December 8, 2010

Robert Stocks - The Winchester Star

The Shepherd University football team was returning to campus after Saturday's 49-14 victory over No. 11 Mercyhurst (Pa.) in the NCAA Super Region One final when freshman quarterback Trae Tinsman realized the significance of the accomplishment.

"On the way back, about an hour from campus, we had a state trooper escort us all the way back," said Tinsman, who graduated from James Wood High School in the spring. "That really showed us that we were doing something special."

With last Saturday's victory, Shepherd (12-1) earned the program's first ever berth in the Division II national semifinals. The Rams travel to face Delta State (Miss.) (10-3) in Saturday's national semifinals, which will be televised on CBS College Sports at 2 p.m.

Shepherd has set the school record with 12 victories, and the Rams are the first West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic school to reach the NCAA Division II national football semifinals.

"It's really awesome to see how far we've come this year," Tinsman said. Sitting out the season with a redshirt to preserve a year of eligibility, Tinsman hasn't played for the Rams. But he's been learning the offense and adjusting to football at the Division II level.

Tinsman also fills a valuable role for the Rams each day in practice, leading the scout team.

"He's done everything we've asked of him, and he's at all of the quarterback meetings," Shepherd quarterbacks coach Sam Williams said. "He's running the scout team, and he's preparing our defense to face the opponent that they're going to see each week. He's done all of the things to the best of his abilities."

Williams said Shepherd's current starting quarterback, senior Kevin Clancy, did the same thing his freshman year, and Williams feels it helps having a quarterback take a redshirt season coming into the program.

"The first day when a quarterback shows up at practice, they're wide-eyed," Williams said. "We hit the ground running, and they have to process a lot and it can be a little overbearing.

"How to call the cadence, the plays, and the little things are emphasized. That can weigh on a kid that's 18 years old and just out of high school."

By running the scout team, Tinsman needs to know not only Shepherd's offense, but the plays the Rams' opponents run.

"Every week I run the opposing offense against our starting defense and it's one of the best in the country," Tinsman said. "I'm getting reps, and I can show the coaches what I can do."

Williams said that, with Tinsman running the scout team, it gives the coaches a chance to see how he performs each week.

"He's constantly being evaluated," Williams said. "Even though he's on the scout team, he's always getting graded. He's definitely earned his spot on the plane."

Tinsman is the only redshirting freshman that will be on the team plane when it leaves for Cleveland, Miss., Friday morning.

Which means that, even though he isn't playing in games, Tinsman has a meaningful role in his program's most successful season ever.

"Coach [Monte Cater] said he wants me to travel, so I know what it's like for next year," Tinsman said. "I'm really happy [with the season]. It might take me five years to graduate anyway, and I can get more playing time and learn the offense, so it works out in every way."