“Stepping Up”
Jackson State University quarterback Casey Therriault just completed a dream season. The six-foot-three, 205-pound field general led his Tigers to an outstanding record of 9-2 and a third place finish in SBN’s final Black College Football Poll.
As of late, winning football games is nothing new at “J-State.” Over the past two seasons Therriault has been a contributing factor in their successful 17-5 run. Prior to that, the football program had been struggling, and the former JUCO (junior college) transfer was excited and grateful when Head Coach Rick Comegy gave him the opportunity to join the program.
“He gave me the opportunity to continue my dream and he was the only one who gave me a chance,” reflected Therriault. “He promised the administration he was doing the right thing and, if they gave (me) a chance, they would fall in line and agree with him.”
“It really made me feel good,” Therriault says. “When I got there, they expressed to me that the program was coming off a couple of losing seasons and they were looking for leaders,” “I was willing to put myself on the line for the university that gave me a second chance,” adding, five losses, to me, is still too many, but it was still a great experience, and to have the teammates I had. We all put in our best efforts.”
With his eyes clearly on the prize, Therriault is well aware of those who have stood by his side during some challenging times in his life. His parents, Ed and Julie Therriault, have been his anchors he says. “There are times in everyone’s life, and mine was more extreme, where you feel like you’re letting people around you down, but if you’re lucky enough to have people around you, people who give you second chances, than you go and prove yourself. You wind up doing it for people you love more than for yourself. And if you have both those things motivating you, it can take you a lot of places.”
This past season Therriault was riding an almost perfect wave. During the campaign he posted nearly four thousand yards passing with 27 touchdowns and a 143.7 passer rating. He sported a completion rate of 60 percent and rushed for nine Tiger touchdowns. Therriault’s big number signature game was an incredible 539 passing yards (32 for 44) and four touchdowns against Alcorn State.
The native of Wyoming Park, Michigan, threw for more than 400 yards in four games and exceeded the 300-yard passing mark five times. On the heels of the Alcorn State game, the signal caller became the Tigers’ single season leader in passes, completing 372, while piling up 3,808 yards and total offense of 3,911 total yards. He was a member of last year’s SBN All American team, but this past season his game broke loose as he piloted J-State’s high velocity offense.
“You feel more comfortable when you get a year under your belt with your teammates,” Therriault says, “We had a better record, we scored more points, and averaged more yards on offense. Everything was kind of new last year, so coming into this year I felt more comfortable and usually you produce more, so that’s kind of what happened.”
The signal caller believes his team’s offense took a while to begin running full throttle. “We sort of expected it to just happen, but towards the end of the season we started scoring in the fifties and throwing 400 yards. As the season went on we started getting used to each other and understanding one another more.”
It didn’t take a think tank full of football cognoscenti locked in a room for days debating which player will lift this year’s Doug Williams Offensive Player of the Year Trophy. It was without question that the man behind center from Jackson State was the one.
Addressing the honor, Therriault says, “You work towards your goal along with your team, and you try your best. At the end of the season after all the hard work you might get an award for what you did for your team and your university. All my teammates should get the recognition. It’s good to represent my university.”
Therriault, who grew up watching and admiring quarterbacks Tom Brady, Troy Aikman and John Elway, is honored to have played for the proud and storied program. The program celebrated its 100th anniversary this past season and is proud of the fact that they helped develop celebrated football players like All Time Great, “Sweetness” Walter Payton, Hall of Fame inductees Lem ”The Motor City Kitty” Barney, Jackie Slater and one of the most feared linebackers of his era, Robert Brazille.
“Growing up I heard about those guys,” says a thoughtful Therriault, “and you never expect to be talked about in the same sentence with them,” he says. “Obviously they went on to accomplish a great deal more than I can even dream of right now. I’m from a great tradition and a great school and it would feel good to follow in the steps of the greats.”
This year’s Doug Williams Offensive Player of the Year recipient would like nothing better than to close out his collegiate career by stepping up in the pocket on the field of an NFL camp. You can rest assured, if the opportunity presents itself; there is little doubt that Casey Therriault would be all over it like rust on a pump handle.
“I’m working out. I’m training. Obviously all you can do is be grateful if somebody wants to give you a shot. I can guarantee if I get a shot they won’t be disappointed. I’m very focused on my goals and I’m more than ready to be successful.”
Somebody blow the whistle, this J-State Tiger is stepping up and is ready to bring it.