During the preseason, Ryan Hancock was third on Brigham Young's quarterback depth chart, and unsure about his football future. But eight weeks and two quarterbacks later, Hancock was thrust into the prestigious role of starting Cougar quarterback.
After injuries to John Walsh and Steve Clements, Hancock impromptued and prospered as the number one passer.
"When I was at third-string, I didn't think I'd even get a shot," said Hancock, the Santa Clara, Ca. native. "When I was second-string, I realized anything can happen. It just happened a lot quicker than I thought."
When Clements exited the Hawaii game in the first quarter with an injury, Hancock, the obscure sophomore, abandoned the bench and completed 20-of-30 passes for 383 yards. It was a testimony to the BYU mystique of quarterback production. Third-string? This kid is no slouch.
"He's a big strong kid with a great arm," Joe Paterno said. "He may not have the polish Ty Detmer had at the end of his career but he looks like he's got a stronger arm. He's got a lot of zip on the ball."
A better arm than the 1990 Heisman Award Winner, quite a compliment. But Hancock refuses to revel in comparisons, conceding he is far from Demter's level of excellence.
"I might have a better arm, but I'd trade everything for Ty's ability on the football field," Hancock, who apprenticed under Detmer as a backup, said. "His greatest assest wasn't his great physical prowess --he was a student of the game, he just knew everything."
Working within Coach LaVell Edward's intricate passing scheme, Hancock is still learning the ropes. In step with BYU history, he posted big numbers and won three of his first four games despite momentary lapses.
"It's a complicated system, it's pro-style," Hancock said. "It is more than just knowing the plays, it's knowing the defense and the adjustments."
Against Wyoming, Hancock produced his finest collegiate performance, throwing for 408 yards and no interceptions. He was hot.
A week later, against Notre Dame, he connected for 339 yards but tossed three interceptions, including two in the fourth quarter. He was cold.
"I tend to be streaky," Hancock said, slightly embarrassed. "When I'm hot I can usually hang with anybody. I surprise myself sometimes. But sometimes things tend to fall apart and it takes me awhile to catch back on. But after having some good games in a row, I'm pretty satisfied with my play."
Precociously passing for 1,787 yards in only five games, his satisfaction is justified.
"I think he's been very good under the circumstances," Edwards said. "I think he's done an excellent job."
Scary thing is, football isn't even Hancock's best sport. His real forte is baseball.
Coming out of Monta Vista High School, Hancock was drafted by the California Angels, but he declined in favor of a college education. Schools such as Miami and Stanford pursued his services, but becoming a Cougar was his manifest destiny.
"BYU was always on top of my list," Hancock said. "They were the school that would let me play baseball and football."
In addition, Hancock's parents both attended Brigham Young, and being a Mormon, the choice seemed logical.
While being lost in the football shuffle, Hancock was named 1991 Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in baseball. He sported a 2.92 earned run average while averaging 18 whiffs a game. In 1992 his ERA rose to 4.58, but he still recorded nine saves while averaging 15 strikeouts per game. A professional baseball career seemed to be the logical option. Until his talents crystallized on the gridiron, that is.
"Up until I started playing football this year, I was planning on signing a professional baseball contract in June," Hancock said. "It's kind of a kink in the plans now that I'm doing well in football."
Perhaps he can do both, hitching rides on Deion Sander's chopper. It could very well happen.
"It's a little too hard being a quarterback," Hancock said, dismissing the two sport notion.
So much for the sneaker endorsement.
