Once There Was One, but Now Titans Have Quarterback Surplus

Tony Dill didn’t exactly earn his way onto the field as the Cal State Fullerton quarterback last season. That right became his by default. It was Dill or nil.

Via a process of elimination in which those above him on the totem pole fell off because of (a) injuries, (b) playing poorly or (c) both of the above, Dill found himself in the position of having a position.

A recap of Tony Dill’s Big Break, which came at least a year ahead of schedule: senior Kevin Jan began the 1985 season as the Titans’ starting quarterback. Whit Brown was No. 2. Two weeks into the season, Brown suffered a career-ending knee injury. Dill, a freshman who was only converted to quarterback in his senior season at Mt. Miguel High School in San Diego, was suddenly Jan’s understudy.

The way things were going for Jan, Dill had to be ready to fill in at a moment’s notice. Before he was sidelined for good, Jan would have almost as many injuries (broken ribs, a fractured tail bone, strained knee and shoulder separation) as touchdown passes (five).

Dill started his first game Nov. 9 against New Mexico State. He shared playing time with Jan until Jan went out with the shoulder injury in the third quarter. From that point on, the job was Dill’s. With the freshman starting, the Titans won their last four games after a 2-5 start.

“We were in a situation where we were down to one quarterback--Tony Dill,” Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy said. “We were gonna try to redshirt him, but we couldn’t. Some things happened that forced us to just put Tony in and let him play, and that’s what we did. We cut out a lot of reads and just let him use his natural ability.”

With his team’s 1986 season opener one week away, Murphy is in a situation where he has more talented quarterbacks than he knows what to do with. Dill is back, a little older and wiser, for what he hopes will be a fun-filled sophomore season. But first, there’s this little matter of holding off three guys who would like to be in his cleats.

What would a preseason football camp be without a little quarterback controversy? Ronnie Barber, Carlos Siragusa and Rich Sheriff are doing their part to stir one up. The competition has been closer than Murphy had anticipated, and perhaps tougher than Dill would have liked.

Chances are, Dill will be in the huddle when the Titans take the field for their first possession of the season next Saturday at Reno. But the three others--particularly Barber--have put some pressure on Dill.

Barber, who rejected a scholarship offer from Fullerton three years ago to go to UCLA as a walk-on, was grabbed on the rebound after passing for 2,441 yards and 16 touchdowns last season at El Camino College. “I think I should have come here from the beginning,” he said.

Siragusa redshirted last season and was moved up to No. 2 on the depth chart after completing 7 of 9 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the May Bowl, the Titans’ spring intra-squad game. Sheriff is a redshirt transfer from the University of Hawaii who has impressed coaches with his improvement since spring.

The Titans appear to be entering the season with considerably more talent at quarterback than they had in ’85. The trouble is, Murphy only has room for three.

“It’s pretty cut and dry,” Murphy said. “We’ve always carried three quarterbacks, and that’s what we’re going to do this year. There have been years where we could have done just as well to walk into the library and grab somebody to be that third guy.

“But there’s a legitimate problem this year. Who are you gonna leave home? The only guy we could redshirt is Dill, and we’re not gonna redshirt him.” What will become of the odd-man out? “That’s a good question,” Murphy said.

Barber entered the preseason camp at No. 4 but has quickly caught and passed Siragusa and Sheriff. During last Saturday’s intra-squad scrimmage, Barber was the most effective of the four quarterbacks. But Barber, who was sacked by academic problems before he ever got a chance to try out at UCLA, is being diplomatic about evaluating his chances.

“Tony’s the man,” he said, “and I think he deserves the first shot. But I want to be here and be ready in case I get a chance. I came here to win a job, not to sit around.”

Dill, the 5-foot 11-inch sophomore whom Murphy says still lacks experience at quarterback, is entering this season much more sure of himself than a year ago. Dill completed only 47% of the passes he attempted last season, but threw for nine touchdowns in the four games he started. Being the starting quarterback in four of the Titans’ six victories didn’t hurt his self esteem.

“Because I’m not tall, I wasn’t sure if I could play at the college level,” he said. “But (the performance last season) has given me some confidence and I think it’s given my teammates some confidence in me. That’s important.”

Murphy seems much happier with his quarterback situation than he was a year ago, but he admits it creates a problem.

“There’s gonna be two--maybe three--who aren’t gonna be happy,” Murphy said. “But that’s the way it is.”

Titan Notes ESPN’s coverage of Fullerton’s Oct. 30 game at Fresno State was apparently the result of an East Coast publicity swing Fresno State officials organized to create media interest in Bulldog quarterback Kevin Sweeney, who is being promoted as a Heisman Trophy candidate. Sweeney, coach/father Jim Sweeney, Fresno Athletic Director Gary Cunningham and Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. Commissioner Lewis A. Cryer visited network television representatives in New York earlier this month. During the group’s meeting with ESPN, the cable network expressed an interest in carrying the Fullerton game as part of a series of Thursday night telecasts. . . . . Fullerton gave up its homecoming game in allowing the Fresno State game to be moved to Fresno. Titan Athletic Director Ed Carroll said Friday that the homecoming game has been changed to Oct. 18 against Utah State at Santa Ana Stadium. . . . . Carroll declined to disclose how much money Fullerton will receive from its two ESPN appearances. “The negotiations vary from game to game,” he said. “Some schools get more than others.”. . . . Coach Gene Murphy said nose guard Harold Jones and wide receiver Curtis Brown have made the biggest impression of the freshmen thus far. Both could see substantial playing time. . . . . Running back Rick Calhoun, the team’s leading rusher last season, has practiced sparingly the last two weeks. Calhoun, a father of three, has been excused from many of the workouts so that he could continue working to support his family. “He’s been on a working man’s sabbatical,” Murphy said. . . . Fullerton has had a number of what Murphy refers to as “nuisance” injuries during the preseason camp, and a few ailments that happened off the field. Among them was running back Tracey Pierce’s allergic reaction to the detergent used to wash the Titans’ practice uniforms.