‘I know I’m in the right place’
Quarterback isn’t sweating hometown team’s surprise decision to pass on him
When Trevor Knight signed with the Alliance of American Football and was allocated to the San Antonio Commanders, he started to think about how much fun he would have playing in front of his hometown fans at the Alamodome.
He became one of the Commanders’ early poster boys, engaging with fans and the media. After excelling at Reagan and then at Oklahoma and Texas A&M, Knight was the most recognizable name on the San Antonio roster both locally and nationally.
“But then the draft comes along,” Knight said, “and things changed up a little bit.”
During the Alliance’s “Protect or Pick” quarterback draft in November, San Antonio elected to keep allocated quarterback Dustin Vaughan, releasing Knight into the draft pool. The Arizona Hotshots made him the second overall selection.
Back in San Antonio this month for training camp, Knight said he didn’t feel any sting being passed over by his hometown team — only excitement at the prospect of working with coach Rick Neuheisel and the Hotshots.
“From the coaching staff and the players already, I know I’m in the right place,” Knight said. “I fit in this system better than I would the San Antonio system. So I’m just thankful for coach Neuheisel and his staff and the opportunity they’ve afforded me. Looking forward to being out in the desert.”
Neuheisel said the top attributes he searches for in a quarterback are athleticism and leadership. That made Knight a much better fit in Arizona than San Antonio, where general manager Daryl Johnston said the No. 1 priority was finding an accurate passer.
Johnston and San Antonio coach Mike Riley said after the draft that the abundant talent allocated to the Commanders created difficult decisions.
“Trevor Knight is one of the most impressive young men I’ve been around,” Riley said in November. “Great player. Great person. So when you start talking about how we got to this, it was not easy.”
Neuheisel said Knight is a “terrific talent” and a “model teammate.” The competition to be the Hotshots’ starting quarterback will continue through training camp, Neuheisel said, and the biggest goal for Knight is improving his accuracy.
Knight amassed nearly 6,000 passing yards with 44 touchdowns and almost 1,500 rushing yards with 18 scores in three seasons at Oklahoma and a year at Texas A&M, highlighted by an MVP performance with OU in the 2014 Sugar Bowl. But accuracy was never his strong suit. He completed just 55.5 percent of his college passes with 26 interceptions, and he connected on only 7 of 28 attempts in four preseason games with the Arizona Cardinals in 2017.
Neuheisel said the key to Knight’s development is “organizing his eyes and feet so they’re all cooperating.” The aim is to improve his completion percentage to the mid-60s and bring his success throwing to his second and third reads up to par with his primary option.
“Then, he’s going to be off and running,” Neuheisel said. “Our goal is to get him to the show.”
Knight described his NFL experience as “cut short.” He signed with Arizona in April 2017 as an undrafted free agent and was waived in early September, at which point he joined the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad. He said he ruptured a disc in his lower back and had surgery in October, keeping him out of action for about five months.
He said he worked out for about 10 NFL teams before signing with the AAF.
“The Alliance has been an awesome, hopefully, bridge to get back to the NFL,” Knight said.
Knight used his time healing to prepare for life after football. He worked at a wealth management firm and finished a master’s degree in business management at Texas A&M this fall. He also made weekly podcast and radio appearances with TexAgs, a popular Texas A&M fan site.
“When football is over for good, whether that’s four months from now or 14 years from now, I have some things in place to transition pretty easily,” Knight said.
For now, he’s taking advantage of the opportunity to be back in San Antonio. He met up with friends and family Saturday to watch the Dallas Cowboys’ game, and he said he has a list of restaurants on his phone if teammates ever need a recommendation.
David Wetzel, who coached at Reagan from 2004 to 2016 before taking a job at Baylor, saw how Knight’s talent and work ethic helped his popularity skyrocket.
“He realized he had a platform from which to share, so I think it just endeared him to the community,” Wetzel said. “People were enamored with him. He’s engaging. He’s personable. He cares. And he does take time with people. When guys like him are given the opportunity, it’s special for all those that ever get to visit with him, or listen to him talk, or be a part of his life.”
Those supporters will have just one chance to see Knight compete in San Antonio this year, as the Hotshots visit the Commanders on March 31. The game is a small consolation to those who wanted to see him play for San Antonio — a group Knight heard plenty from after the draft.
“Of course, family that lives in town and friends want you to be right down the road,” Knight said. “But I get to come here and play a game. And it’s only three months. So it’s not going to be a huge commitment away from town.”