ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, August 20, 1996 TAG: 9608200044
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ASHBURN
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
Heath Shuler was the first quarterback Norv Turner wanted when he took over as coach of the Washington Redskins three summers ago.
On Monday, Turner turned to Gus Frerotte as the quarterback he said he needs to make a playoff run this season.
Turner's decision, announced at a morning news conference at Redskin Park, completes a competition between the two quarterbacks that began in March, when Turner decided the two were so close in ability that he would give them both the summer to win the job.
The decision also was a stunning setback for Shuler, the third player selected in the 1994 NFL draft. Frerotte was selected in the seventh round and never was thought to be more than a back-up candidate behind Shuler.
``What I'm looking for from a quarterback is a guy who can give us consistency on a week-to-week basis, a quarter-to-quarter basis, a play-to-pay basis,'' Turner said. ``Right now, Gus Frerotte is in a position to give us that consistency and to let the rest of the team play at as high a level as it can. That's why I'm going this way.''
Not only did Turner install Frerotte as the starter, he also emphasized he plans to exercise extreme patience with Frerotte. He will not pull his new starter at the first sign of trouble.
``If you have a guy who's established and he starts a game 2-for-8 and there's an interception, no one panics,'' Turner said. ``You say, `He's off to a slow start. He'll be fine.' The coaches don't overreact. The players don't overreact. The fans don't overreact.
``We're giving Gus that benefit - an extended benefit in that area. These are young quarterbacks. Everything's not going to go perfectly for them.
``When you choose a starter, you hope it's for 16 games. I'd like to see him stay healthy for 16 games. I'd like to see him play at a high level for 16 games.''
Frerotte agreed.
``I have confidence in myself not to let the highs and the lows bother me,'' he said. ``When you have a bad day or bad quarter at quarterback, you have to forget it. It's like golf. You forget your bad shots, or else you're going to have a bad day.''
Turner notified each of the two quarterbacks of his decision in separate meetings late Sunday. When Shuler and Frerotte arrived at Redskin Park on Monday, they shook hands. Frerotte vowed the friendly relationship they have had would not change other than to ``maybe grow closer.''
``This hasn't sunk in yet,'' Frerotte said. ``My wife went a little nuts last night when I told her. But I just sat down and had a drink and relaxed. I'm my normal self.
``I've worked long and hard, and I pride myself in just getting things to the point where we're 50-50 in reps. That was a big stride for me. I have to keep working hard. I can't stop now. This is what a lot of hard work will do for you.''
Shuler met with reporters at Redskin Park long enough to issue a statement, but declined to answer questions.
``Norv made a decision and it's one I, obviously, can't say I'm happy with,'' Shuler said. ``I'm upset with it. Most importantly, I've given 110 percent since I've come here, which I will continue to do.
``This won't stop my work ethic. All this is is a learning experience. I'll be behind Gus 110 percent, just like I was last year. As long as I'm here, I'll give everything I have.
``I'm only one play away from playing again. If I do, I'll make the most of it.''
Shuler later told The Washington Post: ``I was surprised because I thought I'd played good in the preseason, good enough to have the starting job. ... I took it gracefully. With my Christian background, I believe everything happens for a reason. That's my life and that's the way I approach it and the way I approach every day. I went out and had a great practice.''
Shuler will likely - though not certainly - become a free agent of some sort next winter, but he said he would not ask for a trade now.
``The likelihood of being traded right now is highly unlikely. It could happen, but I doubt it. I don't even want to think about it. I have a job here. At the end of this year, we'll have to wait and see.''
Turner hinted he was leaning toward Frerotte before Friday's 28-7 preseason loss to Cincinnati. In that game, Shuler had better passing stats (9-of-13), but fumbled once to set up a Bengals touchdown. Under a heavy rush, he later threw an interception. Frerotte was 4-of-16, but committed no turnovers.
``I've stressed all along where this team could make the most improvement would be a cutdown of negative plays,'' Turner said. ``Right now, all of us feel we'll have fewer negative plays with Gus.''
Frerotte said he paid special attention to Turner's warning to keep possession of the ball rather than force a play that could be disastrous.
``I think that was one thing I tried to work on,'' he said. ``Last year, I had 13 interceptions. That's one thing we can't have. We have to let our defense work for us - and we have a great punter.''
Turner said he did not agonize over his decision because he did not feel he was ending Shuler's career by relegating him to No.2.
``If you're sitting down with a veteran player who makes a lot of money and you're letting him go and there's going to be a big change in his life, that's a hard decision,'' Turner said. ``Heath Shuler will have a fine career in this league, maybe a great career in this league. He's improving. He's playing the best he's played since he came here.
``I think Ken Stabler was 26 or 27 before he got to play'' for the Oakland Raiders, the coach said. Former Dallas Cowboys great ``Roger Staubach, at this point in his career, was flying airplanes and cleaning latrines [in the Navy]. Heath is a young player with a bright future.''
LENGTH: Long : 106 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Gus Frerotte, on becoming the Washington Redskins'by CNBstarting quarterback: ``This is what a lot of hard work will do for
you.'' color. KEYWORDS: FOOTBALL