GAMEDAY: UNI's Lanpher ready when called at quarterback

By Nancy Justis, correspondent

A George Cecil quote appears in every week's University of Northern Iowa quarterbacks playbook.

“On the Plains of Hesitation bleach the bones of countless millions, who, at the Dawn of Victory, sat down to wait, and waiting – died.”

It's a quote that UNI red shirt freshman quarterback Jared Lanpher lives by.

“I take that quote to mean you can't wait for something to happen,” he said. “If you get the chance you take it with everything you've got. I was able to get my first start.”

Lanpher learned from the sidelines and on the scout team last year. He was thrown into the skirmish two weeks ago at North Dakota State when senior starting signal caller Tirrell Rennie went down with injuries. Lanpher responded by leading a drive for a Panther score before a late interception ended the Panthers' chances at a come-from-behind victory.

Rennie remained on the sidelines last week in the UNI-Dome against Youngstown State. Lanpher got his first career start, leading the Panthers to a 21-17 win, preserving the team's playoff hunt. He completed 16-of-28 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. His effort earned him Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week honors.

The difficult part of being a backup, particularly at quarterback, is most of the time you don't know when you will be called upon to put the team on your shoulders.

“The North Dakota State game was very sudden,” Lanpher said. “It happened so fast I really didn't have time to think. Just staying focused. That was my first real action, to see the blitzes coming, the coverages. It felt good to go down there and score on that first drive.”

UNI Coach Mark Farley said he was comfortable putting Lanpher in the game at that point in time. “Jared brings a lot to our team that we can do in the throwing game. He doesn't run like Tirrell, but he's very accurate, very sound in the passing game, and he understands our offense. He's a confident young man.”

Lanpher grew up in Blue Springs, Mo.m  and played baseball, primarily catcher.

“I really didn't like football when I was young,” he said, quitting late in his elementary school years. He took it up again when he tired of baseball but in his first game in eighth grade, he broke two bones in his forearm. He started at quarterback beginning his sophomore year. His team went to the playoffs all three years.

He learned much about being a quarterback from his older brother by four years, Ryan.

“We lived on a cul de sac and we were always throwing around some kind of ball,” Lanpher said. “I hate to admit that I'm thankful he always kind of beat me up when we were younger. He taught me a lot.”

Lanpher went to the same school as UNI senior running back Carlos Anderson, so he knew something of the Panthers and their tradition. He said he got strung along a lot from some larger programs, such as Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa, always telling him, “If so-and-so doesn't commit, you're next in line.” Lanpher went to an Iowa football camp one day and a UNI camp the next day. Coach Farley saw him at Iowa while watching his own son participate, then offered Lanpher a chance to play for the Panthers the very next day.

“I just wanted someone to want me as much as I wanted to play football,” Lanpher said. “I couldn't be happier with the decision I made coming here.”

Another draw to the UNI program was quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Mario Verduzco.

“There were other schools that were kind of interesting, but the way I saw it was if I want to spend five years of my life playing football for (some) coach, I don't want it to be all business 24-seven,” Lanpher said. “It's fun. Football is a game and Coach ‘Verdu' always brings that and more to the game. I know I can always count on him for anything.”

So how will he feel if he doesn't get the opportunity to play as much the remainder of the season when Rennie returns to action?

“That's my role,” he said. “I know that (Rennie) is the starter and I'm the backup QB. I feel like the opportunity I've already had is going to keep me working harder and harder and harder.

“There's only one quarterback out there and if something happens to Tirrell, my motivation is not to let (the team) down. Not to lose a beat in the game.”

Lanpher has exhibited poise on the field for someone so young and inexperienced.

“Ultimately, Jared understands that as quarterbacks we are but one cog in the wheel of success or failure; that our importance as members of the team can't be decided by our function and understands that we play a most critical role because of the level of our responsibility within the framework of the team,” Verduzco said. “He understands this dynamic and takes function and responsibility seriously.

“Like all successful quarterbacks, Jared loves the game.”

Before every game, Lanpher reads a letter his brother wrote him.

“He wrote it when I was younger, when he first went off to college," he said. "He told me to keep working hard, how proud he was, how he wishes he could be at every game. He did come to (the Youngstown State) game. He's my mentor. He always worked real hard but things never worked out for him (athletically) like they have for me.

“It just made me want to work harder. He's proven to me just because things don't work out doesn't mean you should stop.”

“Jared is a good quarterback so we don't really break stride if he comes into the game right now," Farley said.  "If he lines up for us and starts for us on Saturday, that's not a bad thing.

“Everyone will have more comfort in him after he's played a full game and handled the situations he's handled.”