Proctor has his chance to lead the Tigers

By Bob Wilson  |   Friday, August 18, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

Clemson Tigers
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Senior quarterback Will Proctor will finally get his shot as the starting quarterback for Clemson this season. Proctor will not be asked to carry the offense, but he is expected to lead the team to nine or 10 wins and a significant bowl berth. Proctor's role will likely be that of a caretaker of the offense. In fact, some sportswriters and fans have noted the similarities between his situation and that of Chris Morocco's back in 1989.

Morocco was stuck behind Rodney Williams on the depth chart from 1986-1988, and didn't become the starter until his senior year. Meanwhile, the popular Williams won 32 of his 44 starts and led the team to four straight bowls. When Morocco did get his chance, he didn't disappoint. The senior completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for 1,131 yards and six touchdowns compared with two interceptions in Clemson's run-oriented offense. More importantly, Morocco led the squad to its third straight 10-2 season and a win in the Gator Bowl.

Now, Proctor, who has sat behind Willie Simmons and Charlie Whitehurst, has a chance to duplicate Morocco's success. Most fans would be shocked if he doesn't surpass Morocco's passing numbers, but just about everyone in Tiger Town would be satisfied with a 10-2 regular season record.

The new starter has the skills and the weapons to get the job done. Whitehurst left Clemson with a bevy of passing records, but Proctor may actually be better suited for Rob Spence's offense, which works best with an athletic quarterback, and Proctor is more mobile than Whitehurst. His ability to move the ball on the ground will slow down the pass rush and force defenses to respect the quarterback run. Now, Spence can reach a little deeper into his playbook and pull out more rollouts and plays designed for a more elusive QB.

Additionally, the senior quarterback has the advantage of having sat and watched the offense for a year. Last year while Whitehurst was learning his third offensive scheme in three years, Proctor was able to watch and learn the nuances of the Spence offense. Furthermore, there were times in 2005 when Whitehurst's shoulder injury became too painful for him to practice and Proctor got valuable time working with the first-team offense.

The 22-year-old senior also appears to be more of a vocal leader. Some of his teammates have noted that the quarterback hangs out with the players outside of practice much more than Whitehurst did. This increased closeness should translate to more trust on the field.

Proctor's transition into the starting quarterback role will be aided by a solid cast of returning talent. Like Morocco, he will be asked to hand the ball off more often than throw it. In the lone game Proctor started last year, Clemson ran the ball 41 times and attempted just 24 passes. That trend should continue this season with James Davis, Reggie Meriweather and superfrosh C.J. Spiller all vying for carries behind a veteran line. Plus, the quarterback ran the ball himself 11 times in his sole start against Duke.

The Florida native will also benefit from having experienced receivers to throw to in Chansi Stuckey, Aaron Kelly Rendrick Taylor and Tyler Grisham. Stuckey and Kelly made several big plays last year while Taylor and Grisham have been impressive in practice.

Despite the fact Proctor has only attempted 34 passes in his Clemson career, the Tigers will benefit not only from his leadership skills, but also from the three years of sweat and effort he has invested in the program to be prepared for the starting slot in 2006.

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