Marcus Herford just looks the part of a playmaker, doesn’t he?
Never nervous, so he says.
Confident.
Able to find a hole.
Blessed with athleticism a Kansas University quarterback hasn’t had in years.
A dark visor over his facemask that only adds to the intrigue.
It’s rare that so much excitement — from coaches to teammates to media to fans — can stem from 11/2 drives in a game against NCAA Division I-AA Appalachian State.
But Marcus Herford did it. Five carries for 42 yards. Two passes completed for 16 yards. A spark so untraditional in a position badly missing it recently.
“It’s knowing if you’re not open, he can also run the ball,” wide receiver Marcus Henry said. “That’s pretty good.”
Herford won’t start today against Louisiana Tech. Heck, it’s no guarantee he’ll play. Brian Luke has won the job by being the best quarterback of the bunch, showing the ability to throw the ball all over the field and the poise to manage an offense needing a boost after struggling last season.
Herford has proven very little in that regard. The choice really isn’t hard.
But a buzz has circulated from the nine snaps he took from center against ASU, just before moving out to his normal position, wide receiver, to finish the game.
KU coach Mark Mangino claims Herford’s too much of a threat not to give occasional snaps to at quarterback. The question, which always will be dangling, is when fans will see No. 13 jog out on the field next to mix things up at QB.
“We gave him a segment of the offense that we’ve continued to build on that he does extremely well,” Mangino said. “But there are other things he does well that we didn’t display (Saturday).”
It’s no knock on Luke, the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback. But Herford allows imaginations to fly as freely as he does. As a senior at Cedar Hill (Texas) High, he played about half the season at receiver and half at quarterback — and excelled to the point where Division One schools wanted him, but weren’t sure at which position.
The world has seen many “Slashes” through the years, a list that now includes KU freshman Marcus Herford. Some of the most well-known ones:Kordell StewartA star quarterback at Colorado, Stewart became a household name with “The Miracle in Michigan” in ’94. Once Stewart made it to the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he wasn’t just a quarterback. At wide receiver, he caught 41 passes for 658 yards in his first five seasons. He’s even been used to punt.Ronald CurryCurry slashed his way through two sports at North Carolina, after being the nation’s top prep athlete in football AND basketball. After playing quarterback and guard for the Tar Heels, Curry was drafted by the Oakland Raiders, where, as slashers often do, he changed positions. He’s now a big-play threat at wide receiver for the Raiders.Charles GordonKU’s own, the junior from Carson, Calif., has been a Freshman All-American at wide receiver, a third-team All-American at cornerback, and a lethal punt-returner. He’s taken handoffs and thrown a touchdown pass, too. In an attempt to give Gordon more attention last season, KU gave him an appropriate nickname: “Slash” Gordon.SlashPerhaps the most famous Slash of them all, this one is thought to be one of the best guitarists of all time, playing in the band Guns N’ Roses. True to his name, Slash’s slashing ability ventured him outside of hard rock, where he was featured in songs by Lenny Kravitz and Michael Jackson. |
KU stumbled upon the right answer simply by asking another question.
Why not both?
“One game (in high school), I did pretty well doing both,” Herford said. “I had over 100 (yards) passing and rushing. It was fun. Real fun.”
Devising a plan
Mangino insists Herford never strayed too far from quarterback, but nobody disagrees that Herford has been a full-time wide receiver since March, when a quarterback tryout during spring drills didn’t pan out because of lack of polish.
Even up until the Florida Atlantic game Sept. 3, there were no serious plans to insert him behind center at any time. The competition was between Luke and Adam Barmann, with Kerry Meier lurking.
Herford was supposed to be one of the guys catching their passes.
But after the FAU game, Kansas coaches went looking for a straw to stir the offensive drink, which slowly went flat after Bill Whittemore’s departure in 2003.
Herford was the obvious choice.
“I was excited,” said Herford, who didn’t play against FAU. “I was ready to help the team any way I can. If it was at quarterback or receiver, it didn’t matter.”
The coaches went to work on a package — one that will continue to evolve — that plays to Herford’s strengths and comforts. The big strength, obviously, is scrambling, and there was plenty of that built in.
“We worked on it real heavy last week,” Herford said. “It came out OK. I liked it. It was real interesting.”
From there, it was keeping it secret until the right time. Luke started against Appalachian State, performed well and solidified his starting spot for the near future with relative ease, gaining 226 yards on 17-of-26 passing in a 36-8 victory.
By all accounts, Herford doesn’t have the luster to do as much in the air. But needing a change of scenery midway through Saturday’s game, Herford’s number was called.
“It kind of was (surprising). I didn’t really expect it this game,” Herford said. “But I was happy to get in there and play any way I could.”
A new slash
Herford ran five draw plays (two longer than 15 yards), completed two short passes and handed the ball off twice. When KU was stuck in a second-and-23 after a personal-foul penalty, Luke came back in to clean up.
“We wanted to set (Herford) up for success,” Mangino said, “not failure.”
Herford wasn’t a bit insulted.
“I knew what my role was, to get out there and speed up the pace a little bit,” Herford said. “We got down, and Luke finished it off just fine for us.”
That, it seems, is indicative of how such a specialty-quarterback plan could really work at Kansas. Luke and Herford are so opposite, their strengths don’t really cross paths. Consequently, egos are less likely to cross as well.
It’s likely Barmann still is Luke’s backup, if it comes to that. Herford’s appearance on the depth chart still is at receiver. He warmed up with the wideouts before the ASU game, and no real hint of his usage at quarterback was apparent until he ran out on the field with a play in his head.
Herford’s next opportunity behind center probably will come with similar mystery — it even could be between drives as a wide receiver.
“I have no idea,” Herford said, asked to guess his role today. “That’s not really up to me. I’m going to go with the program.”
Perspective
Like fellow slasher Charles Gordon — a standout cornerback, wide receiver and punt-returner — Herford is humble and quiet, answering questions with a “Yes sir” and “No sir” and never once forgetting to credit others for his burst of success.
“I think it was a pretty good game for me,” Herford said. “But it wasn’t just me, of course. The line did their job. Every guy that was out there blocking did a great job for me.”
Luke, running backs Clark Green and Jon Cornish and an improved offensive line have pumped life back into KU’s offense.
But Herford, at least for a while, had the offense up and dancing.
It’s anybody’s guess when the music will come on again. But Herford will be ready for his cue.
“Honestly, I’m going to roll with the program, week to week, and be prepared,” Herford said. “Be prepared for whenever my name is called.”
And be prepared for wherever he’s told to go. A “slash” talent never can be completely sure.