21 into can go

Sporting News, The, August 9, 1999 by Kyle Veltrop

In weighing the pros and cons of using two quarterbacks, the biggest negative is the potential division of the football team.

Missouri plans to use two quarterbacks, Jim Dougherty and Kirk Farmer, to help ease the loss of Corby Jones. Coach Larry Smith, who was at Arizona from 1980-86, says that before you use two quarterbacks, you better make sure they know how to share.

"The two have to get along," he says. "There is no room for selfishness. They have to be truly team people."

Spurrier says he has had three degrees of relationships with his tandems. Though Wuerffel was beloved at Florida, Spurrier says, "Danny and Terry weren't buddy-buddy, but then Terry wasn't buddy-buddy with many people." Johnson and Brindise were constant companions who relished sharing the job because they just wanted to play. In the middle lies the Palmer-Johnson relationship, says Spurrier. Although they may not hang out off the field, Johnson and Palmer respect each other and have grown to understand the demands of playing quarterback for Florida and why playing two was necessary at times.

"I'll tell you this, the two need to pull for each other, that's for sure," Spurrier says. "They have to believe in each other."

That is the biggest plus in Arizona's two-quarter-back system. Smith's and Jenkins' amazing physical talent is what allows them to star individually, but it's their relentless effort to coexist that gives Arizona as good a quarterback situation as any team.

"In the average situation, this might not work," Tomey says. "But these aren't average people. They are way, way, way above average-unselfish, their desire ,to win, their belief in their teammates."

Even before their StairMaster talk, Jenkins and Smith were dose. They are road roommates, and they bunk together at-preseason camp. When Jenkins arrived in Tucson, he says, "Keith took me under his wing."

They like to hang out, talk about girls. They like the same music, mostly rap and R&B. They have a ritual of watching a movie together, along with special teams player Derek Hall, on nights before games.

"What's amazing with O.J. and Keith is that they are so tight," Brennan says. "O.J. and Keith, they are funny. They are just so cool about it. I'm amazed at how close of friends they are and how close our offense is because they are so close. If they were bickering, that would lead to problems of who likes Keith and who likes O.J. It's kind of cool to have two of them, where most teams just have one guy that commands that kind of respect."

Smith walks in a tunnel inside the McKale Center, his football in his hands, and says sure, he would like to play every down. But at what expense? "Why would I want O.J. to fail? He's my friend."

A couple of hours later, after dinner at Gentle Ben's, Jenkins walks out into the warm Arizona air; the sunset over the mountains colors the skyline so red it would make salsa blush. Before leaving, he turns and says, "Me and Keith, we're cool. It's all about winning, man."

Tomey may have gotten a two-quarterback system right Maybe even all-the-way right But even if the 'Cats don't rule New Orleans in January, or don't fare well at Happy Valley in their opener, it won't be because of the quarterbacks. This is a team united by the tandem. That, indeed, is a switch.