« on: August 30, 2012, 02:02:39 PM »
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/08/29/2180254/auburn-quarterback-kiehl-frazier.html#storylink=rss Frazier plays it cool on and off the field
By AARON BRENNER
AUBURN, Ala. -- Prodded to name his proudest parenting moment, Robin Beach can summon more options than a spread offense.
It might be the moment after Shiloh Christian (Ark.) won a playoff game, when reporters and cameramen flocked to speak with Kiehl Frazier, who politely excused himself to celebrate with his little buddy: an autistic boy. The star quarterback and the youngster grabbed a Shiloh banner, waving it as they ran up and down the field.
Or perhaps it's four years ago when Robin's father was in his final days, and Frazier made sure to visit the hospital multiple times, showing genuine compassion toward his grandfather. Kiehl was a sophomore in high school.
Maybe Beach resorts to the big picture -- not once was he called into the principal's office for Kiehl getting in trouble. Not in elementary school, not in junior high, not ever.
Wait for this weekend, and another choice could top the list: when Frazier takes charge at the sold-out Georgia Dome, making his first start as the centerpiece of Auburn's new-look offense against defending ACC champion Clemson in a made-for-primetime event on ESPN Saturday night.
It's impossible to project how a green quarterback performs in the spotlight. One thing you won't see, if Frazier's track record on and off the football field stays consistent, is a person swallowed
up by his nerves.
"He always stays calm under pressure, just like in his everyday life," says Josh Floyd, Frazier's high school coach at Shiloh. "He's a pretty laid-back guy. I think that transfers over to the field too."
Breakout
Floyd knew Frazier was a special talent. It just surfaced much earlier than he expected.
The third game of Frazier's sophomore year, against defending Arkansas Class 5A state champion Greenwood -- ironically, the school where Beach suited up as a fullback and linebacker in his day.
Frazier, as Floyd put it, "just took over the game" -- a 37-20 victory for the Saints. Frazier ascended from there, leading Shiloh to two more Class 4A championships. He was named the MVP in all three final games.
Predictably, the scholarship offers (a couple dozen) and accolades (USA Today's 2010 National Offensive Player of the Year, among many others) rolled in.
While Frazier's exposure inflated, his head did not.
"It never really fazed him much," Floyd said. "As a leader at Shiloh, he could have gone half-speed in conditioning or whatever. But he wasn't like that -- if anything, he went the extra mile. He was always the guy running sprints after practice every day. That showed what kind of character he has."
Beach, a medical buyer who travels through Columbus, Alabama and Tennessee for work, fondly looks back on his son's contributions to the Springdale, Ark., community. A devout Christian, Frazier considers Pastor Ronnie Floyd, Josh's father, a primary role model growing up.
"He's always been a model of hard work and good behavior, since he was a little boy," Beach said. "Kiehl had a very endearing attitude and personality. He's really a compassionate, soft-hearted guy."
Even one of Frazier's few setbacks provided a positive -- Shiloh's only loss his senior year was to Euless Trinity (Texas) in the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic at Cowboys Stadium, playing in front of more than 20,000 onlookers.
Frazier wanted to commit to Auburn early, but his dad insisted he take some visits and consider all the data. He ended up sticking with the Tigers, instead of attending Arkansas, a mere 10 miles from Springdale.
"That was the toughest part of it, was leaving home," Floyd said, "after being surrounded by all that hype from around here."
All in stride
Remember those cameras Frazier dodged in high school to revel with the autistic Shiloh fan? There was nowhere to hide last Sunday night when Frazier was named Auburn's starting quarterback over his good friend Clint Moseley.
Humbly and stoically, Frazier eyeballed all those cameras and addressed his victory with that same never-too-high, never-too-low demeanor.
"(Starting at quarterback) is not really the final goal; it's a starting point," said Frazier, who ran the Tigers' wildcat offense his freshman season. "I'm not taking this as a victory or anything; I'm just looking forward to the first game."
Frazier ran the no-huddle spread at Shiloh, similar to Gus Malzahn's system. Malzahn was Shiloh's head coach from 1996-2000, and Auburn's offensive coordinator when Frazier committed to the Tigers.
There was a twinge of fear when Malzahn left for Arkansas State. But the naming of Malzahn's replacement provided quick relief -- Scot Loeffler was the man who personally extended Florida's offer to Frazier.
"Because of that pre-existing relationship and knowing how good of a quarterback coach he was," Beach said, "he was thoroughly happy with coach (Gene) Chizik's decision to hire coach Loeffler."
Loeffler appreciated Frazier's zest for greatness, preparing tirelessly for this moment.
"The wonderful thing about college football is there's always a changing of the guard," Loeffler said. "It's exciting to watch a guy who works 365 days a year for the opportunity for 14 shots on Saturday."
Great expectations
Now that he's reached his dream of starting in the SEC, Frazier doesn't figure to slow down his development.
"At the end of the day, he wants to do something big-time in the game of football," Floyd said. "He knows that he's been blessed with a lot of God-given talent, (but) when you're a goal-oriented person, it helps to not get caught up in all the stuff."
It appears Frazier has suspended his Twitter account -- perhaps in an attempt to shun the distractions of social media.
Self-aware, Frazier realizes he's not the rah-rah vocalist like Cam Newton or Tim Tebow, but his teammates still look to him for leadership.
"I know that Kiehl seems kind of soft-spoken," right guard Chad Slade said. "He's got pretty good command of the huddle. He's just a different person."
Just because it's his first start doesn't mean he's off the hook with a poor introductory effort.
"It'll be very interesting to see him perform Saturday night," Chizik said. "We expect big things out of him. Our standard doesn't come down and say, 'Look it's your first game as a starter. … ' No, we expect a lot out of that position. He understands that."
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« Last Edit: August 30, 2012, 02:37:08 PM by Saniflush »
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A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'
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