Syracuse quarterbacks coach Phil Earley leaned back against the wall and sighed. A reporter asked him what rising sophomore quarterback Andrew Robinson needs to improve this spring to prepare for next season.

Earley decided he was not going to skirt around the truth.

‘As a young quarterback, just about everything,’ Earley said.

For Earley it’s an inevitable truth that quarterbacks new to the college game must struggle through a period of adjusting to the competition of Division I football.

Robinson has one advantage over the other three young quarterbacks he’ll be challenging for the starting role in the 2007 season. Unlike redshirt rising sophomore Cameron Dantley and incoming freshmen Cody Catalina and David Legree, Robinson actually has college football quarterbacking familiarity.

Robinson appeared in five games last season as the backup to senior Perry Patterson after arriving at Syracuse as the first and only quarterback recruit since Greg Robinson became head coach. In those five games, Andrew Robinson threw a grand total of eight passes. His last pass, though, was a touchdown.

The limited playing time bears much significance for Robinson. His experience on the field did little to affect his stats, but the time he spent calling plays in a regular season college football game gave Robinson a major boost to his confidence.

The up-and-coming freshman appears to have a long way to go, but coaches are hoping Robinson’s newfound swagger will allow him to take the next step as a quarterback who can lead the Orange this upcoming fall.

Entering last year, there was no telling how much time Robinson would receive behind the veteran Patterson. In the end it was only a little, but to Robinson it meant plenty.

‘I think I definitely grew tremendously as a quarterback as far as from the beginning of the season to the end of the season,’ Robinson said. ‘You can’t really do anything from those experiences except learn from them. And that’s what I’m trying to do right now.’

It took awhile for Robinson’s potential to show through. His first completion came in the form of an interception. And his second completion also landed in the arms of someone Robinson prefers to never wind up on the receiving end a pass – himself.

In the final drive of the SU season, though, Robinson delivered. He led a 10-play, 80-yard drive against Rutgers that ended with the quarterback completing his first pass touchdown pass, a 14-yard toss to J.J. Nesheiwat.

A moment such as the score against Rutgers helped bolster Robinson’s confidence heading into the offseason, Earley said.

‘I think it matters in the sense that going out in the first game is not going to be his very first snap,’ Earley said. ‘When he threw a touchdown pass on the last game, which was good, he ended the season on a positive note from that standpoint.

‘Those are things he can build on. If he hadn’t played at all he would not have that kind of positive frame to come from.’

Robinson seems all too eager to throw down with the veterans on the field. In spring practices, quarterbacks wear a white jersey while on the field. The white uniform signals to the other players that contact with quarterbacks is off-limits. The rest of the offense remains clad in orange, while the defense dresses in blue.

Robinson said he’s been craving for a chance to catch a glimpse of blue as a defender sends him flying to the ground. The trash talk he hears from the defense during scrimmages riles him up.

‘I kind of wish sometimes we could strap it up and take some hits and that way the linebackers and cornerbacks can stop talking smack,’ Robinson said.

The enthusiasm he shows for the game will allow Robinson to adapt to running the Syracuse offense more quickly, coaches believe.

Earley noted Robinson had much to learn, but he’s noticed measured improvement in the freshman since the end of last season. Most impressive has been Robinson’s progress in his footwork and throwing mechanics. Earley attributed much of the development to Robinson’s desire to assert himself as one of the leaders on the field.

SU head coach Greg Robinson complimented Andrew Robinson’s composure in the pocket during spring practices. The third-year coach thinks Andrew Robinson needs to focus on finding consistency at the quarterback position, but the fact Andrew Robinson shows so much poise while running the offense demonstrates the teenager’s maturity and hard work ethic. These tools Greg Robinson deemed crucial to developing a quarterback who can inspire an offense.

‘I think you like your quarterback to be able to command the offense,’ Greg Robinson said. ‘I think (Andrew Robinson is) more confident. I think he knows what he’s doing out there for the most part, and now he’s getting reps and trying to get a feel for it.’

In one of the coaches’ meeting rooms stands a simple motivational tool: It’s a large sign that reads ‘Leadership!’

Earley recalls this poster when discussing the role of a quarterback. No matter who is elected as a team captain or who makes the biggest plays, the man behind center operates as the one player that always needs to step into a leadership role.

Since the fall, Robinson appears to have made giant strides in undertaking this responsibility.

The SU coaches emphasize spring practices have little to do with arranging the depth chart. Spring ball concerns stressing fundamentals and building foundations, especially with a young player like Robinson.

When Robinson talks, he does not seem concerned about next year’s starting quarterback position, either. He wants to concentrate on proving himself to his teammates. If he can accomplish this, Robinson believes he will have taken the right steps to climb his way to the top of the depth chart.

Naturally, Robinson wants to prove he can lead by example, but there’s no doubt Robinson also has the voice coaches and players alike will want to hear.

‘I’m definitely a lot more vocal now than I was,’ Robinson said. ‘Obviously it was Perry’s show last year and I hope to make it my show this year.’

Published on April 2, 2007 at 12:00 pm