Thompson finally sees hard work pay off
AUSTIN — On the Saturday he learned redshirt freshman Hudson Card had won the starting job, Casey Thompson kept his phone off, save for a call to the family. He watched television, reviewed some old game tape, fired up a few flicks — anything with Leo DiCaprio is a go-to, especially “Inception.”
The fourth-year Texas quarterback stewed in the pain for a bit, let the stinging sensation jet through his nervous system. But as Thompson processed the situation and relaxed that day, one week before the Longhorns’ season opener against No. 23 Louisiana-Lafayette, he made a personal vow.
“I’m gonna let this hurt, and I’m gonna let this motivate me,” Thompson recalled Tuesday. “And then I woke up on that Monday morning, and I said, ‘I’m gonna make this a positive. I’m gonna let God use me and use my work ethic and my perseverance through this test.’ ”
Thompson didn’t wither in the face of coach Steve Sarkisian’s decision. If anything, it further compelled him to rise to the occasion as Sarkisian told him to “continue to work hard and do what you’re doing, and you’ll get your shot if you just keep pushing forward.”
So he did. And two weeks after Sarkisian announced Card as QB1, he decided to make a switch. Thompson will open Saturday’s game against Rice (0-2), the first start of his college career and first at any level since November 2017.
“My mindset was if I’m not going to get named Week 1 and it’s not gonna be given to me, then I have to go take it myself and show my teammates that I’m just going to continue to work hard and be the best I can be every day,” Thompson said. “I’ve waited for this opportunity, and I’ve waited so long. There’s no way that I could just quit and let up at this point. And I said no matter what happens, I’m gonna be ready to play, and I’m
gonna take this thing over when the opportunity presents itself.”
Thompson has continually made the most of his limited opportunities. In fact, he’s guided Texas (1-1) to three touchdowns and one field goal across five drives this season while completing 69.2 percent of his passes for 98 yards, rushing for 44 yards, and accounting for three scores (one passing, two rushing). According to ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating (QBR), Thompson’s work this season has scored a 97.1 out of 100.
And Thompson might be better served in the role right now than
Card, a hyper-talented underclassman who throws the tightest of spirals but has been plagued by missed throws and happy feet behind an inconsistent and at times overwhelmed offensive line. Coaches and teammates have repeatedly pointed to the upperclassman’s zen and poise, which was on full display last December when Thompson subbed in for an injured Sam Ehlinger at halftime and eviscerated Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.
“I saw more experience,” senior safety DeMarvion Overshown said of Thompson’s outing against Arkansas. “You could tell early on that Hudson was a little rattled. Casey went in, he used his legs pretty good, and was able to escape. You could tell he was just more experienced.”
Thompson considered transferring following his second season. But fellow Texas quarterbacks
Shane Buechele (SMU) and Cameron Rising (Utah) made moves that unclogged the quarterback room, leaving Thompson as Ehlinger’s heir apparent.
It hurt when that didn’t come to fruition this summer, but Thompson never considered re-entering the NCAA transfer portal. He was too invested in this place and this program, plus the continued encouragement of Sarkisian and his teammates helped in the wake of Card’s ascension.
Thompson didn’t even view the outcome as a defeat.
“I don’t feel that I lost the job,” he said. “I just think that it wasn’t my opportunity at that time.”
It’s an opportunity that might have taken too long. Thompson’s insertion into the Arkansas game with 1:50 left in the third quarter and Texas trailing 33-7 certainly felt belated.
But Thompson has grown accustomed
to waiting after all these years. So he just focused on things he could control — himself and how to attack a Razorbacks defense that had given no quarter all night. And when the time came, he trotted out, steered a couple touchdown drives and won the job.
“So my thought process was yeah, it hurt for a second, and I’m gonna let it sting,” Thompson said, transporting back to the day Sarkisian broke the news about Card. “I just took a day to kind of think about it, soak it all in. And then as soon as Monday comes around, I just woke up, and I went back to work.”
That work paid off. Finally, Thompson is the starting quarterback for the Longhorns. Now all he has to do is hold on to the job.