could never get past the two numbers listed next to his name.
Height: 5 feet 11 inches.
The two numbers have haunted Reesing in his quest to make it as a quarterback at the college level. He’s never quite figured out why. Everything else about his game is up there with the blue-chip recruits.
He threw for 3,343 yards and 41 touchdowns in a 10-game season.
He stepped into a spread offense and transformed a winless Lake Travis team into an undefeated juggernaut by the time he was a senior.
The Associated Press Sports Editors even named him Texas State 4A Offensive Player of the Year as a junior over Matthew Stafford, who is the No. 1 ranked high school quarterback in the country by recruiting Web site rivals.com.
But it didn’t matter.
Todd Reesing’s high school stats:
2005
Passing: 3,343 yards, 41 TDs, 5 Ints
Rushing: 756 yards and 8 TDs
2004
Passing: 3,157 yards, 29 TDs, 8 Ints
Rushing: 344 yards, 5 TDs
High School career
Passing: 6,500 Yards, 70 TDs, 13 Ints
Rushing: 1,100 Yards Rushing and 13 TDs
Scouts ignored his accomplishments; rivals.com rated him as a three-star quarterback on a five-star scale. Coaches pursued taller players who better represented a stereotypical college quarterback.
Reesing considered it a slap in the face.
“It gets frustrating. You hear it time and time again,” Reesing said. “You put up better numbers, have a higher completion ratio, make more plays with your legs and everything. But they’re the better players simply because they’re taller.
“It gets old.”
Then Kansas expressed interest in Reesing and he jumped at the opportunity to prove his critics wrong.
He’s so eager to show what he can do that he is currently taking classes at three schools — Lake Travis, Texas Tech and Austin Community College — to graduate from high school a semester early and become a freshman at KU in January.
He will leave his friends, family and celebrity high school status to participate in Kansas’ spring football practices.
“It was tough,” said Reesing of his decision to graduate early. “In the long run, though, I think it’s the best decision. It will give me the chance to jump-start my college life and obviously give me the chance to see playing time early in my career.”
Todd Reesing (10) calls a play in the huddle during a second round Texas playoff game. At 5&squot;11
Todd Reesing (10) calls a play in the huddle during a second round Texas playoff game. At 5'11", Reesing is short for a quarterback, but put up big numbers during his high school career.
Reesing’s mother, Debi, was the hardest person to persuade into letting him leave early. She said she would miss him too much.
“He finally convinced me it was best,” she said. “More and more players are doing the same thing lately, and it does seem to help.”
If Reesing’s extra preparation pays off, and he sees playing time as a freshman, he thinks the Jayhawks could continue the progress they have made during the past three years.
“I’m excited to get up there,” he said. “There’s a lot of potential to have a great offense next year.”
Committing to Kansas
During his recruitment, Reesing chose Kansas instead of Kansas State.
Reesing said Kansas State was one of the first colleges to recruit him — along with Northwestern, Duke, TCU and Purdue — and it wasn’t until he was on his way to visit Manhattan when Kansas contacted him.
“I was actually at the airport when KU called,” he said.
After Reesing toured Kansas State and attended a football camp, he took a side trip to Lawrence and was blown away.
“After seeing Manhattan and Lawrence, there was no comparison,” he said. “Kansas’ campus was prettier and their facilities were a lot nicer. I really liked Lawrence, and everyone I talked to convinced me it was the better school.”
A week after his visit, he said Kansas sent him a scholarship offer that he accepted.
He can’t officially sign with the Jayhawks until February, and college coaches aren’t allowed to comment on recruits until then.
In a way, Kansas stumbled upon Reesing.
There was a chance the Jayhawks would have noticed his gaudy stats and recruited him anyway, but they didn’t contact him until a family friend of the Reesings gave his résumé to Kansas coaches.
The friend was a daughter of an ex-Kansas coach, and because only a handful of teams were recruiting Reesing, she tipped the Jayhawks off about him, Reesing said.
Reesing has watched or listened to every Kansas football game that didn’t interfere with one of his own since his commitment, and he’ll be at the Fort Worth Bowl if Kansas plays in it.
He has never regretted his decision to be a Jayhawk.
Not even during back-to-back weeks of watching his future team score three points, and then a 66-14 pounding at Texas, but it did make him think twice.
“It was definitely frustrating to see the team you’re going to play for not have success offensively. But where they struggled, there is obviously the chance for me to step in and help the team out early in my career,” he said. “I will have some great competition in there with Kerry Meier and Adam Barmann next year.”
Reesing’s father, Steve, was also thrilled with his son’s decision.
He said no matter how difficult it was to get to Jayhawk games in the coming years, he and the Reesing family would attend all the games they could.
“It’s a safe bet we’ll have season tickets,” Steve said.
Size isn’t everything
For as much as national scouts disrespected Reesing, those who have watched him throughout his high school career said he was one of the most underrated players around.
Alan Trubow, who covers high school football for the Austin American-Statesman, said Reesing was easily the best quarterback in central Texas and one of the best in the state.
“If he was four inches taller, he would have his pick of any college in the country,” Trubow said. “That’s not just me talking. That’s any scout you ask or recruiting Web site you want to look at.
“He’s for real.”
There’s a lot to like about Reesing’s game.
Lake Travis’ Todd Reesing (10) shows off his running abililty against New Braunfels High School on Friday October 14, 2005. Reesing ran for over 1,000 yards during his career at Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas.
Lake Travis’ Todd Reesing (10) shows off his running abililty against New Braunfels High School on Friday October 14, 2005. Reesing ran for over 1,000 yards during his career at Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas.
He has quick feet and can scramble when plays break down or carry the ball on designed running plays.
“I’m a fast runner,” he said. “Being able to scramble and make a play running or passing adds another dimension to my game. I think that would have to be my strength.”
He also has the arm to throw 60-yard passes and, like the pros, throws the ball to a spot on the field instead of at his receivers.
But maybe best of all, he has proven himself in clutch situations.
Trailing Alamo Heights with less than two minutes to play in his first playoff game, he led Lake Travis on a 77-yard drive that featured a three-yard touchdown run on 4th and goal to win the game.
In his second playoff game, he threw for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns before the Lake Travis defense gave up a last-minute touchdown to lose 37-35.
If Reesing continues his offensive success at Kansas, he will add his name to a long list of athletes who made it big despite lacking height.
Reesing is often compared to Doug Flutie, the 5-foot-10 quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy at Boston College and has played in the NFL for 12 years.
Reesing said he actually modeled his game after Flutie, because they both made up for their size with quick feet and the ability to throw on the run.
He said he had the physical ability to have Flutie-like success, but admitted that, at the college level, that alone wasn’t enough.
“The main adjustment is mental,” he said. “You have to realize that defenses are a lot more complex in college. That’s the hardest thing. Once you figure that out, I think your natural ability will allow you to succeed.”
Reesing will have an advantage adjusting.
No matter how hard it gets, he plans to use his height as motivation, just like he did in high school.
But at Kansas, he will have even more to prove.
As a Jayhawk, he will have the opportunity to get some revenge and prove that you don’t have to be tall to be a winner.
“I’ll get to play against some coaches that didn’t give me a chance,” he said. “And I can prove them wrong.”
Famous football players
six feet tall or less
Darren Sproles:
Height: 5-foot-6
San Diego Chargers return specialist, first team All-American running back at Kansas State, led the NCAA in rushing yards in 2003
Bill Whittemore:
Height: 6-foot
Former Kansas starting quarterback, led the Jayhawks to 2003 Tangerine Bowl, third team all Big 12 selection as a senior
Drew Brees:
Height: 6-foot
San Diego Chargers starting quarterback, 2004 Pro Bowl appearance, Heisman Trophy finalist in 1999 and 2000 at Purdue
Dante Hall:
Height: 5-foot-8
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver/return specialist, two Pro Bowl appearances
Doug Flutie:
Height: 5-foot-10
1984 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback at Boston College, 12 years in NFL, Six time Canadian Football League MVP
Mike Garrett:
Height: 5-foot-9
1965 Heisman Trophy winning running back at USC
Source: Team Web sites
Edited by Jonathan Kealing
Under-sized, under-appreciated, future quarterback has potential
By Kellis Robinett (Contact)
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
AUSTIN, Texas — In the world of Texas high school football, Todd Reesing is king.
The excitement that follows the senior quarterback, who has verbally committed to Kansas, is unreal.
At every home game, he is introduced to thousands of fans as he runs out of an inflatable tunnel through a screen of smoke.
He plays in front of sell-out crowds everywhere, and radio stations have been known to broadcast his games statewide.
Any of his football games this year could have passed for a scene in “Varsity Blues” or “Friday Night Lights.”
“That’s how it’s been all year,” Reesing said. “We’ve had packed stands and wild crowds. It’s been a lot of fun.”
But for all the excitement he brought to Lake Travis High School and all of the Austin area, there was nothing he could do on a football field to impress the college football experts.
One look at a media guide was all it took to chase the college coaches and scouts away.
They could never get past the two numbers listed next to his name.
Height: 5 feet 11 inches.
The two numbers have haunted Reesing in his quest to make it as a quarterback at the college level. He’s never quite figured out why. Everything else about his game is up there with the blue-chip recruits.
He threw for 3,343 yards and 41 touchdowns in a 10-game season.
He stepped into a spread offense and transformed a winless Lake Travis team into an undefeated juggernaut by the time he was a senior.
The Associated Press Sports Editors even named him Texas State 4A Offensive Player of the Year as a junior over Matthew Stafford, who is the No. 1 ranked high school quarterback in the country by recruiting Web site rivals.com.
But it didn’t matter.
Todd Reesing’s high school stats:
2005
Passing: 3,343 yards, 41 TDs, 5 Ints
Rushing: 756 yards and 8 TDs
2004
Passing: 3,157 yards, 29 TDs, 8 Ints
Rushing: 344 yards, 5 TDs
High School career
Passing: 6,500 Yards, 70 TDs, 13 Ints
Rushing: 1,100 Yards Rushing and 13 TDs
Scouts ignored his accomplishments; rivals.com rated him as a three-star quarterback on a five-star scale. Coaches pursued taller players who better represented a stereotypical college quarterback.
Reesing considered it a slap in the face.
“It gets frustrating. You hear it time and time again,” Reesing said. “You put up better numbers, have a higher completion ratio, make more plays with your legs and everything. But they’re the better players simply because they’re taller.
“It gets old.”
Then Kansas expressed interest in Reesing and he jumped at the opportunity to prove his critics wrong.
He’s so eager to show what he can do that he is currently taking classes at three schools — Lake Travis, Texas Tech and Austin Community College — to graduate from high school a semester early and become a freshman at KU in January.
He will leave his friends, family and celebrity high school status to participate in Kansas’ spring football practices.
“It was tough,” said Reesing of his decision to graduate early. “In the long run, though, I think it’s the best decision. It will give me the chance to jump-start my college life and obviously give me the chance to see playing time early in my career.”
Todd Reesing (10) calls a play in the huddle during a second round Texas playoff game. At 5&squot;11
Todd Reesing (10) calls a play in the huddle during a second round Texas playoff game. At 5'11", Reesing is short for a quarterback, but put up big numbers during his high school career.
Reesing’s mother, Debi, was the hardest person to persuade into letting him leave early. She said she would miss him too much.
“He finally convinced me it was best,” she said. “More and more players are doing the same thing lately, and it does seem to help.”
If Reesing’s extra preparation pays off, and he sees playing time as a freshman, he thinks the Jayhawks could continue the progress they have made during the past three years.
“I’m excited to get up there,” he said. “There’s a lot of potential to have a great offense next year.”
Committing to Kansas
During his recruitment, Reesing chose Kansas instead of Kansas State.
Reesing said Kansas State was one of the first colleges to recruit him — along with Northwestern, Duke, TCU and Purdue — and it wasn’t until he was on his way to visit Manhattan when Kansas contacted him.
“I was actually at the airport when KU called,” he said.
After Reesing toured Kansas State and attended a football camp, he took a side trip to Lawrence and was blown away.
“After seeing Manhattan and Lawrence, there was no comparison,” he said. “Kansas’ campus was prettier and their facilities were a lot nicer. I really liked Lawrence, and everyone I talked to convinced me it was the better school.”
A week after his visit, he said Kansas sent him a scholarship offer that he accepted.
He can’t officially sign with the Jayhawks until February, and college coaches aren’t allowed to comment on recruits until then.
In a way, Kansas stumbled upon Reesing.
There was a chance the Jayhawks would have noticed his gaudy stats and recruited him anyway, but they didn’t contact him until a family friend of the Reesings gave his résumé to Kansas coaches.
The friend was a daughter of an ex-Kansas coach, and because only a handful of teams were recruiting Reesing, she tipped the Jayhawks off about him, Reesing said.
Reesing has watched or listened to every Kansas football game that didn’t interfere with one of his own since his commitment, and he’ll be at the Fort Worth Bowl if Kansas plays in it.
He has never regretted his decision to be a Jayhawk.
Not even during back-to-back weeks of watching his future team score three points, and then a 66-14 pounding at Texas, but it did make him think twice.
“It was definitely frustrating to see the team you’re going to play for not have success offensively. But where they struggled, there is obviously the chance for me to step in and help the team out early in my career,” he said. “I will have some great competition in there with Kerry Meier and Adam Barmann next year.”
Reesing’s father, Steve, was also thrilled with his son’s decision.
He said no matter how difficult it was to get to Jayhawk games in the coming years, he and the Reesing family would attend all the games they could.
“It’s a safe bet we’ll have season tickets,” Steve said.
Size isn’t everything
For as much as national scouts disrespected Reesing, those who have watched him throughout his high school career said he was one of the most underrated players around.
Alan Trubow, who covers high school football for the Austin American-Statesman, said Reesing was easily the best quarterback in central Texas and one of the best in the state.
“If he was four inches taller, he would have his pick of any college in the country,” Trubow said. “That’s not just me talking. That’s any scout you ask or recruiting Web site you want to look at.
“He’s for real.”
There’s a lot to like about Reesing’s game.
Lake Travis’ Todd Reesing (10) shows off his running abililty against New Braunfels High School on Friday October 14, 2005. Reesing ran for over 1,000 yards during his career at Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas.
Lake Travis’ Todd Reesing (10) shows off his running abililty against New Braunfels High School on Friday October 14, 2005. Reesing ran for over 1,000 yards during his career at Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas.
He has quick feet and can scramble when plays break down or carry the ball on designed running plays.
“I’m a fast runner,” he said. “Being able to scramble and make a play running or passing adds another dimension to my game. I think that would have to be my strength.”
He also has the arm to throw 60-yard passes and, like the pros, throws the ball to a spot on the field instead of at his receivers.
But maybe best of all, he has proven himself in clutch situations.
Trailing Alamo Heights with less than two minutes to play in his first playoff game, he led Lake Travis on a 77-yard drive that featured a three-yard touchdown run on 4th and goal to win the game.
In his second playoff game, he threw for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns before the Lake Travis defense gave up a last-minute touchdown to lose 37-35.
If Reesing continues his offensive success at Kansas, he will add his name to a long list of athletes who made it big despite lacking height.
Reesing is often compared to Doug Flutie, the 5-foot-10 quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy at Boston College and has played in the NFL for 12 years.
Reesing said he actually modeled his game after Flutie, because they both made up for their size with quick feet and the ability to throw on the run.
He said he had the physical ability to have Flutie-like success, but admitted that, at the college level, that alone wasn’t enough.
“The main adjustment is mental,” he said. “You have to realize that defenses are a lot more complex in college. That’s the hardest thing. Once you figure that out, I think your natural ability will allow you to succeed.”
Reesing will have an advantage adjusting.
No matter how hard it gets, he plans to use his height as motivation, just like he did in high school.
But at Kansas, he will have even more to prove.
As a Jayhawk, he will have the opportunity to get some revenge and prove that you don’t have to be tall to be a winner.
“I’ll get to play against some coaches that didn’t give me a chance,” he said. “And I can prove them wrong.”
Famous football players
six feet tall or less
Darren Sproles:
Height: 5-foot-6
San Diego Chargers return specialist, first team All-American running back at Kansas State, led the NCAA in rushing yards in 2003
Bill Whittemore:
Height: 6-foot
Former Kansas starting quarterback, led the Jayhawks to 2003 Tangerine Bowl, third team all Big 12 selection as a senior
Drew Brees:
Height: 6-foot
San Diego Chargers starting quarterback, 2004 Pro Bowl appearance, Heisman Trophy finalist in 1999 and 2000 at Purdue
Dante Hall:
Height: 5-foot-8
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver/return specialist, two Pro Bowl appearances
Doug Flutie:
Height: 5-foot-10
1984 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback at Boston College, 12 years in NFL, Six time Canadian Football League MVP
Mike Garrett:
Height: 5-foot-9
1965 Heisman Trophy winning running back at USC
Source: Team Web sites
Edited by Jonathan Kealing