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Lucas: Sherer happy he stayed, finally gets chance to compete for starting QB job

Mike Lucas  —  4/16/2008 8:37 am

Dustin Sherer would gladly give you the shirt off his back to be the starting quarterback for the University of Wisconsin football team. Every shirt, that is, except one; the black Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt that he was sporting after Tuesday's practice. Sherer has been wearing that shirt (paying homage to the Hall of Fame rockers) under his shoulder pads ever since he could remember. "Wore it in high school and I haven't gone a day without it -- I wear it when I'm lifting (weights), too,'' said the 21-year-old Sherer, a junior from Cicero, Ind. "I grew up in the middle of nowhere and everybody listens to Lynyrd Skynyrd where I'm from."

Sherer was born at about the time that the retooled Southern rock band was beginning its reunion tour; some 10 years after a plane crash claimed the life of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and several others. Sherer was hooked on their music after attending a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in Indianapolis, some 30-plus miles from nowhere (Cicero). Sherer can only hope that one of the group's classic hits -- "I Ain't the One" -- doesn't apply to his spring competition with Allan Evridge for the starting assignment. In this sense, Sherer is grateful for the opportunity to compete for the job because "I didn't feel like, until now, I had that opportunity."

Some lyrics from the aforementioned song nearly applied to Sherer:

So won't you pardon me, I think it's time for me to move along, I do believe.

That was the case last season when Sherer gave some serious thought to transferring. He considered such schools as Pittsburgh and Maryland, along with all the Mid-American Conference programs. How serious was Sherer about moving on? "Pretty serious," he admitted. "Then coach (Paul) Chryst kind of sniffed it out and said, 'Is there a chance you're going to leave, Dustin?' He knew I was discouraged. So he got a hold of me and he's the reason why I'm here (today). Last year, I was kind of hoping for an opportunity. But I'm getting an opportunity right now and I feel if I lose out, it's my fault. And that's fair."

It's fair to say, too, that Sherer sometimes wonders if he would have been better off staying closer to home and accepting Indiana's scholarship offer, which he received from former Hoosiers coach Gerry DiNardo, now an analyst on the Big Ten Network. "Obviously, the whole recruiting thing is a big game," Sherer said. "I know I could have gone to a lot of different places and played a lot quicker than here, including IU. If I would have gone there, I probably would have played really early. But I wanted to come to a program that was already solid. And I'm glad that I'm still here."

After spending his last two seasons as the No. 3 quarterback and the middle man on game days -- relaying signals from Chryst in the press box to the quarterbacks on the field, John Stocco and Tyler Donovan -- Sherer feels that he can handle the spotlight, should it shine on him. "I'm kind of a laid-back guy, I'm not big on all of that stuff, but I know that it comes with it," he said of the hype and scrutiny that comes with the position. "Everyone says, 'You're kind of the under-the-radar guy' and that's fine. It all depends on what I do. And getting my opportunity and showing people what I can do this spring was a huge step."

UW head coach Bret Bielema reiterated Tuesday night that the staff was still in the process of evaluating the quarterbacks and it was unlikely that a starter would be named before the end of spring drills, which culminate with Saturday's intrasquad game at Camp Randall Stadium. "Coach (Bielema) says all the time that competition makes people better," Sherer noted, "and I think it has between me and Allan. We get along and everything. But we know only one of us is going to play and every day we have to do well, because it's a fight."

Not that anybody was counting (on the media scoreboard), but Sherer had two interview requests Tuesday and Evridge had seven. So while the former conducted a couple of one-on-ones, the latter was surrounded by questioners once he stepped out of the McClain Facility locker room. Such attention is not completely foreign to Evridge, who started six games as a redshirt freshman during the 2005 season at Kansas State. Does he feel any urgency this spring? "I guess it's the little urgency that I put on myself,'' said Evridge, 22, a fifth-year senior, "because it's your last year, your last go-around. There's no more tomorrow. This is it."

At K-State, the left-handed throwing Evridge completed 48 percent of his passes for 1,365 yards. He threw for six touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 414 yards (excluding losses), including 138 against Nebraska. What weight does Evridge put on playing experience? "Experience is always an advantage, it helps to be out there," he said. "But it really depends on the individual. Some guys will do great when they first get in there. Some guys will take a little time to get going. It depends on the person. I've been there before and I've been in different situations but you can never replicate every situation."

Good thing, because the last thing Evridge needs is another replay of The Hit. There have been several hundred thousand hits on YouTube for Dwayne Slay's hit on Evridge during the Oct. 15, 2005, matchup between Texas Tech and Kansas State. The Hit came in the third quarter of a game that the Red Raiders won 59-20. On a quarterback trap, Evridge followed his pulling left guard upfield only to run smack into Slay, who flattened Evridge, causing a fumble. Slay set a Big 12 record that season with eight forced fumbles, none more fierce, nor memorable than his collision with Evridge.

"I took quite a few shots at K-State -- the others I popped up right away, that one I didn't get up as fast," said Evridge, adding that his UW teammates are still good-naturedly razzing him about The Hit and pulling it up on YouTube.

Reflecting on his first career start three years ago, Evridge said, "So much has transpired since then. I'm married now. I'm in a totally different atmosphere, a totally different place ... I'm the same individual, same guy. But I'm obviously a lot different just by life experiences and life changes." And now, along with Sherer, he's now just hoping to be the one, the No. 1. "I think the competition is going down to the wire," Sherer said, "and the coaches are going to keep it that way because it's going to make both of us better.''

Mike Lucas  —  4/16/2008 8:37 am