Penn State Backup QB Spot No Longer in Jeopardy: The Answer is Tommy Stevens

Speaking of Tommy Stevens…20 questions and an answer…

1. Backup quarterbacks who transferred out of Penn State:

Steven Bench, Rob Bolden, Pat Devlin, Tyler Ferguson, Jeff Hostetler, Steve Joachim, Paul Jones, Kevin Newsome, Michael O’Connor, John Sacca, Austin Whipple and Zac Wasserman.

2. Penn State backup quarterbacks who did not:

Tommy Stevens.

3. Penn State backup quarterbacks who transferred and made good:

Joachim, who won the Maxwell Award at Temple and was a backup in the NFL with the New York Jets; Hostetler, who starred at West Virginia, where he married the head coach’s daughter, then won the Super Bowl with the New York Giants, as a backup who started after starter Phil Simms was injured; and Devlin, who led Delaware to the FCS title game then was a backup to the backup for a couple of NFL teams.

4. Penn State quarterback with two years of eligibility remaining, in 2018 and 2019:

Tommy Stevens.

5. The ultimate versatile Penn State quarterback, who threw 505 passes for 3,531 yards, ran 369 times for 1,637 yards, caught 52 passes for 629 yards, returned 2 punts for 18 yards, and was responsible for 46 touchdowns, yet was the full-time starter for only one season:

Michael Robinson.

6. Penn State quarterback who averaged 7.13 yards every time he touched the ball in 2016-17, and created a touchdown every 8.18 times he touched the ball:

That would be No. 2, who at Penn State has passed for 16 of 30 for 194 yards and three touchdowns; run 48 times for 388 yards and six TDs; and caught 12 passes for 60 yards and two scores.

7. Penn State quarterback who’s played running back, receiver, wildcat, quarterback, tight end, wingback, punter, outside linebacker, safety and cornerback, in high school and college:

Tommy Stevens.

8. Penn State quarterback who in high school broke his pinky as a wide receiver, then learned a variation of the RPO trade as a wishbone quarterback as a junior and senior:

Decatur Central High School’s own No. 23, Tommy Stevens.

9. Penn State quarterback who punted nine times for a 33.6-yard average, with a long of 48, and had 11 running two-point conversations for those same Decatur Hawks.

The same quarterback who had these stats for the DCHS Navy Blue and Varsity Gold:

2013 (jr., 10 games) – Passing: 97 of 197 (49.2%) for 1,526 yards, 13 TDs, 5 int. Rushing: 109 carries for 785 yards, 7.2-yard ave., 7 TDs. 

2014 (sr., 11 games) – Passing: 126 of 212 (59.4%) for 1,891 yards, 16 TDs, 6 int. Rushing: 172 carries for 842 yards, 4.9-yard ave., 10 TDs.

H.S. career (23 games) – Passing: 223 of 409 (54.5%) for 3,417 yards, 29 TDs, 11 int. Rushing: 281 carries for 1,627 yards, 5.8-yard ave., 17 TDs.

10. Penn State’s 6-foot-5 quarterback, who came to campus from Indianapolis in January 2015 and has grown an inch and gained 45 pounds — from 187 to 232 — in his 39 months at Penn State.

Thomas Mason Stevens.

11. Penn State quarterback who is also listed a ‘Lion,’ though he isn’t quite sure what that job description entails.

Tommy Stevens, who said this week, ‘Not that I know of, unless someone has said differently.’

12. Penn State quarterback who carried the ball 21 times in 2016, with nine going for first downs and two going for touchdowns, with runs of 12, 12, 13, 13, 18, 31 and 45 yards.

Tommy Stevens.

13. Penn State quarterback who carried the ball 27 times in 2016, with 11 going for first downs and four going for touchdowns, with runs of 13, 14, 20, 20 and 21 yards.

Same guy.

14. Penn State quarterbacks who in 2017 did not play a down at Iowa, against Indiana, at Ohio State or at Michigan State:

Jake Zembiec, Sean Clifford and Tommy Stevens.

15. Penn State quarterback who caught three passes for minus one yard, and didn’t throw a pass or carry the football against Washington in the Fiesta Bowl.

Tommy Stevens.

16. Penn State quarterbacks who expect to play a lot more in 2018.

Tommy Stevens, who said on Wednesday: ‘They told me this is what we’re going to do if I stay. I do expect an increased role next season.’

17. Penn State quarterback who was riding a little blue cart and had his right foot in a walking boot at practice on Wednesday, but no one has said why.

@TMS_II.

18. Penn State quarterback who has matured a ton and has shown a lot of loyalty to Penn State.

No longer the man once called Tommy Boy, who on Wednesday said, ‘Being patient is going to help me in the long run. It’s going to help me in life, especially when things don’t go my way.’

19. Penn State quarterback who will help Penn State win football games in 2018:

Trace McSorley.

And Tommy Stevens.

20. Parting words of Tommy Stevens at his 9-minute, 21-second ‘I’m staying’ presser in Holuba Hall on Wednesday:

‘This is an incredible place. I couldn’t be happier to be here.’