WILKINS MIXES SMARTS WITH AGGRESSIVENESS
DOUG HALLER
As Manny Wilkins enters his second season behind center, fans might want to come to grips with something: His hurdling days might be over.
Before a rash of injuries limited his athletic ability, the Arizona State quarterback last season made highlight shows with his habit of jumping over defenders while on the run. He did it against Northern Arizona, Texas Tech and Washington State.
The plays perfectly captured Wilkins – fighting for extra yards like a running back – but the aggressiveness also put his health in jeopardy. Although Wilkins started 10 games, he was healthy for maybe five. This season – which opens Thursday – will show how much Wilkins has learned.
“It’s about playing with a certain level of risk in certain situations,” Wilkins said. “If it’s first and 10, I shouldn’t be going out there and taking a lick to get an extra 2 yards when it can be second and 2. But if it’s fourth and 6, game on the line, you’re damn right I’m going to lay my body on the line because it’s my job to win football games.”
Coaches have discussed this with Wilkins, but it became clear to the quarterback once he watched film from last season. For the most part – since he didn’t play much as a redshirt freshman – it marked the first time Wilkins could study himself in college game action. He noticed times when he should’ve run out of bounds instead of taking a hit. Times he should’ve slid on the grass to avoid contact.
The tough part: Coaches don’t want to rob Wilkins of his aggressiveness. The 6-3, 200-pound junior doesn’t have the arm of former ASU quarterback Mike Bercovici. He doesn’t have the decisionmaking of Taylor Kelly (not yet, anyway). But Wilkins might trump both when it comes to toughness.
The key: determining when to unleash it.
“He has to take risks and just be calculated about when he takes those risks,” quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Billy Napier said. “You can overcoach that to some degree as well. He has a little bit of that in him. He likes to attack. He’s aggressive. And you want to use that to your advantage, but control that and channel that the right way.”
Nationally – and even locally – not many expected Wilkins to even be in this position. Once Blake Barnett transferred from Alabama, people assumed Wilkins’ starting days were over. The quarterback’s mindset, however, never strayed. “I’m the guy,” he told himself while holding onto the job throughout preseason practice.
Beat reporters haven’t seen enough to know how much Wilkins has improved – he struggled during the open Camp Tontozona scrimmage – but his confidence is noticeable. Wilkins this season seems more comfortable not only with his role but with himself. Although junior left guard Sam Jones is the team’s undisputed leader, Wilkins puts out a vibe that this is his team.
“His work ethic has been consistent,” Napier said. “He’s done a really good job being a student of the game and he’s growing as a leader. He’s come to grips with how critical that is at that position. In terms of where we want to go on offense, it will have a lot to do with his growth as a leader.”
At the urging of his girlfriend’s father, Wilkins has started reading Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends & Influence People.” He has realized that he can’t motivate or criticize teammates in the same manner. Some can take harsh words. Others need to be massaged. A leader can reach both.
“You got to be elite,” coach Todd Graham said of what he expects from his quarterback’s leadership ability. “You’ve got to set the standard when it comes to the values of our program.”
To lead, Wilkins knows he needs to be on the field. To develop, he knows he needs to stay healthy. Although he won’t completely swear off hurdling – “I just play football, man,” he said – he understands the importance of protecting himself. Unless, of course, the game is on the line. Then all bets are off.
Contact Doug Haller at 602-444-4949 or at doug.haller@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DougHaller. Download and subscribe to the ASU Pick Six Podcast, available on iTunes.