FORT COLLINS — Sometimes there is stony silence. More often, especially in a tight quarterback race, the second-year Colorado State coach dials up the heat with one scathing attack after another during practice.
Not far away is quarterbacks coach Daren Wilkinson. He plays good cop to Fairchild’s mean, ticket-writing officer. Wilkinson played quarterback for CSU 15 years ago when Fairchild was the Rams’ QB coach.
“I still have nightmares of getting on the phone with him when he was up in the press box,” Wilkinson said of game days. “I knew if have to get on the phone, I was going to hear it.”
Grant Stucker, Jon Eastman, Klay Kubiak and Nico Ranieri typically get an earful, as has every CSU QB under Fairchild in years past.
“His style has not changed,” Wilkinson said. “His whole deal is when they get into a game, the atmosphere they have around them in a game has got to be easy compared to practice.”
It works. Wilkinson cites TCU’s relentless pass rush as Exhibit A. “You play TCU and you have guys coming at you in every direction. . . . You are used to the heat because the head coach is giving it to you.”
Fairchild’s diatribes are by no means G-rated. But the language is tame compared to the vitriol certain to be launched by Colorado students Sept. 6.
After a particularly brutal critique by Fairchild a week ago in practice, Stucker and Eastman at least appeared no worse for wear.
“If it’s not perfect from a quarterback’s standpoint, it’s not good enough,” said Stucker. Added Eastman: “You have to be mentally tough.”
Mature beyond his years, Ranieri understands the method to Fairchild’s mood.
“To me, personally, it’s motivating,” the freshman said. “I’m not one to put my tail between my legs and get discouraged.”
While the veterans are battle-tested by Fairchild’s bark, it didn’t shock Ranieri, even after all the niceties of recruiting.
“You got to expect recruiting is recruiting and they are trying to get you here,” Ranie- ri said. “Now it’s, ‘We got you here, now you’re going to be the best we can make you.’ “
He was told in the recruiting process, both by Fairchild and player hosts during his recruiting trip, that there would be some yelling.
“It’s one reason why I came here,” Ranieri said.
Footnote.
Reserve defensive lineman Eugene Daniels was released from Poudre Valley Hospital on Friday afternoon. Daniels was hospitalized after practice Thursday with heat-related symptoms.
Natalie Meisler, The Denver Post
