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Wyche finds an eager pupil in Losman
By JERRY SULLIVAN
5/29/2005
Sam Wyche has a favorite quotation from General Douglas MacArthur, one he has passed on to his prize pupil, new Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman: "You never give a command that can be understood. You always give commands that cannot be misunderstood."
"There's a lot of depth to that," Wyche said last week during the Bills' latest minicamp.
You don't need to be a history major to understand the most burning issue at One Bills Drive. It is Losman's job now, his time, his team. Everyone, from Ralph Wilson to Tom Donahoe to the players, fans and media, is wondering how good Losman will be, how great a command he will have over his surroundings.
As the veteran QB coach and mentor, Wyche has been entrusted with the organization's most prized asset, the crown jewels. Wyche certainly has the credentials. He played quarterback under Paul Brown, coached under Bill Walsh, mentored a young Joe Montana, was head coach for Boomer Esiason.
Wyche is one of the top offensive minds of his generation, a respected teacher. Losman has been an eager student. From the moment Losman was named the starting QB in mid-February, he and Wyche have been inseparable, partners in the quarterbacking obsession.
"This is as much time as I've ever spent with a quarterback," Wyche said.
It's understandable. For one thing, Losman has become ubiquitous at One Bills Drive. One day in February, Losman asked Wyche if he'd like to watch some film. Since then, they've become a regular Siskel and Ebert, movie junkies.
On a typical work day, Losman will work out. Then he'll grab lunch and bring it back to the office, where he and Wyche will eat and watch film for a couple of hours. Then they'll review and Wyche will quiz Losman. Often, the talks carry on through dinner at some local restaurant.
"One day, we were getting tired," Wyche said. "He says, "Let's look at 15 minutes of the Houston Texans.' Our opener. So we looked at 30 minutes of the Houston Texans. Then he wanted to talk. So we're finding it hard to break up."
Breaking up is hard to do when you're preparing to be a starter at the most demanding position in sports. Wyche says Losman is desperate to succeed in Buffalo. The kid doesn't want to be coddled. He does not want expectations diminished because he's essentially a rookie.
"He cringes at the comments about us not winning too many games because he's new," Wyche said. "It gets under his skin. And he doesn't want to be known as a scrambler. He wants to be a passer who can scramble."
Wyche knows the position, the athletic and cerebral demands placed on a quarterback. But he knows there's a lot more to being a leader in the NFL. It's something Rob Johnson never grasped, the need to be The Man in the huddle, the locker room and the community. Losman has to exude assurance and inspire belief. His command can not be misunderstood.
Wyche has spent most of his life in the NFL. He has seen the game evolve. He was a successful network announcer before an injury to his vocal cords. He knows how vital it is for the quarterback to be a quick thinker, a communicator on and off the field.
"The quarterback is pulled in 100 different directions," Wyche said. "It's not just a linebacker blitzing him on Sundays. It's the time he has to give to the fans, to the media, to extra study because he has to know what everybody's doing to be good.
"So when a guy is pulled in all those directions, he doesn't want any one of them to be a real stressful time for him."
That's why Wyche expanded Losman's education by taking him out to do speaking appearances. He arranged five events, mostly involving high school kids. Wyche told Losman how to prepare a speech. He accompanied him to the speeches, warmed up the crowd, then turned over the stage to him. Losman was apprehensive. He had never spoken in public, except at his own high school. But to Wyche's surprise, he took to it right away.
Losman's second speech was at an annual sportsmanship conference at St. John Fisher in March, to a group of 250 Rochester-area students from a variety of backgrounds.
"One of the things everybody took away from J.P.'s talk was how authentic the guy was," said Scott Bryson, who coordinated the conference. "I mean, real. It wasn't the scripted kind of thing you might expect from a pro athlete. Sam clearly tried to set the tone to make it easy for J.P.
"J.P. acknowledged that he was a little bit out of his element," Bryson said. "Then he sat down on the stage, away from a podium. He essentially said, "Work hard and be a class act and dream big.' They ate it up."
Wyche knows all that won't matter if Losman should bomb on the field. But he has faith in him. He has an emotional investment. Losman could be his final project. Wyche says he feels fine. His voice, which was damaged when his left vocal was severed during an operation five years ago, is getting better. He suffers from cardiomyopathy, a degenerative heart condition, but he says his condition has improved.
"If it turns worse, obviously I have to deal with that," Wyche said. "But I feel good. I can't run with 'em like I used to. I used to love to run. I'd go out there and run sprints with players when I was a head coach. But beyond that, I feel good."
The opener is a little more than 100 days away. The competitive juices are flowing for the pupil and the mentor. A while back, Wyche and Losman were in a meeting room, watching film, when Losman slammed his hand on the table.
"I can't wait!" Losman shouted. "Let's go play!"
Wyche says he had the same feeling, the euphoria that comes from knowing things are finally falling into place.
"Let's rip these tables out of the room," Wyche told him, "and we'll go one-on-one right here if you like."
e-mail: jsullivan@buffnews.com
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050529/3014526.asp
By JERRY SULLIVAN
5/29/2005
Sam Wyche has a favorite quotation from General Douglas MacArthur, one he has passed on to his prize pupil, new Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman: "You never give a command that can be understood. You always give commands that cannot be misunderstood."
"There's a lot of depth to that," Wyche said last week during the Bills' latest minicamp.
You don't need to be a history major to understand the most burning issue at One Bills Drive. It is Losman's job now, his time, his team. Everyone, from Ralph Wilson to Tom Donahoe to the players, fans and media, is wondering how good Losman will be, how great a command he will have over his surroundings.
As the veteran QB coach and mentor, Wyche has been entrusted with the organization's most prized asset, the crown jewels. Wyche certainly has the credentials. He played quarterback under Paul Brown, coached under Bill Walsh, mentored a young Joe Montana, was head coach for Boomer Esiason.
Wyche is one of the top offensive minds of his generation, a respected teacher. Losman has been an eager student. From the moment Losman was named the starting QB in mid-February, he and Wyche have been inseparable, partners in the quarterbacking obsession.
"This is as much time as I've ever spent with a quarterback," Wyche said.
It's understandable. For one thing, Losman has become ubiquitous at One Bills Drive. One day in February, Losman asked Wyche if he'd like to watch some film. Since then, they've become a regular Siskel and Ebert, movie junkies.
On a typical work day, Losman will work out. Then he'll grab lunch and bring it back to the office, where he and Wyche will eat and watch film for a couple of hours. Then they'll review and Wyche will quiz Losman. Often, the talks carry on through dinner at some local restaurant.
"One day, we were getting tired," Wyche said. "He says, "Let's look at 15 minutes of the Houston Texans.' Our opener. So we looked at 30 minutes of the Houston Texans. Then he wanted to talk. So we're finding it hard to break up."
Breaking up is hard to do when you're preparing to be a starter at the most demanding position in sports. Wyche says Losman is desperate to succeed in Buffalo. The kid doesn't want to be coddled. He does not want expectations diminished because he's essentially a rookie.
"He cringes at the comments about us not winning too many games because he's new," Wyche said. "It gets under his skin. And he doesn't want to be known as a scrambler. He wants to be a passer who can scramble."
Wyche knows the position, the athletic and cerebral demands placed on a quarterback. But he knows there's a lot more to being a leader in the NFL. It's something Rob Johnson never grasped, the need to be The Man in the huddle, the locker room and the community. Losman has to exude assurance and inspire belief. His command can not be misunderstood.
Wyche has spent most of his life in the NFL. He has seen the game evolve. He was a successful network announcer before an injury to his vocal cords. He knows how vital it is for the quarterback to be a quick thinker, a communicator on and off the field.
"The quarterback is pulled in 100 different directions," Wyche said. "It's not just a linebacker blitzing him on Sundays. It's the time he has to give to the fans, to the media, to extra study because he has to know what everybody's doing to be good.
"So when a guy is pulled in all those directions, he doesn't want any one of them to be a real stressful time for him."
That's why Wyche expanded Losman's education by taking him out to do speaking appearances. He arranged five events, mostly involving high school kids. Wyche told Losman how to prepare a speech. He accompanied him to the speeches, warmed up the crowd, then turned over the stage to him. Losman was apprehensive. He had never spoken in public, except at his own high school. But to Wyche's surprise, he took to it right away.
Losman's second speech was at an annual sportsmanship conference at St. John Fisher in March, to a group of 250 Rochester-area students from a variety of backgrounds.
"One of the things everybody took away from J.P.'s talk was how authentic the guy was," said Scott Bryson, who coordinated the conference. "I mean, real. It wasn't the scripted kind of thing you might expect from a pro athlete. Sam clearly tried to set the tone to make it easy for J.P.
"J.P. acknowledged that he was a little bit out of his element," Bryson said. "Then he sat down on the stage, away from a podium. He essentially said, "Work hard and be a class act and dream big.' They ate it up."
Wyche knows all that won't matter if Losman should bomb on the field. But he has faith in him. He has an emotional investment. Losman could be his final project. Wyche says he feels fine. His voice, which was damaged when his left vocal was severed during an operation five years ago, is getting better. He suffers from cardiomyopathy, a degenerative heart condition, but he says his condition has improved.
"If it turns worse, obviously I have to deal with that," Wyche said. "But I feel good. I can't run with 'em like I used to. I used to love to run. I'd go out there and run sprints with players when I was a head coach. But beyond that, I feel good."
The opener is a little more than 100 days away. The competitive juices are flowing for the pupil and the mentor. A while back, Wyche and Losman were in a meeting room, watching film, when Losman slammed his hand on the table.
"I can't wait!" Losman shouted. "Let's go play!"
Wyche says he had the same feeling, the euphoria that comes from knowing things are finally falling into place.
"Let's rip these tables out of the room," Wyche told him, "and we'll go one-on-one right here if you like."
e-mail: jsullivan@buffnews.com
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050529/3014526.asp