Nick Stevens always knew he’d get the call. The former Colorado State quarterback just didn’t know when or from what team. But finally, with seven rounds of the NFL draft over Sunday, the phone rang.
Twice.
“Any opportunity I can get, I’m down,” Stevens said. “Itap going to be great having both.”
Stevens, CSU’s record holder for career touchdown passes (70), has accepted invitations to a pair of NFL rookie mini-camps; first with the Green Bay Packers this weekend and then with the Washington Redskins the next. While Stevens admits going undrafted without signing a free agent contract stung, calling it, “one of the most stressful days of my life,” the chance to compete for roster spots with two franchises was welcomed and unexpected.
Stevens’ quarterback coach in the East-West Shrine Game was Packers’ receivers coach David Raih; however, Stevens said he had limited contact overall with Green Bay coaches. Same goes for the Redskins, whose interest was developed through Stevens’ agent, he said. The teams that showed Stevens the most pre-draft love went in other directions.
But Washington called Stevens first, and one day later, Green Bay was on the phone.
“Having that ability to have two different tryouts, thatap going to be huge,” Stevens said. “It definitely has instilled a lot of confidence. It shows that there are teams out there that think I can make it. That means a lot.”
Stevens’ prolific CSU career — 638 completions for 8,554 yards over four seasons — finished on a sour note with a New Mexico Bowl defeat highlighted by several missed connections with star receiver Michael Gallup, a third-round draft pick by the Cowboys. Stevens’ mission since has been to “show that I’ve improved from the last game to now,” he said.
Stevens enlisted the help of Steve Fairchild, the Rams’ former head football coach (2008-11), who now runs the program out of Denver. The pair has met about twice a week since January to work on the finer mechanics of Stevens’ game.
“(Fairchild) helped me add more velocity on my ball by working on my mechanics,” Stevens said, “and bringing my lower half along more and throwing with my whole body.”
Added Fairchild: “I don’t think there’s anything (Stevens) can’t do from a physical or mental standpoint that you would say, ‘Hey, this has got to get better to make an NFL team.’ I do think, like all quarterbacks, itap a very small window of opportunity and he’s got to play his best when given the chance.”
Stevens’ success leading a pro-style offense under CSU coach Mike Bobo developed a wealth of knowledge and experience Stevens can fall back on through the course of two rookie mini-camps, or possibly just one, should the Packers extend a contract offer after this weekend. Either way, Stevens understands what will be expected by both teams.
“Everyone needs to show that they have the ability to pick up a playbook on a fast pace,” Stevens said. “I feel confident that I’ll be able to do that well.”