| |
 Lion in wait Penn State QB ready to prove critics wrong
Posted: Tuesday August 24, 1999 02:11 PM
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (CNN/SI) -- During Kevin Thompson's up-and-down debut as Penn State's starting quarterback last year, he faced nearly as much pressure from the fans as opposing defenses. But this season he is eager to establish himself as an asset, not a question mark. And the pressure isn't about to subside. In its preseason college football poll, the Lions are ranked No. 1 by Sports Illustrated. "I am going to finish out my career as a Penn State Nittany Lion, and nobody is going to push me down any further than they think they can," Thompson said. "I am just going to go out there and be confident within myself, go out there with the mentality to helping my team." As a junior, Thompson led the Nittany Lions to a 9-3 record, highlighted by a win over Kentucky in the Outback Bowl. But it still wasn't enough in the eyes of the Penn State faithful, who booed him in the spring scrimmage. "You're the quarterback of the team, you're the leader, you're the guy that's in charge of everything," he says. "If it comes down hard, it comes down hard. It's just a matter of how you get back up and bounce back to that type of situation." How Thompson has carried himself against the flood of criticism has not gone unnoticed by other players. "I couldn't honestly think of any better way to handle it than he's handled it," said senior center Eric Cole. "He deals with pressure extremely well." In Thompson's defense, he didn't receive much support. Injuries forced freshman tailback Eric McCoo into a starting role. And Corey Jones led all receivers with only 27 catches.
When Kerry Collins won the Davey O'Brien Award in 1994, he had eventual first-round draft pick, Ki-Jana Carter in the backfield. In addition, he had the school's all-time leading receiver in Bobby Engram and two other first-round draft picks in Kyle Brady and Jeff Hartings. "He's deosn't have to go out and win that football game (by himself), but there's gonna be times that he's got to be able to rise up to the occasion and make some big plays," says head coach Joe Paterno. "Having said that, our problem has been that we have not had anybody at the other end of the big play." "As a wide receiver, we feel we should definitely try to do our best and make him look as good as possible," says senior Corey Jones. Actually, Thompson's numbers are comparable to those of the Lions' other starting quarterbacks over the last decade. And if he matches last season's output, Thompson will move into seventh place on the school's all-time passing list. Paterno says the 6-4, 221-pound Thompson has the tools to be a successful college quarterback. "He's got leadership, he's tough, he knows football, he works at it. I think he could throw the football, he's got a strong arm, there's no problem with the strength of his arm." "You go out there and prove yourself every week on Saturdays whether or not you are capable of playing Division I football," Thompson says. He adds, "I think I have done my job, done my share, and I'm proud of what I have accomplished here at Penn State and I am certainly going to look forward to this season." Seven other offensive starters return, including four linemen, so Thompson won't be asked to carry the load alone. And with one of the nation's best defenses on his side, Thompson's improvement may determine how much the Penn State fans enjoy this season as well. The enjoyment level will rise or fall early when the Lions host Sports Illustrated's No. 3-ranked Arizona Wildcats in the Pigskin Classic on August 28. | |||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
|
