Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig has kept every playbook he has been given since he arrived at BC, and estimated each one is between 200-250 pages.
Remember the Eagles’ short-time offensive coordinator, Kevin Rogers? He came to BC from the Minnesota Vikings where he was quarterbacks coach for Brett Favre. And he brought his playbook with him.
“All he did was take that playbook, he changed the NFL logo to an ACC logo, and the Minnesota Vikings logo to a BC logo,” Rettig said. “A play would be like, West-spread-slot-fit-94-TR-naked-wineback-z-jack-slide-blah-blah-blah-alert, 200-jet-alco-special. Some guys across the country are like, ‘that’s play 32.’”
Rogers was only a part of the Eagles’ coordinator carousel.
“Ideally, five coordinators in three and a half years isn’t the best situation,” Rettig deadpanned, “especially when you start as a true freshman.”
Rettig is entering his final season with the Eagles, which means the hire of Ryan Day has to be his last coordinator. Has to be, right? Don’t feel too bad for Rettig, though. He’s handled it well and chosen to look at the bright side of things.
“I have a different perspective for the game,” he said. “I’m 21 years old. I feel like I’m a professional. College football is not an amateur sport by no means. A new offense? I’ll learn it and I’ll teach it to everyone else. It hasn’t been a problem for me at all. If anything it’s made me grow stronger and more knowledgeable about the game. In the future, if I ever get a chance to play at the next level, I’ll have five offenses I can bounce off of them: one that’s a West Coast offense, where you have 15- 16-word plays that a lot of guys don’t know when they’re getting interviewed to go to the next level. It will definitely help me out.”
The Eagles are hoping Rettig’s experience helps them out, first.
Rettig has been the starting quarterback in each of the Eagles’ past 32 games over the past three seasons. He hasn’t missed a game since a foot injury sidelined him for the NC State game on Oct. 19, 2010. For all of the transition he has gone through on the sideline, he has still been productive -- if not always consistent -- on the field. Last season, he became BC’s fourth 3,000-yard passer in program history (3,198), and threw for more yards in a season than any other freshman, sophomore or junior in school history.
Those within the program are confident that his past experiences and vast knowledge of several playbooks are only going to benefit the team this fall under first-year coach Steven Addazio.
“That just goes to show he’ll be able to handle whatever gets thrown at him,” said linebacker Steele Divitto. “The hope is that when he gets to the next level, there is a system for him, instead of trying to fit him into a system. But he’s done an excellent job of responding and keeping his head up.”
And in his latest playbook.