Seated behind a microphone Monday, Ball State University football coach Stan Parrish seemed like an artist ready to part with his masterpiece.
Instead of a painting, Parrish was talking about Nate Davis, his junior quarterback, who announced he would forgo his senior year and declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft.
"It makes my office wall all the more beautiful," Parrish said. "I've got a whole wall full of guys. Now I can put 13's picture on the wall and hopefully next year I can add a picture of him in another jersey."
Davis will join other Parrish pupils Tom Brady and Brian Griese in the NFL, but leaves a hole much bigger at Ball State then his 6-foot-2-inch, 217-pound frame.
Parrish, in his first season as head coach, will have to replace the most prolific quarterback in Cardinal history. In his three years in Muncie, Davis posted a 22-12 record as starting quarterback and set school records for touchdown passes, passing yards, completions and 300-yard passing games.
Davis, who was not at his own press conference, stated in a press release he regretted not winning a MAC championship during his career. Parrish will have this goal in mind as he writes out a new depth chart.
"We've got to start over," Parrish said. "This a tremendous challenge for me and for the leadership of the program right now."
Junior Tanner Justice and freshman Kelly Page are the two top candidates to open 2009 as the starting quarterback for Ball State. Page was redshirted this season, while Justice was Davis' backup during the last two seasons. Justice played in 11 games this year, and threw two passes, completing both of them. Parrish also mentioned Aaron Mershman, who will be a freshman next season, but is enrolled this semester at Ball State, and junior Perci Garner, who walked on and was third-string this year, could compete for the starting quarterback position.
"I have several good options," Parrish said. "Obviously Kelly Page redshirted all year, but he redshirted with taking quality reps. He's got a lot more preparation than Nate did when I put him in as a freshman."
Page, a Texas native, headlined the 2008 recruiting class after initially giving an oral commitment to the University of Oregon.
"We've got a lot of options in the program right now," Parrish said. "I'll get a new depth chart up on the board tomorrow and we'll work from there."
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins said Davis' status in the NFL will help the program in the future.
"Anytime you've got alumni that are in the NFL, I think it points to kids in your program and says 'Hey, you can reach that pinnacle, you can reach that level,'" Collins said. "For Nate to go to the NFL I think would be terrific and something I think that can help our program."
The prospect of having a starting quarterback representing Ball State on Sundays is something that excites the recruiter in Parrish, he said. He helped bring Davis and Page to Muncie.
"I'm good at propaganda," Parrish said. "It'll only help."
While Parrish is ready to let go now, he acknowledged he might not feel the same when spring practice opens without the 2008 Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year on the field.
"I told him a long time ago 'I'm good either way,'" Parrish said. "When I get out to practice in the spring, I may say 'I'm not good with this yet.' Because that was a heck of a football player."
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