BEARKAT FOOTBALL: It’s not all about Bomar

The 2001 season was special for Sam Houston State, and it started on a steamy, wet night in Monroe, La. The Bearkats were opening the season against Louisiana-Monroe — a former Southland Conference rival that made the move to Division I-A — and it was a game SHSU knew it could win.

Early in the third quarter with the Kats leading, quarterback Josh McCown was moments away from taking the field. McCown had transferred to SHSU after three less-than-stellar seasons at SMU. His skills were obvious, and with a talented roster around him, the feeling within the program as the season started was one of great optimism.

But winning was going to take more than McCown. Everyone on the team would have to give their best if the Kats wanted to reach their stated goal of making the national playoffs.

And I mean everyone.

As McCown paced the sideline, he noticed one of the team managers doing his part to help the team by keeping the game balls dry. With a towel in his hand, the young man wiped off a ball, but it wasn’t good enough. McCown grabbed the towel and proceeded to show the manager what needed to be done.

“You have to get these balls dry,” McCown barked while showing the manager how to use every ounce of his muscle to rub the moisture out of the ball, not simply wipe it off the surface. “Your job is just as important as everyone else on this team,” McCown said, pointing a finger sternly toward the manager’s chest.

Fast forward seven seasons, and SHSU has another talented transfer quarterback running the show for a team that again carries playoff expectations.

Rhett Bomar is every bit as good a McCown and 2004 quarterback Dustin Long. He might be better. Before suffering a season ending knee injury in 2007, Bomar passed for 2,209 yards, rushed for 406 and accounted for 17 touchdowns in less than nine full games. Any concerns as to whether or not he has fully recovered were answered last week when he led the Bearkats to seven first-half touchdowns in a 58-14 win over East Central Oklahoma.

In Bomar, SHSU has a quarterback that is capable of leading the Kats back to the playoffs, but he can’t be expected to do it alone. If the 2008 season is going to be special, it’s going to take outstanding effort from the entire team.

A quarterback is only as good as the offensive line that protects him and the wide receivers that catch his throws. And no matter how many touchdowns and field goals the offense produces, it doesn’t matter if the defense can’t hold the opponent to fewer points.

Bomar will continue to be the focus of fans and opposing coaching staffs every week because he’s a household name, he’s an amazing talent and he plays the highest-profile position on the field.

The difference between a good season and a great season in 2008 will not be the performance of Bomar. The “X” factor is everyone else on the team.

Team managers — that means you, too.