ISU's Jantz the man of Steele

AMES - Steele Jantz gazed into the distance, then summoned an answer he didn't need to formulate.

The Iowa State quarterback's response was intuitive, matter-of-fact.

The word "setback" - and he's encountered plenty in the past five years - simply didn't register with the senior who once lived under the shell of his 1995 Ford F-250 along the undulating streets of San Francisco.

"I don't really think in terms of that," said the well-traveled Jantz, who won the No. 1 spot for the Sept. 1 season opener. "I think having quote, unquote setbacks is - first of all, there are people who've had way worse setbacks than I ever have had. So with that in mind, I'm kind of like, ‘Well, it can't be that bad.' Secondly, I just think that whatever happens, I'm better for it, so I'm not really sitting here thinking, ‘Man, I've been through so much, I hope it's finally over.'"

The scope of Jantz's trials and triumphs creates a sweeping tableau.

Two games into his senior year at Nevada Union (Calif.) High School, a broken leg sent him to the sidelines.

He fell off Division I football teams' radar, but remained steadfast in his commitment to be a quarterback at the next level.

"When I broke my leg I didn't want that to be the reason I didn't make it," said Jantz, who edged sophomore Jared Barnett for the Cyclones' starting slot. "And I knew for a lot of people that things like that were the reason, so it was almost like - it kind of gave me a determination, and from there I kind of never really looked back. Like the truck, (walking on at) Hawaii, everything, since I'd already been through something like that it didn't really faze me. It was like ‘just another struggle' type of thing."

Just like last season.

Jantz starred in impressive comeback wins over Northern Iowa and Iowa, flashing both a strong arm and nimble feet.

He also struggled with turnovers, tossing 11 interceptions while connecting for 10 touchdowns.

Barnett took over at Texas Tech, leading the Cyclones to a 41-7 win over the then-No. 19 Red Raiders.

He also shined in the biggest upset in ISU history - throwing for a career-best 376 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-31 double-overtime win over BCS title contender Oklahoma State.

So while Jantz is secure in the starting lineup for now, "another struggle" could change that.

"I'm excited about all the quarterbacks we've got," said the Cyclones' first-year offensive coordinator, Courtney Messingham. "We won't have a quick hook. It's Steele's job, but you feel very comfortable with all the guys that have been taking snaps and that's a good feeling to have."

ISU Coach Paul Rhoads said film study out of the final fall scrimmage confirmed that Jantz had inched ahead of Barnett in terms of decision-making, accuracy and play-making ability.

"Is he better? Sure he is," Rhoads said when asked to compare the 2011 Jantz to the 2012 version. "He's better in every way. He's a better athlete. He's a better runner. And I think we would all agree that he was a pretty dynamic runner a year ago. But as the season unfolds we'll try to keep those mistakes minimized and in check and move forward from there."

Moving forward has never been a problem for Jantz, who for a time in high school slept in a tent on a sprawling backcountry property his parents bought in the shadow of the Tahoe National Forest. Up and over he went - from the broken leg, the 2009 walk-on attempt at Hawaii, to the night-to-night challenges entailed in living out of his truck in 2010 while playing at City College of San Francisco.

"It did get pretty sketchy," said Jantz, who eventually got an apartment.

It also was an adventure of sorts, though break-ins occurred often enough he began leaving the truck unlocked to avoid the hassle of broken windows.

"I kind of got out of there in the nick of time," he said

On the field, Jantz's possessions have increased in value.

In the field, they hold little significance.

The take-away: Spartan simplicity can spur success, in life and in football.

"My teammates always make fun of me because I don't have a TV," Jantz said.

"I don't have an Xbox. If you go to my room, I could pack it up in 10 minutes and it would look like nobody was ever there. I am kind of like that, where I believe less is more and almost in a primitive way of living. I think that kind of has come from the way I have lived already."