One phrase. That’s all it takes Kansas State coach Chris Klieman to explain essentially the most defining on-field high quality Dolphins rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson confirmed him throughout his faculty profession.
“Confidence,” Klieman mentioned. “The number one thing is confidence.”
Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle picked up the identical vibe.
“He’s confident he can make every throw,” Waddle mentioned. “He’s confident he knows what the defense is in and trusts his reads.”
Thompson has a maturity past his years, and it’s partly as a result of he was steeled by disaster early in life.
The confidence and early-life challenges are a few causes Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith mentioned Thompson is “not your average rookie.”
Thompson, a seventh-round decide, is scheduled to make his first NFL begin Sunday towards the Minnesota Vikings (4-1) because the Dolphins (3-2) attempt to finish their two-game dropping streak.
Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and backup Teddy Bridgewater each cleared concussion protocol Saturday, in line with a supply. Bridgewater will function Thompson’s backup towards the Vikings, whereas Tagovailoa can be inactive.
“We decided to start Skylar because we knew it was best for the team in terms of having the week to prepare and all of those things,” coach Mike McDaniel mentioned.
Thompson is 25 years outdated, a complicated age for an NFL rookie, and appears prepared mentally and bodily.
Thompson, who misplaced his mom and paternal grandfather to most cancers inside seven months of one another at a younger age, can be taking part in for his household Sunday in addition to the Dolphins. He described the trauma of the deaths and the way they’ve led him to raised issues in an article for Kansas State in May 2019.
But it’s his on-field confidence that can be most on show Sunday.
Many Dolphins teammates have seen that trait. They point out Thompson’s demeanor within the huddle and through coaching camp and preseason video games. He’s in cost and everybody is aware of it.
However, Thompson’s bodily traits set him aside, too.
He comes geared up with a powerful proper arm, the one that may increase the ball downfield or zip passes on a rope to the sideline, each with accuracy. And there’s the football-aware mentality.
“Those are the things when I think of a lively arm,” Klieman mentioned. “I don’t think of just throwing vertical shots. I think about seam balls, I think about breaking cuts, when you’re throwing before the kid comes out of his break because he anticipates it, he sees the coverage.”
Klieman is aware of what he’s speaking about in terms of quarterbacks. He received three FCS nationwide championships as coach of North Dakota State (2014-18). He was on the faculty when it had NFL draftees Easton Stick, Carson Wentz and Trey Lance.
Wentz, the No. 2 decide of the 2016 draft by Philadelphia, is now the starter with Washington. Stick, a 2019 fifth-round decide, is a backup with the Los Angeles Chargers. Lance, the No. 3 decide of the 2021 draft by San Francisco, was the 49ers starter however is on injured reserve after sustaining a season-ending ankle damage.
McDaniel noticed a few of the similar traits in Thompson as Klieman when the Dolphins drafted him in May. McDaniel seen Thompson sees defenders as an alternative of receivers, which permits him to make higher throws.
“When you look at defenders you can anticipate and throw with timing, which maximizes yards after catch and explosiveness,” McDaniel mentioned.
Klieman, because it seems, can reel off a bunch of qualities when he discusses Thompson.
“I don’t know if he’d say he was a dual threat guy,” Klieman mentioned, “but he had great escape ability to make some runs.”
He additionally mentions the largest intangible a quarterback might have.
“He made everybody around him better,” Klieman mentioned, “because he challenged the heck out of everybody in a positive way at practice.”
That’s a results of the maturity Thompson gained early in life from the deaths of his mom and grandfather.
In the Kansas State article, he described carrying the ring his mom gave his father round his neck, being given his grandfather’s 1970 Kansas State basketball Big Eight championship ring (his grandfather was a graduate assistant basketball coach at Kansas State), and inscribing memorials to his mom and grandfather on his cleats.
Thompson, who’s from Independence, Mo., talked about how adversity would by no means destroy him, listening to hip-hop artist Eminem together with his father, and singing the Outkast music, “Hey Ya!” together with his mom whereas she was battling most cancers.
He began the “Thompson Family Cancer Research Fund” in honor of his late mom, Teresa Lynn Thompson, and late grandfather, John Walter Thompson.
The Dolphins’ third-string quarterback carries a whole lot of duty into the Vikings sport. He’ll be taking part in in entrance of about 15 relations and associates who’re making the journey, largely from Missouri.
“My dad is probably my go to,” he mentioned. “I have a great circle around me of people that have supported me from day one as a person more so than a football player. At times like this, that’s what I really lean on is those people, and then just try to tune everything else out.”
All indications are he’ll just do that.
“That’s been my text with him this week,” Klieman mentioned, “basically, is do what you know, do what you have always done, and that’s just prepare, prepare, prepare, and be ready for the moment on Sunday.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com