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Zabransky sees bright future with Texans
By Chadd Cripe - Idaho Statesman
Edition Date: 05/01/07
Former Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky was frustrated but motivated Sunday as he waited and waited and waited for a call that never came.
The quarterback who posted a 33-5 record as the Broncos' starting quarterback and engineered two undefeated regular seasons was snubbed by all 32 teams in the NFL Draft.
He agreed to a free-agent contract with the Houston Texans on Sunday night, he said.
"That fires me up," Zabransky said Monday. "I'm going to work my tail off. I'm going to be a starter in this league before a lot of people realize it."
BSU coach Chris Petersen said he was surprised that Zabransky wasn't drafted, but he figures the snub will motivate his former quarterback to get even better.
"I thought somebody would take a shot on him late," Petersen said. "… He'll have a major chip on his shoulder about that. It will make him a better quarterback and a better player, and it will probably increase his odds of making the team."
Zabransky is one of 12 Broncos who have joined NFL teams since the beginning of the draft Saturday, according to the players and Petersen. Four were drafted — safety Gerald Alexander (Lions), wide receiver Legedu Naanee (Chargers), linebacker Korey Hall (Packers) and tight end Derek Schouman (Bills) — and eight have reached free-agent agreements — Zabransky, punter Kyle Stringer (Seahawks), defensive tackle Andrew Browning (Lions), fullback Brad Lau (Rams), wide receiver Jerard Rabb (Cowboys), wide receiver Drisan James (Bears), defensive back/kick returner Quinton Jones (Chargers) and long snapper Mike Dominguez (Jets).
That group helped BSU go 13-0 last year, beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and finish No. 5 in the nation.
"Hopefully one thing they've learned about being here is, ‘Hey, all we need is an opportunity to prove ourselves,' " Petersen said. "Now these guys have that. It's up to them to make the most of it."
Zabransky joins an organization in transition at the quarterback position. The Texans traded for Matt Schaub, the former Atlanta Falcons backup, to fill the starting spot.
Behind Schaub is the non-descript trio of Sage Rosenfels, Bradlee Van Pelt and Quinton Porter. Porter plays in NFL Europa. The Texans depth chart is one reason Zabransky chose them over the New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Dallas, New Orleans and Detroit. He talked to all of those teams after the draft, he said.
Zabransky visited the Texans in mid-April.
"It was the best situation for me," he said. "… I felt this was a good opportunity for me to come in and get a No. 3 spot right away and make a team and go from there."
Zabransky was in New York for draft weekend to promote the EA Sports NCAA Football video game. He is on the game's cover.
He was taking a city tour Sunday and tracking the draft through text messages from his agent. He expected to go in the fourth round or early in the fifth.
"It wasn't good, man," he said. "… My name kept sliding."
Zabranksy was particularly disappointed when he heard about some of the 11 quarterbacks who were drafted. Nevada quarterback Jeff Rowe went in the fifth round.
Zabransky and Boise State beat Rowe and Nevada by a combined score of 145-42 the last three years.
"I thought I was better than three-fourths of the guys picked throughout the draft," Zabransky said. "I didn't know what exactly I needed to do differently. That's the nature of the beast, I guess. A lot of guys have been wronged in the past as far as the draft goes and they went out and proved themselves. I'm going to make it my goal to be one of those guys."
Houston quarterbacks coach Kyle Shanahan called Zabransky after the Texans made their final selection in the seventh round, Zabransky said.
"He said, ‘Hey, man, I was pushing to get you picked up there,' " Zabransky said. "He apologized for it."
Zabransky will begin his Texans career at a mini-camp in mid-May. He will be in Boise until then.
"I can't wait to get back to Boise and start training again," he said.
Zabransky says he will fall back on past experiences as he enters the NFL. He was mostly overlooked out of Hermiston (Ore.) High and he was in danger of losing his starting job after a subpar junior season.
"This is typical of my situation," he said. "No one saw me out of high school. Boise State saw me and decided to give me a chance. I had to go down there and prove I could play. Honestly, when I came in, not many of the coaches thought I'd be the guy. … I continued to have to prove myself after the junior season and we go out with a bang my senior year and I do everything I'm supposed to do — everything I want to do — at the (scouting) combine, prove I'm the most athletic quarterback in the draft, and that doesn't hold water.
"I'm going to go out and compete."
The Broncos still have not had a quarterback drafted since Jim McMillan in 1975. The past three starters — Bart Hendricks, Ryan Dinwiddie and Zabransky — have combined to win seven conference titles and five bowl games, but none is taller than 6-foot-2.
Zabransky is 6-2, 219.
"They want the guys to fit the mold," Petersen said. "The mold for the quarterback position is 6-4, 6-5."
LINK
By Chadd Cripe - Idaho Statesman
Edition Date: 05/01/07
Former Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky was frustrated but motivated Sunday as he waited and waited and waited for a call that never came.
The quarterback who posted a 33-5 record as the Broncos' starting quarterback and engineered two undefeated regular seasons was snubbed by all 32 teams in the NFL Draft.
He agreed to a free-agent contract with the Houston Texans on Sunday night, he said.
"That fires me up," Zabransky said Monday. "I'm going to work my tail off. I'm going to be a starter in this league before a lot of people realize it."
BSU coach Chris Petersen said he was surprised that Zabransky wasn't drafted, but he figures the snub will motivate his former quarterback to get even better.
"I thought somebody would take a shot on him late," Petersen said. "… He'll have a major chip on his shoulder about that. It will make him a better quarterback and a better player, and it will probably increase his odds of making the team."
Zabransky is one of 12 Broncos who have joined NFL teams since the beginning of the draft Saturday, according to the players and Petersen. Four were drafted — safety Gerald Alexander (Lions), wide receiver Legedu Naanee (Chargers), linebacker Korey Hall (Packers) and tight end Derek Schouman (Bills) — and eight have reached free-agent agreements — Zabransky, punter Kyle Stringer (Seahawks), defensive tackle Andrew Browning (Lions), fullback Brad Lau (Rams), wide receiver Jerard Rabb (Cowboys), wide receiver Drisan James (Bears), defensive back/kick returner Quinton Jones (Chargers) and long snapper Mike Dominguez (Jets).
That group helped BSU go 13-0 last year, beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and finish No. 5 in the nation.
"Hopefully one thing they've learned about being here is, ‘Hey, all we need is an opportunity to prove ourselves,' " Petersen said. "Now these guys have that. It's up to them to make the most of it."
Zabransky joins an organization in transition at the quarterback position. The Texans traded for Matt Schaub, the former Atlanta Falcons backup, to fill the starting spot.
Behind Schaub is the non-descript trio of Sage Rosenfels, Bradlee Van Pelt and Quinton Porter. Porter plays in NFL Europa. The Texans depth chart is one reason Zabransky chose them over the New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Dallas, New Orleans and Detroit. He talked to all of those teams after the draft, he said.
Zabransky visited the Texans in mid-April.
"It was the best situation for me," he said. "… I felt this was a good opportunity for me to come in and get a No. 3 spot right away and make a team and go from there."
Zabransky was in New York for draft weekend to promote the EA Sports NCAA Football video game. He is on the game's cover.
He was taking a city tour Sunday and tracking the draft through text messages from his agent. He expected to go in the fourth round or early in the fifth.
"It wasn't good, man," he said. "… My name kept sliding."
Zabranksy was particularly disappointed when he heard about some of the 11 quarterbacks who were drafted. Nevada quarterback Jeff Rowe went in the fifth round.
Zabransky and Boise State beat Rowe and Nevada by a combined score of 145-42 the last three years.
"I thought I was better than three-fourths of the guys picked throughout the draft," Zabransky said. "I didn't know what exactly I needed to do differently. That's the nature of the beast, I guess. A lot of guys have been wronged in the past as far as the draft goes and they went out and proved themselves. I'm going to make it my goal to be one of those guys."
Houston quarterbacks coach Kyle Shanahan called Zabransky after the Texans made their final selection in the seventh round, Zabransky said.
"He said, ‘Hey, man, I was pushing to get you picked up there,' " Zabransky said. "He apologized for it."
Zabransky will begin his Texans career at a mini-camp in mid-May. He will be in Boise until then.
"I can't wait to get back to Boise and start training again," he said.
Zabransky says he will fall back on past experiences as he enters the NFL. He was mostly overlooked out of Hermiston (Ore.) High and he was in danger of losing his starting job after a subpar junior season.
"This is typical of my situation," he said. "No one saw me out of high school. Boise State saw me and decided to give me a chance. I had to go down there and prove I could play. Honestly, when I came in, not many of the coaches thought I'd be the guy. … I continued to have to prove myself after the junior season and we go out with a bang my senior year and I do everything I'm supposed to do — everything I want to do — at the (scouting) combine, prove I'm the most athletic quarterback in the draft, and that doesn't hold water.
"I'm going to go out and compete."
The Broncos still have not had a quarterback drafted since Jim McMillan in 1975. The past three starters — Bart Hendricks, Ryan Dinwiddie and Zabransky — have combined to win seven conference titles and five bowl games, but none is taller than 6-foot-2.
Zabransky is 6-2, 219.
"They want the guys to fit the mold," Petersen said. "The mold for the quarterback position is 6-4, 6-5."
LINK
