THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 20, 1996 TAG: 9608210937
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ASHBURN, VA. LENGTH: 105 lines
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 for the team to make a playoff run this season.
Turner's decision, announced at a morning press conference at Redskin Park, completes a competition between the two quarterbacks that began in March, when Turner decided that the two were so close in ability that he would give them both the summer to win the job.
The decision also is a stunning setback for Shuler, the third player taken in the 1994 draft. Frerotte was selected in the seventh round and was never thought to be more than a backup 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 that 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 his decision in separate meetings late Sunday. When Shuler and Frerotte arrived at Redskin Park on Monday, they shook hands. Frerotte vowed that 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.''
Shuler met with reporters at Redskin Park long enough to issue a statement.
``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.''
In a later interview, Shuler 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 - be 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 that he was leaning towards Frerotte before last Friday's exhibition loss to Cincinnati. In that game, a 28-7 defeat, Shuler had better stats at 9-of-13 passing, but also fumbled once. Under a heavy rush, he later threw an interception. Frerotte was a dismal 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.''
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. Roger Staubach, at this point in his career, was flying airplanes and cleaning latrines. Heath is a young player with a bright future.'' MEMO: [Related stories also on page C1 of The Virginian-Pilot for this
date.] ILLUSTRATION: Gus Frerotte will be under center when the Redskins
open Sept. 1 against Philadelphia.
Why Gus? While the two quarterbacks' preseason stats were very
similar; Frerotte was more consistent and made fewer mistakes.
HOW LONG WILL THIS LAST? Coach Norv Turner promises to be
extremely patient with Frerotte and not yank him at the first sign
of trouble.
IS THIS THE END OF SHULER? Not in the short term. Shuler will be
No. 2 and, as he put it, ``I'm only one play away from playing
again.''
AND IN THE LONG TERM? Shuler will likely be a free agent of some
sort next winter. ``We'll have to wait and see,'' he said.
by CNB