Post by lionsroar on Apr 25, 2009 6:37:35 GMT -5
www.ledger-enquirer.com/293/story/698433.html
No quarterback fight, just 2 winners for Columbus Lions
When a kid doesn’t want to share the ball, it’s called being selfish. When it’s an adult, it’s called being a quarterback.
But the Columbus Lions have found a balance between two players in the most competitive and territorial position in football, splitting time at quarterback almost equally between Bill Ashburn and Kevin Huff.
And neither seems to mind sharing.
“We just do what’s best for the team and this is it right now,” Ashburn said. “All I know is we’re sitting at 5-1 and that’s how we’ve been doing it.”
Ashburn began the season as the starter, and Huff was given some playing time, mostly in the fourth quarter when the Lions had an ample lead. Just three games into the season, Huff began taking over for the entire second half and building on the Lions’ leads.
Last week, at home against the D.C. Armor, Huff got his first start and Ashburn played the second half. It was an emotional game for Huff, who was starting a game for the first time since tearing his Achilles tendon in November 2007 while at Tuskegee, and the rookie quarterback proved he was just as valuable to the team in that capacity.
“It was real big for me. It was a dream,” Huff said. “I just went out there and decided to rock ’n’ roll.”
The two-quarterback attack, while effective, was not by design. Lions coach Jason Gibson said he began putting Huff in to make sure he had some game experience and is only splitting time between the two to ensure there is competition for the job and to make sure he has two game-ready quarterbacks.
“You have to have two guys ready to go because in one play, one guy can go down,” Gibson said. “In the NFL, you can’t get through a season without two running backs. It’s just too hard on a guy’s body.”
One of the biggest benefits of having two quarterbacks with nearly equal playing time is being able to use them as an example for one another. Ashburn and Huff have spent plenty of time this season working on correcting each other’s mistakes.
It’s worked for the Lions’ duo. Ashburn started the season completing about half of his passes. Against the Armor, Ashburn went 12-for-17, completing more than 70 percent. Both quarterbacks are now at 53 percent on the season.
:smileylions:
No quarterback fight, just 2 winners for Columbus Lions
When a kid doesn’t want to share the ball, it’s called being selfish. When it’s an adult, it’s called being a quarterback.
But the Columbus Lions have found a balance between two players in the most competitive and territorial position in football, splitting time at quarterback almost equally between Bill Ashburn and Kevin Huff.
And neither seems to mind sharing.
“We just do what’s best for the team and this is it right now,” Ashburn said. “All I know is we’re sitting at 5-1 and that’s how we’ve been doing it.”
Ashburn began the season as the starter, and Huff was given some playing time, mostly in the fourth quarter when the Lions had an ample lead. Just three games into the season, Huff began taking over for the entire second half and building on the Lions’ leads.
Last week, at home against the D.C. Armor, Huff got his first start and Ashburn played the second half. It was an emotional game for Huff, who was starting a game for the first time since tearing his Achilles tendon in November 2007 while at Tuskegee, and the rookie quarterback proved he was just as valuable to the team in that capacity.
“It was real big for me. It was a dream,” Huff said. “I just went out there and decided to rock ’n’ roll.”
The two-quarterback attack, while effective, was not by design. Lions coach Jason Gibson said he began putting Huff in to make sure he had some game experience and is only splitting time between the two to ensure there is competition for the job and to make sure he has two game-ready quarterbacks.
“You have to have two guys ready to go because in one play, one guy can go down,” Gibson said. “In the NFL, you can’t get through a season without two running backs. It’s just too hard on a guy’s body.”
One of the biggest benefits of having two quarterbacks with nearly equal playing time is being able to use them as an example for one another. Ashburn and Huff have spent plenty of time this season working on correcting each other’s mistakes.
It’s worked for the Lions’ duo. Ashburn started the season completing about half of his passes. Against the Armor, Ashburn went 12-for-17, completing more than 70 percent. Both quarterbacks are now at 53 percent on the season.
:smileylions: