After watching Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson with a close eye for the past three seasons, former Razorback quarterback and current radio broadcaster Quinn Grovey admits he is a big fan of the current signal-caller, particularly Jefferson’s constant production and outstanding football IQ on the field.
“But the main thing I love about KJ is the fact that he protects the football – you never feel like he’s going to make a mistake,” said Grovey, an all- Southwest Conference QB for the Hogs from 1987-90. “When you have a quarterback that is so stingy with the football, opposing defensive coordinators have to go above and beyond to try to get him to make a mistake.
“He’s just a winner, and he’s super smart.”
The two frequently compete against each other on the Madden video football game, and even in that capacity, Grovey is always impressed with how well Jefferson sees the entire game and makes the proper adjustments.
“I know it may sound goofy because it’s just a video game, but you don’t realize how real the scenarios are in Madden — a lot of it is just the little things that most people wouldn’t even notice,” Grovey said. “It sounds crazy, but I think Madden can be one of the best trainers as far as what they do with the schemes, what they do with the defenses, and how you need to understand those things. Madden can really stretch your football IQ.
Although, their primary purpose for playing the game is friendly competition and trash-talking each other, their epic on-screen battles have given Grovey a chance to see another side of Jefferson’s creative and critical thought process.
“At the end of the day, you realize how well he sees the entire game and everything you are trying to throw at him. He gets it.
“As a quarterback, you have to be able to have recall on the sideline, and be able to adjust to teams. Because they may throw something at you that you didn’t see on film. They may burn you one time, but KJ is not going to let you burn him twice. So, his recall, to be able to see something, correct it and move forward, is big.”
Grovey, who also serves as the color analysts for Razorback broadcasts, is expecting Jefferson’s number to expand this season, anticipating 30 touchdowns through the air and at least 10 on the ground. But his true measure of success will come with how many games are won on the field.
“He has gotten better every year that he’s played,” Grovey said. “But really, it just comes down to how many games you win. That’s really it. If you want to be mentioned with the Heisman and some of that other stuff, you have to win big games. He will be a leader and have big stats, and will go down as one of the best quarterbacks in Arkansas history. But when it comes down to that bigger stuff, it will all come down to how many games you win, and that’s simply the answer.”
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