Quote from Heaps

Check out this quote from Heaps. Kid still doesn't get it.



“It is a tough situation, because you look at it, and in your mind you should be the present [of the program, not the future],” Heaps said. “And if we [were] playing better as a football team [with him as the starter], we wouldn’t be discussing whether I was the future or not."



Heaps, the team was playing bad because of you.



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I wonder if Heaps is fully aware of how poorly he has played this year. There is a reason he's on the bench, and it isn't because Nelson is so great, but he does make third down plays, he does get first downs, and he does score--Nelson even throws more TD passes than Heaps did.

Bronco has started weekly personal meetings with him to evaluate the situation, his feelings etc. I imagine that he does a pretty good job assessing what Heaps wants, needs etc.



Not sure I've heard of very many players get that treatment. Clearly the coaches are aware of the potential volatility of the situation.

Well, yeah---you should be the future. Unfortunately, though, you aren't even the present right now.

I was tempted to say something about this after reading comments from Doman and Bronco about their discussions and how well he is handling it. Bronco specifically indicated that "Jake had acknowledged that Riley is playing well and the team is respponding".



I thought about pointing out then - back to my accountability and leadership comments from before Heaps was benched - he needs to acknowledge that he was playing poorly. He can't acknowledge it, though, if he actually doesn't get it.



I didn't say anything - might get accused of piling on - because those were Bronco's words - not a direct Heaps quote. So I guess someone above got it right from the horse's mouth.



If I were Jake at this point, I would not worry about locker room politics from Riley undermining him - he is giving Lark and Munns a wide open target. There are probably a number of players on that team that think they deserve a little playing time that ar enot getting weekly meetings with their coordinator and head coach and getting pres releases on how they feel about being on the side-lines.



I liked his original answer better - if he can't come up with something more accountable - "It Is What It Is!

I don't take what Heaps said as a negative. He recognizes that the team is playing better with a different quarterback.

The tough thing about players and coaches is that they seem to talk in incomplete sentences and thoughts and blend two thoughts ommitting everything in between - probably from trying so hard to carefully choose their words. Here is a more coherent quote from Jake and less likley to be criticized.



“It is a tough process to go through, but I feel like I have handled it the best way that I can,” Heaps said. “And I think my teammates respect the way I have handled it. Ultimately, this is about our football team, and whether or not we can get Ws on the board. And that’s all I care about, is that we win football games. … So this is an opportunity for me to get better, and learn from this and grow as much as I possibly can.”



http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/cougars/52744912-88/heaps-byu-nelson-jake.html.csp?page=2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jake will be starting for eastern Washington pretty soon. FWIW, I don't think it's all on Heaps by any stretch of the imagination. Sure he looked like he regressed and missed a lot of easy throws, but I don't think our coaching helped him very much.

cougman wrote:
FWIW, I don't think it's all on Heaps by any stretch of the imagination. Sure he looked like he regressed and missed a lot of easy throws, but I don't think our coaching helped him very much.

Been hearing a lot of this lately. Can anyone verify this? Or is it just speculation?



I understand Doman probably has less time to focus on QBs now that he's the OC, but since 2005 QBs at BYU have generally improved from year-to-year under his tutelage. All last year I kept hearing how Heaps and Doman had great rapport and chemistry. Now he's the problem? Beyond Doman's struggles as an OC (which is a team-wide malady), I don't buy it.



Beyond that, during last year's struggles I remember reading that BYU was basically bringing in every former great BYU QB who would come to sit down with Heaps and try to figure things out. The coaching staff knows Heaps was a rare talent, I don't think they'd just let him fester.



I've got Heaps' back and I hope he improves. I hate how people try to psychoanalyze him or knock his character without actually knowing the kid. BUT on the other side of the coin, in the last two-and-a-half weeks I've heard his struggles get blamed on the O-line, the receiving corps, the play-calling, split factions in the locker room, Riley sowing seeds of discontent, and now the inattentiveness of the coaching staff. After some point, I think accountability has to rest on the individual.

If Heaps goes to EWU, he will regret it.



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It makes no sense to transfer from BYU, unless you believe you will not win the starting job in 2013.

hawkwing wrote:
It makes no sense to transfer from BYU, unless you believe you will not win the starting job in 2013.

I have colleague at work who knows a guy who knows a guy that once thought about BYU... anyway.. he claims he has inside ifno that Heaps is all but a done deal to Washington State but it can't be talked about because Heaps is still enrolled in school.. I hope it isn't true..



Interesting enough he also mentioned how upset Heaps' father was at the benching... Last night on the coaches show Coach Mendenhall made reference (bluntly I might add) to liking players who aren't entitled or parents who aren't entitled.. Not saying that this is referencing Jake Heaps.. but it very well could be...

Heaps has always been the best at what he does at every level, he has a lot of pride. he took a big hit to that pride when he got benched. What he is saying is typical of someone who just got taken down a level or two. He will now do 1 of two things. He will work harder to overcome it and become a better player/person, or he will quit and go somewhere else. What course of action he takes, will define him as a person for the rest of his life.

Washington State's current starter is a senior. They have five other QBs on the roster. One junior, one sophomore and three freshman. If he were transfer to Wazzu, he would have to sit next year and then attempt to beat out four guys with more time in the system.



If he stays and redshirts next year, he'd be competing with one guy (Munns) who essentially has the same amount of time in the system, but over whom he would have more game/practice experience.



Leaving BYU makes very little sense, in my mind, for Heaps.

We will see exactly what Heaps' character is made of at the end of the season, like frdbtr said. If he leaves it will prove that he was an entitled, spoiled brat, that divided the team. If he stays, it will show that he's a hard working kid, who will over come any obstacles to reach his goals. Since I'm a Jake Heaps fan and supporter, I certainly hope it's the latter.

The real problem with Heaps is clear: he's not listening to the CougarCorner.com poadcast enough. If he did, he'd be in a much better place.

po_pocoug wrote:

It makes no sense to transfer from BYU, unless you believe you will not win the starting job in 2013.

I have colleague at work who knows a guy who knows a guy that once thought about BYU... anyway.. he claims he has inside ifno that Heaps is all but a done deal to Washington State but it can't be talked about because Heaps is still enrolled in school.. I hope it isn't true..



Interesting enough he also mentioned how upset Heaps' father was at the benching... Last night on the coaches show Coach Mendenhall made reference (bluntly I might add) to liking players who aren't entitled or parents who aren't entitled.. Not saying that this is referencing Jake Heaps.. but it very well could be...

Unfortunately, parents seem to drive this entitlement mentality in sports. That is why it is such a breath of fresh air to listen to Mrs Chambers. Steve young called his dad once from BYu wanting to quit and go home, he says that his dad told him that he could quit but he couldn't go home because his family doesn't harbor quitters. Steve stayed and worked hard and the rest is history. Heaps can quit but he will never realize his potential if he does. His dad needs to give him the same lesson that Steve's did, not feed the entitlement mentality that we see so often in coddled athletes.

Gunk wrote:
Check out this quote from Heaps. Kid still doesn't get it.



“It is a tough situation, because you look at it, and in your mind you should be the present [of the program, not the future],” Heaps said. “And if we [were] playing better as a football team [with him as the starter], we wouldn’t be discussing whether I was the future or not."



Heaps, the team was playing bad because of you.



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What is the source/link for that quote?

Give the kid a break. He has had some struggles, but against tougher competition than we have seen lately. He will make it, if not at BYU, then somewhere. He has the tools, but one thing has changed, and that is the quarterback coaching situation. When Doman was on the field with him he progressed, but now that is lacking, and there are struggles. The kid needs some support, and he will be OK. Bronco's comment about entitlement is a big PR mistake, because that is a public jab, and will backfire and bite him in the backside with any highlty touted recruits we may be after. Bronco is usually careful about what he says, but I guess the his frustrations are boiling over to. Time will tell, but I sure wish we could be supportive, and help a kid survive rather than pile it on when the chips are down. Seems people are happy when someone fails so they can tell the world "I told you so!"

po_pocoug wrote:

Interesting enough he also mentioned how upset Heaps' father was at the benching... Last night on the coaches show Coach Mendenhall made reference (bluntly I might add) to liking players who aren't entitled or parents who aren't entitled.. Not saying that this is referencing Jake Heaps.. but it very well could be...

People are making too much of this quote. Not referring to you, po_pocoug.



If Bronco is having weekly sit-down sessions with Heaps to help him get through this (which he reportedly is), I doubt he'd turn around and throw the kid and his whole family under the bus on his radio program. If Bronco really was referring to Heaps, I'd have to concede he's as tactless as his biggest detractors say he is. And I think his biggest detractors are nutjobs, so I feel safe concluding he wasn't talking about Heaps.