If you can’t stand the heat…

It’s on. There is going to be a quarterback competition at The U in the coming weeks. Bank on it. Robert Marve is headed to town and from everything I’m reading and hearing, this kid doesn’t plan on playing the background for very long.

Chris Henry of the Orlando Sentinel wrote a solid piece on Marve today. Pretty pathetic that such a poignant piece came from a paper in Central Florida as opposed to from a local writer, but The U will take the good press anywhere they can get it.

For those too lazy to click on the link above, I’ll summarize for you; Marve sounds like the real deal and the next great Miami quarterback. Sure, he has some of the on the field accolades and awards, like current QB Kyle Wright. But it also appears he possesses several of the intangibles the past few Miami quarterbacks have lacked.

Wright was the Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year (2003) and Marve won Florida’s Mr. Football honors for 2006. During last year’s run, he set the state single-season mark with 48, one more than current Gator and former Mr. Football, Tim Tebow.

There’s been some chatter regarding how much playing time Marve will see his freshman season at Miami. Wright is battling it out with back up Kirby Freeman entering fall, but new offensive coordinator Patrick Nix has verbalized that the job is open to all three quarterbacks.

Word is that Marve has been studying the playbook, has attended team meetings (during his spring break) and will be in Coral Gables a month before the rest of the freshmen, in an effort to get ahead.

Marve is also battle tested. This kid has been through the fire. From a slow start as a freshman, to losing his stepfather, to helping his family through the healing process, putting football aside during those tough times and then rededicating himself to the game through the help of his high school head coach, Robert Weiner, Marve isn’t entering The U as your average, ordinary freshman. This kid appears to be something special.

I’ve read this article a few times and I recommend our fan base does the same. There’s reason to be optimistic here. Marve won’t be lining up behind center for the season opener against Marshall. But there’s reason to believe that this kid is the real deal. This isn’t some high school hype. Everything about this kid seems to scream, “winner”.

Some things I took from Henry’s article:

WHAT IT SAID: Marve led Plant High to 15-0 last season and put together the greatest individual season in Hillsborough County’s football history. Right down to his final career touchdown pass, with :17 left on the clock in an upset of defending champs, Ponte Vedra Nease. The headline read, “MARVE-lous” and the city of Tampa had its first public school state football crown since before integration.

HOW I READ IT: Marve’s former coach Weiner sums it up best: “Some guys just have it. I’m talking about that indescribable trait that summons charisma, rallied other people to greatness an uses talent to spark greatness in themselves.” This kid is a gamer. He makes plays with the money on the table. He thrives on overcoming and beating the odds.

WHAT IT SAID: Marve set a goal of being the best player and person possible. To do this, a rigid schedule was implemented. Up at 5:30am and in bed by 11pm. School, studies, football drills, film, a rigorous eating schedule and even one good deed per day. Marve wasn’t leaving his high school campus until 10pm.

HOW I READ IT: This kid is a tireless worker. He sets a goal and he achieves it. Marve isn’t afraid of hard work and knows what it takes to be a winner and succeed at the highest level. He mentioned wanting to get Miami back to prominence. If his work ethic is mirrored by his teammates, the Canes will be back in the hunt in 2008.

WHAT IT SAID: Marve played behind an offensive line with a 180-pound center. “Didn’t matter,” Marve said. “Everybody we played was bigger and faster than we were, especially in the playoffs. But not once did we come up against a better team and I mean team than us.”

HOW I READ IT: No excuses. Find a way to win even if you’re outnumbered or you lack playmakers. We also know Marve is a team player. He’ll assume blame after a loss and he’ll rally his teammates when a victory is on the line. Some guys rise to the occasion when it’s crunch time and others fold. No mystery which best describes Marve.

WHAT IT SAID: Marve lost his stepfather during his high school years. He walked away from football a while to care for his family and take care of business. He came back when the time was right and in time became a superstar.

HOW I READ IT: This isn’t your average, ordinary 18-year old. Marve’s maturity is leaps and bounds ahead of his peers. Stepping up and being the man of the house was hard enough. Putting football on the back burner might been equally as impressive. Walking away from the game took balls. Marve isn’t the type of kid who’d cheat his teammates and play when his heart wasn’t in it.

Before reading the Marve piece today, I was going to write an open letter to #3. My two cents on some things I’d like to see Wright do this off season. Freeman as well, but mostly Wright as he has so much more to prove. He rode in on the white horse and was supposed to ball these past few years.

He hasn’t.

In a throwback to the Ryan Clement era, Wright has been outspoken and made some guarantees he didn’t back up with his play. Two years on the job, no signature win. Equally as disappointing, one signature loss – LSU 40, Miami 3.

All that said, I still haven’t given up on the kid. Wright came into Miami a winner back in 2003. Like Clement before him, Wright got to The U on the downturn.

Instead of a Ken Dorsey-like, 38-2 run and NFL talent (two deep) at most of the skills positions, Wright has seen C-level offensive talent and is on his fourth offensive coordinator. He spent two years in a program with a loser’s mentality; something Shannon vows to rid these kids of.

Many say Wright hasn’t shown much. But it has to be acknowledged he hasn’t had much to work with. This kid turned down USC and Texas to come to Miami. He’d have gotten a ring in ’04 or ’05 no matter which he chose. Better coaches. Playmakers at the skills positions. Two of the nation’s best offensive lines.

Don’t kid yourself thinking KW wouldn’t have turned out a different player in either LA or Austin.

Is what it is. That’s the past, just as much as 7-6 is the past. This is a new era. A new offensive coordinator. A few new receiving threats. Much more talent in the backfield. A fresh mindset for the program and one last chance for #3 to right some wrongs.

I for one am hoping this is Wright’s year to shine. I want to see a turnaround similar to the one Carson Palmer experienced in 2002. Granted it was Norm Chow who came in and fixed Palmer’s mistakes, the difference between 2001 and 2002 was night and day. Same quarterback, different scheme, different attitude and different results; including a Heisman Trophy and the top pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.

USC went from 6-6 in 2001 to 11-2 in 2002 and on the cusp of greatness. Palmer got his one last year to right the ship and the following season, the keys to the offense were turned over to Matt Leinart, much like Marve should inherit the job in 2008.

In 2001, Palmer threw for 2,717 yards, 13 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, averaged 226.4 yards per game and had an efficiency rating of 124.17 his junior year. As a senior in 2002, Palmer threw for 3,942 yards, 33 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, averaged 303.2 yards per game and had an efficiency rating of 149.09.

USC fans had written off the erratic yet highly touted recruit. Palmer ignored the critics and in his final act, put on one hell of a show.

Can Wright pull off a similar feat? I don’t know, but we’ll soon find out. The natural ‘talent’ is there, but at times the intangible seemed to be missing. Can Nix fix some of these things? Does Wright have the heart to go out and solidify the job?

Marve the Super Frosh has set the bar pretty high with his work ethic and desire to win the starting gig. How will Wright respond? Does he step up his game, realize this is the ‘last hurrah’ and work with the receivers this off season, in an effort become a team leader and finally live up to the hype? Or does Wright fold, pack it up an ride out his final year at The U status quo-style?

Anyone who loves this program, better hope Wright step up his game. Should Marve find himself starting in 2007, that’s more of an indictment on The State of The U than it is a feather in the freshman quarterback’s cap.

If the Canes start ‘the rookie’ get ready for a long year. While I hope he gets significant playing time this year, a la Tebow at Florida, be prepared for freshman mistakes with a freshman gunslinger behind center. Marve will be ‘the guy’ at some point, but regarding 2007 Miami needs Wright to step it up.

Programs long for the experience and savvy of a senior quarterback. Especially such a highly touted prospect. This has to be Wright’s time to shine. If not, #3 need to watch his back. Marve is ready to steamroll Coral Gables and take over.

Hopefully that’s the ultimate motivation for both Wright and Freeman as the new season approaches.

.:Canes305:.

Comments

comments