flgreen Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Bryce Petty sticking to the plan: Life lessons on the job with NY Jets Former Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty signs an autograph for a young fan at the opening of Greg May Hyundai on Thursday. Buy this photo Posted: Sunday, July 12, 2015 12:01 am By BRICE CHERRY bcherry@wacotrib.com Bryce Petty is positive that God has a sense of humor. He has seen evidence of it in his own life, as he’s frequently been ushered into life’s waiting room with not so much as a magazine to read. But Petty also believes that God has a plan. So in May, when the two-time Big 12 champion quarterback from Baylor was forced to wait until the fourth round to get a draft call, he chose not to panic. Trust the plan, he reminded himself. “My whole motto going into it was, it doesn’t matter when I get drafted, just what I do when I get there,” Petty said. “I guess God was like, ‘All right. We’ll see when this happens.’ That kind of thing. Seeing where I’m at now, and looking back on it, honestly it’s perfect.” Petty entered the draft ranked as the third-best quarterback prospect by several media pundits, behind Florida State’s Jameis Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. But 102 players — and four quarterbacks — were taken before the New York Jets selected Petty in the fourth round. Before the process, Petty had boldly declared himself the best QB prospect on the board. He wasn’t trying to brag. He simply trusts his talent, and was determined to outwork his rivals. So as he waited for hours, even days, the sting of being overlooked intensified. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed,” said Petty, who was in Waco Thursday for the grand opening of Greg May Hyundai. “But I think I was only disappointed over what it could have been, if that makes sense. Obviously I felt I was just as good if not better than the quarterbacks coming out. No undermining them — Marcus, Jameis, Sean (Mannion), (Garrett) Grayson — all those guys are awesome. Just to be drafted is a great accomplishment, but as a competitor you always want to be the best.” Petty, 24, has had to wait before. He grayshirted for a year before enrolling at Baylor in 2010. After a redshirt season, he served as an apprentice under Robert Griffin III and Nick Florence for two more years before finally getting his shot as a starter in 2013. That delay worked out fine for both Petty and the Bears. He piloted the Bears to consecutive conference titles, throwing for a combined 8,055 yards and 61 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions. He also ran for 20 scores. “There is always a plan in everything,” Petty said. “Inevitably, in every part of my career, it’s taken me a while to see it, but once it does it’s so much better than what I anticipated.” Since the draft, Petty has endured a whirlwind existence. He has gotten his feet wet at three Jets minicamps, participated in a bevy of media sessions and tracked down an apartment in Morristown, a 40-minute drive from New York City. More than anything, he’s trying to be a sponge and absorb every bit of offensive wisdom he can from the Jets coaching staff. “I’ve got some learning to do. It’s a different game,” Petty said. “New rules, it’s very situational. As opposed to Baylor, where you just go out and sling it. Everything is very calculated. So as a quarterback you have to know down-and-distance situations more so than ever. It’s challenging and fun.” The Jets have former West Virginia star Geno Smith as the incumbent starter at quarterback. But Smith hasn’t set the world on fire in his first two seasons, throwing for a combined 25 touchdowns and 34 interceptions. Petty hasn’t made any bold predictions and doesn’t plan on doing so. He said he has two goals when the Jets break camp on July 31: To compete as hard as he can and to become a better quarterback today than he was yesterday. If he ends up holding a clipboard, he’s fine with that. He still plans to prepare for every game as if he’s the starter, a lesson he learned biding his time with the Bears. “Who knows when the opportunity is going to come,” Petty said. “Whether it’s this season, next year, three years from now, who knows? What I want to do is be ready for it and not let it pass me up, because I was too naïve or too prideful to prepare like I was the starter. “It’s funny now. The difference in going from college to the NFL, I don’t have long-term goals. There is no long term. Everything is right now, because that’s all I’ve got.” At the same time, Petty plans to be himself — a piece of advice Griffin imparted — and to enjoy the ride. Petty seldom stops smiling. He has an effervescence, a bubbliness, that endears him to fans, a horde of whom descended on the car dealership Thursday to gather autographs and photos. Life is good right now. He is single, 24 years old, cashing an NFL player’s paycheck and living in the “city that never sleeps.” It’s a long way from his hometown of Midlothian, that’s for sure. “It’s different than the five stop lights I had in Midlothian,” Petty said. “That’s another funny thing, where God has a plan for it. To put me there on that scale, that platform, you couldn’t get into a bigger market as far as the media goes. Could be a good thing, could be a bad thing, depending on how you look at it.” Petty’s old coach at Baylor, Art Briles, thinks the quarterback will end up making new Jets coach Todd Bowles look very smart. “Jets fans are in for a treat,” Briles told the New York Daily News. As is often the case with Petty, time will tell. He’s accustomed to waiting, so he’s prepared if that is on the agenda again. So he was a fourth-round pick. He’s still in the NFL, right? He’s still “living the dream,” as he said. Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick, and he turned out OK. “It’s been great, an unbelievable experience,” Petty said. “As a 6-year-old, or as a kid, saying you want to play in the NFL, I’m sure there are a lot of kids who say that. Very few actually get the opportunity to do it. It’s so humbling to hear your name. To pick up the phone and hear a GM and a coach on the other line is a feeling that will never leave me. I’ll always remember.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nj meadowlands Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Didn't realize he was 24. Interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetCane Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 But Petty also believes that God has a plan. OMG! He believes in God! Another Tebow!!! LOL, j/k I HOPE he is the NYJ QB of the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T0mShane Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 BRICE CHERRY bcherry@wacotrib.com Stripper name Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 He has maturity and ability. Two good qualities to have in a mid-round project. You never, never know with QB's so I like that he's on the roster. Gives us something to root for even if/when our QB play causes us more pain in 2015. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gastineau Lives Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I wish God would have had a plan for the other 312 quarterbacks we've had in my lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Damn, he's old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flushing Roots Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 He mentioned God once in the article. He isn't a Tebow. Calm down. +1 I embrace his kind of demeanor. Don't think we'll see him cold cock his wife, beat his kids, pack heat or catch him jerking off in the Target parking lot on Route 10 in East Hanover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Harper Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Damn, he's old. Two years less of beatings. And maybe a bit more mature. His age is the least of our worries. Doesn't matter now and if it becomes an issue that means we will have gotten many productive years out of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Two years less of beatings. And maybe a bit more mature. His age is the least of our worries. Doesn't matter now and if it becomes an issue that means we will have gotten many productive years out of him. At that age, I would of guessed he'd be less raw. A year or two after sitting, he's going to be 25, 26 years old. At the end of the day, if he can turn out to be a franchise QB, I'd be happy as hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdetroit Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Don't have high hopes for Petty. If he turned out to be even a decent QB I would be thrilled but that's unlikely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Harper Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Don't have high hopes for Petty. If he turned out to be even a decent QB I would be thrilled but that's unlikely. They guy has tools and a good attitude. Stranger things have happened but the odds are against it, even with first round picks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j4jets Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 +1 I embrace his kind of demeanor. Don't think we'll see him cold cock his wife, beat his kids, pack heat or catch him jerking off in the Target parking lot on Route 10 in East Hanover. *Inflategate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#27TheDominator Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Bryce Petty sticking to the plan: Life lessons on the job with NY Jets If he ends up holding a clipboard, he’s fine with that. He still plans to prepare for every game as if he’s the starter, a lesson he learned biding his time with the Bears. #notmichaelvick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirorob Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Damn, he's old. And QB's are only good till they are about 38, so that means we have a max of 14 years with the guy, if he works out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cant wait Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Sounds like the kid has all the tools you want in a QB except the experience. Glad the jets are developing a developmental player for a change Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetBlue Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I don't get the whole age thing. If he emerges as our starting quarterback next year or the year after, he will only be 26 and would have had one/two years of apprenticeship under his belt. He should have a good 6 - 8 productive years and that is more than enough for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I don't get the whole age thing. If he emerges as our starting quarterback next year or the year after, he will only be 26 and would have had one/two years of apprenticeship under his belt. He should have a good 6 - 8 productive years and that is more than enough for me. Having a real QB for any length of time would be very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetBlue Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Having a real QB for any length of time would be very nice. Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 If he can progress in the next couple of years as a starter for us so what he is 24. Hopefully that makes him more mature going into this situation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RutgersJetFan Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I don't get the whole age thing. It's the amount of time for which a person or animal has lived. This is normally measured in years, or cycles of 365 days, the time it takes the Earth to make one full revolution around the sun. It begins on the day of your birth. So, for example, if you were born on July 13, 2010, you would be 5 years old today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetBlue Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 It's the amount of time for which a person or animal has lived. This is normally measured in years, or cycles of 365 days, the time it takes the Earth to make one full revolution around the sun. It begins on the day of your birth. So, for example, if you were born on July 13, 2010, you would be 5 years old today. You never stop do you? I guess in your world you are really clever; in the real world you are just boring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljr Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 May it be so - 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgb Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I don't get the whole age thing. If he emerges as our starting quarterback next year or the year after, he will only be 26 and would have had one/two years of apprenticeship under his belt. He should have a good 6 - 8 productive years and that is more than enough for me. Having a real QB for any length of time would be very nice. Jets fans would bitch about the taxes if they won Powerball Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetBlue Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Jets fans would bitch about the taxes if they won Powerball No doubt, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerfish Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 This is when you draft and older QB with some talent that is worth taking a risk on. Not 22nd overall in the 1st round like the Browns did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RutgersJetFan Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 You never stop do you? I guess in your world you are really clever; in the real world you are just boring. I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdetroit Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 They guy has tools and a good attitude. Stranger things have happened but the odds are against it, even with first round picks. Physically he has the tools but so did Ryan Leaf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljr Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Physically he has the tools but so did Ryan Leaf. Good job leaving out the second character trait in your quote! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetfrantik Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I think the Jets addressed the QB position perfectly in the offseason. All things considered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet Nut Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Physically he has the tools but so did Ryan Leaf. So? He's not Leaf anymore than he's Rogers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
win4ever Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Petty is a really interesting guy, that is going to look bad in preseason games I think, and most people are going to jump ship on him. I don't expect him to do much at all this year, because he has such a learning curve to go on, and he also has some mechanical issues to fix. But for a project QB, he does fit the bill. Good size, great arm, good IQ, good accuracy, and seems to be a hard worker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetster Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Best thing about Petty is he needs to be tutored to play in an NFL offense & we have Chan Gailey here as his teacher. I had a computer glass years ago & it was Cobalt (funny what a waste of time), but this guy was a horrible teacher. Everyone would walk out of class looking at each other with dread because we had no idea what we were learning. I heard Gil Brandt talking about Chan & considers him a very patient teacher and that is one of his best qualities. Bringing Petty along slowly while letting him learn the offense under a teacher who has had great success with mediocre QBs will make it exciting to watch his progression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Harper Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Physically he has the tools but so did Ryan Leaf. Wasn't known for his attitude, though. Even when he was drafted he was widely known to be a d-bag. But you're right, why not compare a 4th round project with one of the worst draft picks of all time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitonti Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Damn, he's old. 5 years passed between his high school senior year and his starting at Baylor junior year of college. he's actually in Geno Smith's prep recruiting class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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