A Calming Presence at Quarterback
March 29, 2016 | Football
By Brooks Hatch
OSUBeavers.com
Darell Garretson doesn't want to be the straw that stirs the drink.
Rather, Oregon State's redshirt junior quarterback envisions himself as a “calming presence,” one who maintains his composure and keeps the Beavers headed in the right direction when things go south.
“The leadership part,” the 6-foot, 196-pounder replied on Monday, when asked what he could add to help the Beavers improve in Year II of the Gary Andersen coaching era.
“Be a guy who everyone looks to as a calming presence. Instead of [having players say] 'Oh, we've got to hang on,' when we get into those tough situations, really calm guys down and get them to play within themselves, like we always do.”
The Beavers opened spring practice on Monday morning with a three-hour workout at Prothro Field. But even before a play was called or a pass was thrown, it was obvious the Chandler, Ariz., native had made a huge impression on his teammates and coaching staff in the short time he's been in Corvallis since transferring from Utah State after the 2014 season.
“Darrell was taking charge,” junior wide receiver Jordan Villamin said. “I expect the passing game to be a lot better.
“With the receivers getting older and understanding how to play, and having Darrell and the other quarterbacks throwing the ball, we will have a lot of success in the passing game.”
The sociology major was one of five players selected as spring practice team captains by their teammates, a significant honor for a player who has yet to take a varsity snap. He joins veterans Victor Bolden, Devin Chappell, Sean Harlow and Dustin Stanton in that key leadership role.
“It means a lot,” he said. “[It means] the guys think I'm a leader, and believe in me. That's a big part of it.
“I was obviously shocked. I was here for one season and an off-season you're voted a team captain … you take that personally, and realize what you are to your team. It was a nice piece of information to receive.
“It just happened, it was just one of those things, I wasn't trying” to fill a void. “It just kind of took care of itself.”
Co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kevin McGiven, who coached Garretson at Utah State in 2013-14, said he has “one of those personalities guys take to.”
“It's a unique situation with Darell, where I think he has a lot of innate leadership qualities. He's able to get on guys on the field and still be able to hang out with them afterwards without having any hard feelings.
“That takes a unique kind of guy. It's neat to see how the team has responded.”
Fortunately for the Beavers, Garretson also has some chops on the playing field to complement his leadership abilities. In 12 games over his two seasons at Utah State, he completed 217 of 344 (.631) passing for 2,586 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
He won his first five starts as a true freshman. As a sophomore he led the Aggies to a victory at No. 18 BYU to earn Mountain West Conference Player of the Week honors before suffering a season-ending injury.
Garretson is also familiar with McGiven's offense. It's been tweaked somewhat since their days together in Logan, but the core concepts remain similar.
“Darrell already understands what I'm trying to teach,” McGiven said. “There's already a connection in the meeting room; he understands what I'm looking for when I call things. There's not much of a learning curve.”
Inexperience at quarterback cost the Beavers dearly in 2015.
McGiven anticipates significant improvement in 2016.
“Any time you have experience it's huge,” he said. “It eliminates a lot of questions you have going into the first game. That [experience] showed up today from a leadership and execution standpoint.”
Added Garretson:
“You can definitely tell guys are comfortable, know where to go, know where to line up, and aren't second-guessing themselves at all. Knowing what you're doing, you can play smarter play faster and prove what you've got.”
He described Monday's opening practice as “a good time.” He said it was also nice to be taking meaningful reps, precursors to actual action.
“You finally get too feel somewhat valuable to the team, instead of just running the scout team” he elaborated. “Obviously [running the scout team] is valuable too, but when you come from playing” it can be hard to stay motivated and focused when there is no chance of playing time.
“Today I feel like I belonged again, so that was nice. You're taking reps that count and that's the biggest part about it. Everything counts.”
Spring practice concludes April 21. The annual Spring Game is April 16 at Reser Stadium and the Dam City Showcase is April 9 in Hillsboro. Both events are free to the public. Coach Andersen also announced that the April 2 practice will be open for fans. The Beavers open the 2016 season at Minnesota on Sept. 1; their home opener is Sept. 17 against Idaho State.
OSU also hosts Boise State and Pac-12 Conference opponents California, Utah, Washington State, Arizona and Oregon. For information on season tickets for the upcoming schedule, including access to the Terrace, please contact the OSU ticket office at 1-800-GO-Beavs during weekday business hours or beavertickets.com
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