Weinke says he wants 2nd title

QB makes "no-brainer'' decision to return to FSU. His NFL draft position was put at 3rd round, at best.

By BRIAN LANDMAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 11, 2000

Weinke

TALLAHASSEE -- As he spoke Monday through misty eyes about how much he has enjoyed his time at Florida State and thanked his coaches and teammates for their support, quarterback Chris Weinke appeared ready for a change.

Instead of wearing his customary collegiate garb, a baseball cap and sweat suit, he came off more professional in slacks, a collared shirt and a sports jacket.

But just when everyone in the room packed with about 100 reporters, coaches, teammates and school administrators assumed Weinke had decided to forgo his senior season and declare for the NFL draft, the former baseball player threw them a changeup.

"If it's all right with Coach (Mark) Richt," he said after what sounded like a goodbye speech, "I'd like to come back and try to win another national championship."

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His announcement was met by wild applause.

"It's great news," tight end Ryan Sprague said. "Change is good, but I wasn't ready for it yet."

"It's great to know you have a great leader coming back," said defensive end Jamal Reynolds, who also decided to return. "It will help the team."

Can you say understatement?

Even with the departures of receiver Peter Warrick, defensive tackle Corey Simon, kicker Sebastian Janikowski and offensive guard Jason Whitaker, all first-team All-Americans, Weinke's return is a signal that little will change for FSU. The Seminoles might begin the 2000 season where they left off -- ranked No. 1.

"What they don't have is a proven quarterback without Weinke; this gives them a great opportunity," said Tony Barnhart, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's college football writer and an ESPN reporter.

"It certainly puts them square in the middle of the (championship) picture," Sports Illustrated's Ivan Maisel said. "Given the loss of a weapon like Peter Warrick, it makes (Weinke) even more important next year. ... He's already proven he provides leadership you rarely see in college sports, and now he's decided he wants to improve his physical skills. There's no reason to believe he won't be able to do that."

Weinke does enjoy proving people wrong.

He took delight in calling his family after he made his final decision early Monday, asking them to guess what he would do and saying to them one by one, "Wrong." "I had no clue," said Richt, FSU's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. "I really didn't. I thought he was gone."

Weinke said the decision was a "no-brainer." He had heard from the NFL that he wouldn't be picked before the third round, and possibly not at all.

He said the scouts didn't question his poise. Nor did they worry about his age, 27, or the soundness of his surgically repaired neck. He said they did express reservations about his lack of mobility as mobility becomes more vital for a quarterback to succeed in the NFL.

At 6 feet 5, 240 pounds, Weinke is no Shaun King.

But he said that can change.

"From today until we start up again, I'm dedicating myself to being the best quarterback in the country," said Weinke, who added that he is equally as excited about finishing his degree in sports management. He needs 18 credit hours.

"I think I've got the ability, and I know I have the heart to be the best," he said. "Right now (NFL scouts) don't see me as one of the best quarterbacks in the country. They see so many great athletes here at Florida State, sometimes they question the quarterback's ability. I'm telling you right now, I want to be the best. I'm not settling, and I'm not happy with being a fifth-, sixth- or seventh-round pick in the NFL. That doesn't excite me."

Weinke said that after sustaining his career-threatening neck injury against Virginia in November 1998, he focused more on staying healthy than improving.

"I was afraid to lift weights," he said. "I was afraid to really get in there and become the best I could be. ... I think with a lot of hard work, I can get quicker; I can become a lot more mobile. ... There's still an upside to me. I really think there is, even at my age."

Just as important, Richt said, Weinke will benefit from more starts. Despite his age, Weinke has started only 22 games in the past decade. Weinke originally signed with FSU in 1990, but he played minor-league baseball for six years before returning to school and college football.

"He can become a more accurate passer and a better decision-maker," Richt said.

Weinke completed 232 of 377 passes last season (61.5 percent) for 3,103 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also threw 14 interceptions. He was the nation's seventh-highest rated quarterback.

"He stabilized the whole season for us," Richt said, referring to Weinke's leadership through a plethora of off-the-field problems and adversity on the field. "There's no doubt in my mind he's the reason we weathered the storm. Football is such a game of momentum, and if you're not mature enough to handle the swing going against you, you start to press or you start to make stupid mistakes. He just won't do that. We might get beat, but it won't because he panicked or he couldn't handle the pressure."

With Weinke starting, FSU is 21-1. "I had 15-20 callers over the weekend who said, "Why wouldn't you go? You just went 12-0 and won a championship. You're at the top of the mountain,' " Weinke said. "For me personally, I'm not at the top of the mountain yet."

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