Jordan Steffy didn’t have to listen to criticism of his play. He didn’t have to read the stat sheet to know about his interception, fumble and 0-for-5 night.
Instead of throwing a tantrum in anger or slamming his helmet to the ground in frustration, the sophomore quarterback spent Saturday night thinking – thinking instead of sleeping.
“There’s a time when you’re alone, when you deal with yourself personally,” Steffy said. “It didn’t feel good, to say the least.”
Running with the ball, Steffy lost his shoe. Trying to find Isaiah Williams on a third-down play, Steffy’s pass instead ended up in the hands of Tribe defensive back Kevin Allen. After Steffy handed the ball off to running back Josh Allen, the ball fell to the grass, and William & Mary defenders pounced on it to recover the fumble.
It just wasn’t Steffy’s night.
Coach Ralph Friedgen said putting Steffy into the game for his first action since 2004 may have been a mistake that cost his team some momentum. Still, after the game, during his Sunday teleconference and at his weekly media luncheon yesterday, Friedgen was unflinching in his belief that Steffy can raise his level of play.
“I talked to Jordan [Monday]. He’s disappointed. He knows he can play better. I told him I know he can play better,” Friedgen said. “The reason I put him in was I wanted to see how he would handle that situation. … He’s a very confident individual, and I think he can bounce back.”
Bouncing back was something Steffy said he should have done after throwing the second-quarter interception. The fumble in his final series only sealed the frustration for a player who has yet to start a game in a Terp uniform.
But yesterday, after time had allowed his performance to sink in, Steffy said he’s not worried about regaining his confidence – or restoring his reputation in the minds of his teammates or coaches.
“It’s not really about getting confidence back right now. It does nothing for my confidence,” said Steffy, who was still wearing tape on his middle finger from an injury he suffered Aug. 26. “Obviously the situation wasn’t as big of a deal as if it was a big game or something like that, but the way I look at it is, every time I can step on the field I want to perform to my best ability, and I don’t feel that was.”
Steffy’s teammates shared words of empathy with the quarterback and emphasized that they felt he could play as well in games as he has shown in practices and scrimmages. Sophomore wide receiver Danny Oquendo tried to lift Steffy’s spirits. And though senior Josh Allen said yesterday afternoon he hadn’t spoken with Steffy about his performance, his experience is a lesson of its own.
“I hope he’s not discouraged. You go out there, you make mistakes. As many times as I’ve been in the game, as many big plays as I’ve made, I’ve made just as many mistakes,” Allen said. “But you have to learn how to perform, how to bounce back and still have that confidence that you can go out there and make those big plays.”
Confidence was the central idea when reporters asked Friedgen and Steffy about rebounding from Saturday night. Steffy shrugged off his lack of confidence, but smiled and said he was glad his coach believes in him.
Driven by internal means, Steffy hasn’t let outside criticism or beliefs – even Friedgen’s – seep into his psyche.
“As far as what or how [Friedgen] thinks, that doesn’t change the way that I think, necessarily,” Steffy said. “That’s good to know that [Friedgen believes in him], but whether he does or doesn’t – or people in the stands do or don’t – that doesn’t change the way I feel.”
When asked if he’d put Steffy into a similar situation against Middle Tennessee, Friedgen said he didn’t have any reservations about it but wouldn’t make any promises to his quarterback.
As for the Terps’ upcoming game against the Blue Raiders, Steffy said he sees it as his next chance to illustrate his abilities and get redemption for a turbulent night. Saturday can’t come soon enough.
“In situations like that, you do one of two things: You either want to crawl up in a ball and run away from the situation, or you want the next opportunity,” Steffy said. “I can’t wait for the next time I step on the field. That’s the way I am. That’s the way I handle situations like that.”
Steffy’s struggles
Backup quarterback Jordan Steffy had a tough game against William & Mary. Below is his drive chart.
Drive Plays Yards Comp.-Att. Drive / Time Result
First Drive 5 10 0-2 2:17 / INT
Second Drive 3 -1 0-1 1:49 / PUNT
Third Drive 3 2 0-2 1:17 / PUNT
Fourth Drive 3 6 0-0 2:00 / FUMBLE
Contact reporter Stephen Whyno at whynodbk@gmail.com.
