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Not Oliver's yet
Pearl River CC transfer must earn No. 1 QB job
By Mark Alexander
malexander@clarionledger.com
When Jimmy Oliver signed with Jackson State in December, most assumed he would be the Tigers' starting quarterback from the day he stepped on campus.
After all, Oliver was the National Junior College Athletic Association offensive player of the year the past two seasons while guiding Pearl River Community College to back-to-back state titles.
Not so fast.
As impressive as his credentials are, Oliver is going to have to earn the starting job. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
"I knew I wasn't going to come here and just be named the starter automatically," Oliver said Tuesday. "I knew I was going to have to compete. I was going to have to compete wherever I went."
Any doubts that Oliver may have had on the subject have been erased in the first two weeks of spring practice. Not only is he running No. 2 behind Kethonne McLaurin, who started the last three games of this past season, he's getting an earful from new offensive coordinator James Woody on a daily basis.
"He's been on me pretty hard," said Oliver, who enrolled at JSU in January. "But that's just part of it."
So is getting acclimated to Division I-AA football, a new school, new teammates, new coaches and a new system. And that transition period is just getting started.
"Right now it's going pretty good," Oliver said. "The game is a little faster, and I've got to pick up on that. And I'm learning a new system with a new offensive coordinator. Once I get all of that down, I'm going to be alright."
JSU has had fewer than 10 practices, and many of those have been held in inclement weather conditions. That said, it's way too early to gauge exactly what type of impact Oliver will make come September when the Tigers kick off the 2006 season.
While he's been solid, he hasn't been spectacular. But again, it's early.
"He's had some good days and he's had some bad days just like everybody else," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "But we've only been out there eight or nine days. He's got to have a chance to learn the system first.
"I like him," Comegy continued. "Jimmy's well-known. He's a big-time player. He's just got to play big-time every day. And he's got the capability of doing that. I'm not saying Jimmy is not working, but he's got to compete. And I think he's willing to do that."
The 6-1, 175-pound Oliver has been called by some a smaller version of former Alcorn State standout Steve McNair because of his ability to throw and run. Oliver, who hails from Columbia and played at East Marion High, led the nation in passing and total offense in 2004 and '05, throwing for a 67 touchdowns and more than 6,000 yards over two seasons.
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Pearl River CC transfer must earn No. 1 QB job
By Mark Alexander
malexander@clarionledger.com
When Jimmy Oliver signed with Jackson State in December, most assumed he would be the Tigers' starting quarterback from the day he stepped on campus.
After all, Oliver was the National Junior College Athletic Association offensive player of the year the past two seasons while guiding Pearl River Community College to back-to-back state titles.
Not so fast.
As impressive as his credentials are, Oliver is going to have to earn the starting job. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
"I knew I wasn't going to come here and just be named the starter automatically," Oliver said Tuesday. "I knew I was going to have to compete. I was going to have to compete wherever I went."
Any doubts that Oliver may have had on the subject have been erased in the first two weeks of spring practice. Not only is he running No. 2 behind Kethonne McLaurin, who started the last three games of this past season, he's getting an earful from new offensive coordinator James Woody on a daily basis.
"He's been on me pretty hard," said Oliver, who enrolled at JSU in January. "But that's just part of it."
So is getting acclimated to Division I-AA football, a new school, new teammates, new coaches and a new system. And that transition period is just getting started.
"Right now it's going pretty good," Oliver said. "The game is a little faster, and I've got to pick up on that. And I'm learning a new system with a new offensive coordinator. Once I get all of that down, I'm going to be alright."
JSU has had fewer than 10 practices, and many of those have been held in inclement weather conditions. That said, it's way too early to gauge exactly what type of impact Oliver will make come September when the Tigers kick off the 2006 season.
While he's been solid, he hasn't been spectacular. But again, it's early.
"He's had some good days and he's had some bad days just like everybody else," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "But we've only been out there eight or nine days. He's got to have a chance to learn the system first.
"I like him," Comegy continued. "Jimmy's well-known. He's a big-time player. He's just got to play big-time every day. And he's got the capability of doing that. I'm not saying Jimmy is not working, but he's got to compete. And I think he's willing to do that."
The 6-1, 175-pound Oliver has been called by some a smaller version of former Alcorn State standout Steve McNair because of his ability to throw and run. Oliver, who hails from Columbia and played at East Marion High, led the nation in passing and total offense in 2004 and '05, throwing for a 67 touchdowns and more than 6,000 yards over two seasons.
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