Post by Lawdog on Jul 8, 2011 18:27:24 GMT -5
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The leadership qualities displayed by University of Kentucky quarterback Morgan Newton this offseason aren't new to at least one of his teammates.
Senior linebacker Ronnie Sneed said Newton began developing them last year when his role as a backup didn't call on him to lead.
“I could tell last year Morgan started to change,” Sneed said. “You could tell he was upset that he didn't win that starting position, but I believe that pushed him to prove a point.”
Newton, who lost the quarterback battle to Mike Hartline last season, emerged from spring drills as the Wildcats' No. 1 quarterback. Not only is he pushing himself to achieve this offseason, he's pushing his teammates as well.
Back in February, he used his Twitter account to call out players who missed a scheduled workout.
“Sometimes you get frustrated, and that's all that was for a minute or two,” Newton said. “It probably wasn't the best way to put your frustration out there, but guys responded, so it worked.”
Newton has earned the respect of the Cats, emphasizing the need to put in overtime in the weight room and in the film room.
He's taken the lead watching an excessive amount of game footage, both from last season and during the Andre Woodson era. Newton said Woodson has been an invaluable resource after joining the staff as a student assistant.
“I can't tell you how much time I've spent watching Andre and how they were successful, and watching last year how we could have been more successful,” Newton said.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Carmel, Ind., native has a 5-4 record as a starter, with all of his wins coming in eight starts during the 2009 season. His lone start last season came when Hartline was suspended for a 27-10 loss to Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl.
Newton had a so-so performance, completing 21 of 36 passes for 211 yards. But he's not letting that game define how he's viewed by his teammates. They appreciate the effort he's putting in this summer.
“Morgan's a workaholic,” said senior cornerback Randall Burden. “He's working more and harder than he has in past years. He's going to take this team on and lead it.”
Newton picked up where Hartline left off organizing the Cats' 7-on-7 drills in the summer. And like Hartline, he's taken it a step further in calling other teams to compete against. Newton contacted Georgetown College players and said the Cats were scheduled to play against Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday.
Although Newton said he didn't put a lot of stock in 7-on-7, he enjoyed going against different competition.
With Hartline gone and Ryan Mossakowski transferring, true freshman Maxwell Smith — who enrolled in January and has never taken a college snap — is the backup. So Newton has to be good for the Cats to be good.
“I don't know if it's really that different,” Newton said. “I've been in the spotlight a time or two before. You just come into the season with an idea of where things are going to go from there.”
-CJ
Senior linebacker Ronnie Sneed said Newton began developing them last year when his role as a backup didn't call on him to lead.
“I could tell last year Morgan started to change,” Sneed said. “You could tell he was upset that he didn't win that starting position, but I believe that pushed him to prove a point.”
Newton, who lost the quarterback battle to Mike Hartline last season, emerged from spring drills as the Wildcats' No. 1 quarterback. Not only is he pushing himself to achieve this offseason, he's pushing his teammates as well.
Back in February, he used his Twitter account to call out players who missed a scheduled workout.
“Sometimes you get frustrated, and that's all that was for a minute or two,” Newton said. “It probably wasn't the best way to put your frustration out there, but guys responded, so it worked.”
Newton has earned the respect of the Cats, emphasizing the need to put in overtime in the weight room and in the film room.
He's taken the lead watching an excessive amount of game footage, both from last season and during the Andre Woodson era. Newton said Woodson has been an invaluable resource after joining the staff as a student assistant.
“I can't tell you how much time I've spent watching Andre and how they were successful, and watching last year how we could have been more successful,” Newton said.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Carmel, Ind., native has a 5-4 record as a starter, with all of his wins coming in eight starts during the 2009 season. His lone start last season came when Hartline was suspended for a 27-10 loss to Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl.
Newton had a so-so performance, completing 21 of 36 passes for 211 yards. But he's not letting that game define how he's viewed by his teammates. They appreciate the effort he's putting in this summer.
“Morgan's a workaholic,” said senior cornerback Randall Burden. “He's working more and harder than he has in past years. He's going to take this team on and lead it.”
Newton picked up where Hartline left off organizing the Cats' 7-on-7 drills in the summer. And like Hartline, he's taken it a step further in calling other teams to compete against. Newton contacted Georgetown College players and said the Cats were scheduled to play against Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday.
Although Newton said he didn't put a lot of stock in 7-on-7, he enjoyed going against different competition.
With Hartline gone and Ryan Mossakowski transferring, true freshman Maxwell Smith — who enrolled in January and has never taken a college snap — is the backup. So Newton has to be good for the Cats to be good.
“I don't know if it's really that different,” Newton said. “I've been in the spotlight a time or two before. You just come into the season with an idea of where things are going to go from there.”
-CJ