Barnhardt article on Chris Todd

[Ogre]

Todd's 'stick-to-it quality' pays for him, unbeaten Auburn
Sep. 22, 2009
By Tony Barnhart
Special to CBSSports.com   
 
Another guy would have told parts of the Auburn fan base to stick it where the sun don't shine.

Another guy would have decided he wouldn't get a fair shake from a brand new coaching staff and left town.

Another guy would have decided the white-hot spotlight that is the SEC was burning a little too brightly and found refuge at a smaller school.

But Chris Todd, we now know, is not just another guy.

This is a real case where the headlines don't tell the whole story. Sunday morning's headlines said Todd, a senior from Elizabethtown, Ky., threw four touchdown passes to lead Auburn to a wild 41-30 victory over West Virginia on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium. And all that is true.

But if you don't know the full story of how Todd came to enjoy that moment, the best in his college football career, then you really don't know Chris Todd.

"You get to college and things happen," Todd told me Sunday night. "You always hope that you're going to get the opportunity and when it comes, you hope to make the most of it. After what had happened to me I didn't know if I was going to get a chance. But I did. That's what made it so good."

Working out of the spread offense, Todd threw for 10,776 yards and 120 touchdowns in his career at Elizabethtown High School. As a senior, he threw for 3,180 yards and 38 touchdowns and led his team to a Kentucky Class 2A state championship.

With numbers like that, it will come as no surprise that he was recruited to play in Mike Leach's spread-on-steroids attack at Texas Tech. He signed with the Red Raiders and played in five games in 2006. Then he decided he would rather not wait his turn behind Graham Harrell and transferred to Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College for the 2007 season.

Todd had known Tony Franklin since his high school days when Franklin taught his coaches how to maximize the spread offense. After one year at Hutchinson, Todd decided he was going to transfer to Troy, where Franklin's offenses were putting up huge numbers and driving big boy opponents like Florida State and LSU absolutely crazy.

"I thought Chris was just the perfect quarterback for what we like to do," said Franklin, now the offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee. "It was a perfect fit."

The fit was so perfect that when Franklin took the OC job at Auburn before the 2008 season, Todd switched his commitment and followed. Todd was Franklin's guy when he went to Auburn.

But Franklin's wide-open approach was more of a culture shock than Auburn could absorb. Tommy Tuberville hired Franklin, but brought in none of Franklin's assistants to implement the offense. Franklin and the other members of the Auburn offensive staff began to clash because throwing the ball on just about every down, which Franklin likes to do, was destined to get sideways with a program that historically relies on a strong running game.

Auburn won four of its first five games but the offense was not working. One of those wins was 3-2 against Mississippi State. After a 14-13 loss to Vanderbilt in Nashville, the staff was in full-fledged internal revolt and Tuberville was left with no choice. He fired Franklin and benched Todd. Auburn finished the season with Kodi Burns at quarterback. After a 36-0 loss to Alabama that left Auburn at 5-7, Tuberville was out after 10 seasons as head coach.

Here is what people didn't know. Todd was basically trying to play with a dead arm in 2008. Some days the arm worked. Some days it didn't.

"It was incredibly frustrating," Todd said. "After all those years of throwing, I was used to being able to put the ball where I wanted it with some pop. There were times when I could get it in there. But other times I would really doubt myself. You start second-guessing yourself, which is something I've never done."

"The thing about Todd is that he's a competitor. He wants to compete. He thought and I thought he could work his way through it," Franklin said. "He gave me everything he had."

When Gene Chizik was hired as head coach and Gus Malzahn was brought in as offensive coordinator, Todd had a decision to make. Malzahn's version of the spread is totally different than Franklin's. Malzahn's is a run-first approach and only starts throwing the ball after the defense adjusts to slow down the run. Would Todd have to move one more time to get a chance?

"I decided that I wanted to stay at Auburn. I love this place and I love being in the SEC," Todd said. "I just wondered if I would get a chance and if I did get a chance I knew the window to take advantage of it would be small."

"We told Chris that we don't live in the past even though we have knowledge of the past," Chizik said. "When the time came, he would get the opportunity."

Todd decided in December that he would have arm surgery because without it, there was no way he could move forward. When spring practice rolled around, he still could not throw but he stood behind the huddle on every single play as Malzahn installed the offense. He spent hours in the film room learning the nuances of what Malzahn wanted to do. He finally started throwing in the summer, first with a Nerf ball and gradually with a real football. It was July before he had enough confidence to test the shoulder and throw hard and throw deep.

"It was back just like new," said Todd. "It was a great feeling."

Todd had been competing with quarterbacks Burns and Neil Caudle for nine days in the preseason when Malzahn sat him down and delivered the news: He would be the starting quarterback for Auburn's opening game with Louisiana Tech on Sept. 5.

"It was incredibly exciting," Todd said. "All those guys were throwing the ball well and you don't know if the coaches are noticing you. Then you realize the responsibilities that come with being a starting quarterback in our league."

Auburn beat Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State with a powerful running game. Auburn had two backs over 100 yards in beating Louisiana Tech 37-13. But Todd showed some flashes, completing a 93-yard touchdown pass, the longest in school history, to Terrell Zachery. The following week against Mississippi State, Auburn again had two backs over 100 yards in a 49-24 victory.

But last Saturday West Virginia decided that it was not going to let Auburn dominate with the running game. Auburn's staff realized that the outcome of the game was going to fall on Todd's surgically repaired right arm.

"There were times when we weren't moving the football," Chizik would say later. "But you looked in his eyes and all your saw was confidence."

Todd threw four touchdown passes, including a 17-yarder to Darvin Adams to finally give Auburn the lead with 12:07 left. The Tigers went on to win 41-30 and start the season 3-0.

"I don't think I've ever been more proud of a football player than I am of Chris Todd," Franklin said. "He could have quit or just moved on. That was the easy thing to do. But Chris didn't want to do the easy thing."

"Chris has a stick-to-it quality that you have to admire," Chizik said. "There simply aren't that many people who would have persevered the way he has."

With a win Saturday against Ball State, Auburn will start 4-0. Almost nobody expected that when Chizik was hired from Iowa State with a 5-19 record.

But a major reason Auburn is in this position is that Chizik and his staff took a chance on a much traveled quarterback who was convinced he had one more good season left.

"I knew if I ever got healthy again I could still play and that I could play at this level," Todd said. "All I wanted was a chance to prove what I could do. There were a lot of people who still believed in me when a lot of others didn't. That means a lot to me."

[jadennis]

"I decided that I wanted to stay at Auburn. I love this place and I love being in the SEC,"

This is why I like the kid.

[Kaos]

Sep. 22, 2009
By Tony Barnhart
Special to CBSSports.com   
 
But Franklin's wide-open approach was more of a culture shock than Auburn could absorb. Tommy Tuberville hired Franklin, but brought in none of Franklin's assistants to implement the offense. Franklin and the other members of the Auburn offensive staff began to clash because throwing the ball on just about every down, which Franklin likes to do, was destined to get sideways with a program that historically relies on a strong running game.

 

Tony Barnhart is an idiot apparently.  He is too stupid to understand this basic point:

OFFENSIVE COORDINATORS DO NOT GET TO BRING THEIR ASSISTANTS WITH THEM NO MATTER WHO THE FUCK THEY ARE.

I stopped reading after that.  The article may have gone on to be great, but I can't get past this idiotic, moronic yet oft-repeated statement. 

When Barnhart or any of you can show me instances where an OC is hired and brings a bag of assistants with him, I'll gladly recant. 

[boartitz]

Tony Barnhart is an idiot apparently.  He is too stupid to understand this basic point:

OFFENSIVE COORDINATORS DO NOT GET TO BRING THEIR ASSISTANTS WITH THEM NO MATTER WHO THE FUCK THEY ARE.

I stopped reading after that.  The article may have gone on to be great, but I can't get past this idiotic, moronic yet oft-repeated statement. 

When Barnhart or any of you can show me instances where an OC is hired and brings a bag of assistants with him, I'll gladly recant. 

Gus got Rhett Lashlee a job. That's it.

[Townhallsavoy]

Tony Barnhart is an idiot apparently.  He is too stupid to understand this basic point:

OFFENSIVE COORDINATORS DO NOT GET TO BRING THEIR ASSISTANTS WITH THEM NO MATTER WHO THE FUCK THEY ARE.

I stopped reading after that.  The article may have gone on to be great, but I can't get past this idiotic, moronic yet oft-repeated statement. 

When Barnhart or any of you can show me instances where an OC is hired and brings a bag of assistants with him, I'll gladly recant. 

I can tell you a head coach that when he's hired he brings a bag of assistants with him. 

And they love BBQ. 

It wasn't so much that Franklin didn't get to bring his assistants.  I think that's poorly phrased.  It's more so that Franklin had to deal with shitty assistants who didn't buy into his system.  That's partly his fault.  But fuck, what can a captain do against a mutiny?

[Kaos]

I can tell you a head coach that when he's hired he brings a bag of assistants with him. 

Totally different situation. 

No matter who the OC is, that just doesn't happen. 

How many assistants did Norm Chow take to UCLA?
How many did Al Borges bring to Auburn? Or take with him to SD State?

Oh, fuck it.  We've had this discussion a million times and you can still count on some fucking moron to say the same damn ignorant thing again. 

[ibelonginprison]

Tony Barnhart is an idiot apparently.  He is too stupid to understand this basic point:

OFFENSIVE COORDINATORS DO NOT GET TO BRING THEIR ASSISTANTS WITH THEM NO MATTER WHO THE phuk THEY ARE.

I stopped reading after that.  The article may have gone on to be great, but I can't get past this idiotic, moronic yet oft-repeated statement. 

When Barnhart or any of you can show me instances where an OC is hired and brings a bag of assistants with him, I'll gladly recant. 

Too bad, you sorta missed out on a neat little back story.

That's kinda like saying "I can't eat at that restaurant because I don't like the way the hostess dresses."  *shrug*

[Ogre]

Totally different situation. 

No matter who the OC is, that just doesn't happen. 

How many assistants did Norm Chow take to UCLA?
How many did Al Borges bring to Auburn? Or take with him to SD State?

Oh, fuck it.  We've had this discussion a million times and you can still count on some fucking moron to say the same damn ignorant thing again. 

You are correct in that it just doesn't happen. 

That said, don't you think Tuberville is to blame for not realizing that by overhauling his smash mouth run-first offense from the previous 9 seasons and changing to a pass-first offense might cause some problems with his current assistant coaches?  It's a complete 180 in offensive philosophy.  One would think that the head man would see that storm brewing and take a different approach, especially when you have assistant coaches that aren't producing <cough...Knox...cough>

I still say Franklin was doomed from the start, but this is a topic that has been beaten worse than AWK's man meat, so I'll leave it at that.

And not to completely hijack my own thread - I'm proud that Todd stuck with us. 

[AUTiger1]

I wasn't the biggest Chris Todd fan last year nor this year.  I do think the kid has a lot of guts for sticking around and giving it another shot.  He is a vast improvement from last year.  Still has some things that make me cringe (throwing off the back foot) but I fully support him and hope that he sets the world on fire in his remaining games.  It took some balls to do what he did IMO.

[AWK]

[quote author=Ogre link=topic=6973.msg85112#msg85112 date=1253658864
And not to completely hijack my own thread - I'm proud that Todd stuck with us. 


I wasn't the biggest Chris Todd fan last year nor this year.  I do think the kid has a lot of guts for sticking around and giving it another shot.  He is a vast improvement from last year.  Still has some things that make me cringe (throwing off the back foot) but I fully support him and hope that he sets the world on fire in his remaining games.  It took some balls to do what he did IMO.

Slash quote function for the win.

[AUTiger1]

Slash quote function for the win.

Fuck, does this mean that I have to take Jumbo's class again?  Can I leave the dog at home this time if I do?

[Kaos]

Too bad, you sorta missed out on a neat little back story.

That's kinda like saying "I can't eat at that restaurant because I don't like the way the hostess dresses."  *shrug*

Yeah?

Well that's the way I am.  Shit's got to be right.  If the fuck can't get that simple concept right, why the hell should I expect anything else he says to have any validity?

[Jumbo]

Chris Todd has mastered the Quote Function!

[djsimp]

Chris Todd has mastered the Quote Function!

I'll be the first one to tell ya that I didnt much like Chris Todd last year. For some reason I knew when he popped into the picture for QB in fall drills that he would be the starter. What none of us knew was how bad his shoulder was hurt and the fact that Franklin continued to play him. This guy has a lot of grit about him and its usually the kids like this that keeps fighting that have good bit of success in the end. Todd aint flashy or nothing like that but he has determination and has gained coolness under pressure. Im glad for him and I hope it continues to get better.

Tony Barnhart is just another journalist trying to jump on the train early in Auburns success. No one say this kind of success early at Auburn except for maybe Kirk Herbstreit, and thats just on a small scale. If there are any OCs that bring guys with them, I dont of them. He did get one thing right though, it was doomed from the start especially when Franklin wanted the OL to shed 40 lbs. Hugh Nall aint no dummy and knows that wasnt going to work in the SEC. The season proved it.

[Jumbo]

I was boarderline Ricky watching Todd last year, I still think his mechanics breakdown when the pocket collapses. I'm rooting for him to be the next Doug Johnson.

[Tiger Wench]

Here's a thought tho - if you are a rah rah team first kind of guy, and you know damn good and well that you are injured and couldn't throw a fit, much less a football, don't you think the better thing to do is say "Coach, I'm not quitting, but I can't make it happen - you need to find someone else to be ready to step in and take over - my shoulder is just too messed up..." instead of the whole suck it up thing?  Playing through pain is one thing, but hurt to the point of not being able to complete a pass - the most important part of your job - how is that a good thing?  If you are injured, that is not just gonna get better by ignoring it and just keeping on throwing.  If a kicker hurts his foot and can't kick, you wouldn't see him trotting out there with 3 seconds left, down by two... why keep trotting out an injured QB???  And if no one knew how bad he was hurt, then WHY didn't anyone know?  Isn't it someone's job to know?

I am happy that he has his act together, and yes, there are flashes of brilliance, but to keep playing when you know there is a damn good chance that only bad things will happen if you throw the ball... not good.  If he had had his surgery last year, then he would not have missed spring and most of summer, and would have had more time to practice and rehab and be ready for the season... that smacks of more about Chris Todd and less about Auburn...

[CCTAU]

Or maybe he knew what was behind him was even worse.

Last season was a cluster. There is NO kid that will EVER tell a coach he can't at least do his best. I've seen guys agree to play even when everyone around them knew they couldn't. Football does that to a guy. All reason abandons us.

[Kaos]

Or maybe he knew what was behind him was even worse.

Last season was a cluster. There is NO kid that will EVER tell a coach he can't at least do his best. I've seen guys agree to play even when everyone around them knew they couldn't. Football does that to a guy. All reason abandons us.

I got a rib injury.  Strained some muscles or some poop.  Doctor said Friday I couldn't play golf for six weeks to give it time to heal.

I played Saturday morning before leaving for Auburn.  

By the third hole, tears were coming with every attempted shot.   I got out of the par four first with a five.  The par three second went down in a butchered six. The par four third was a sick seven.   I skipped four, hoping I could stretch it out.  Five was another par three.  My tee shot barely wobbled off the box and I could not breathe.  

I quit.  

I won't play for six weeks.

If Todd was that hurt? He should have quit.

[Saniflush]

I got a rib injury.  Strained some muscles or some poop.  Doctor said Friday I couldn't play golf for six weeks to give it time to heal.

I played Saturday morning before leaving for Auburn.  

By the third hole, tears were coming with every attempted shot.   I got out of the par four first with a five.  The par three second went down in a butchered six. The par four third was a sick seven.   I skipped four, hoping I could stretch it out.  Five was another par three.  My tee shot barely wobbled off the box and I could not breathe.  

I quit.  

I won't play for six weeks.

If Todd was that hurt? He should have quit.

Only you are a quitter sir.



3.

2.

1.

Blast off

[Kaos]

Only you are a quitter sir.



3.

2.

1.

Blast off

Fuck that.  I'm a quitter. 

If I can't hit the ball I'm not helping anybody.