Two years ago, Jack Milas set the Rolling Meadows High School football school record for touchdown passes in a season with 32. He shattered the records for passing yards in a season and a career.
A few months later, he was greeted with a spot on the cold, hard, silver bench that runs along the sideline of Scheumann Stadium.
Milas was redshirted, meaning he could save one of his four years of eligibility and use it for the future. The catch was in order to do that, he couldn't play all season.
It wasn't easy for the starting quarterback prospect to accept, but one he knew was the right move.
"It's hard; last year was tough,” Milas said. “You go from being the starter at your school and then coming here and just sitting. It was good for me, though. It helped me slow down and process the offense."
With former Ball State quarterback Keith Wenning under center, Milas admitted he knew he had no chance to start, especially with veterans Ozzie Mann and Kyle Kamman above him on the depth chart.
The only option for Milas was to soak in as much information as possible and make the difficult transition from high school star to potential college starter. Milas said he watched Wenning and learned how to be consistent and how to watch film from the Baltimore Ravens draft pick, but watching only goes so far.
"When you go from high school to college, the talent level is so different," Ball State football offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Lynch said. "Division I high school players can get by on athletic ability. That's not the case in college, especially for quarterbacks. At quarterback, it all starts with how fast your mind can work."
One of the toughest tests for an incoming quarterback is how well he learns the playbook. Milas said it was one of the most difficult things to adapt to when entering the program, but Lynch said he's watched the redshirt freshman progress over the past year.
Many newcomers go through fall camp before moving to the scout team, Lynch said. After the season ends, they have a chance to show head coach Pete Lembo how they've improved when they compete in spring practice.
As summer stretches into fall and practice resumes, Milas is getting his third chance to prove himself.
"We're starting to see the progression of him understanding what we're doing on the field and why we're doing it," Lynch said.
LEADERSHIP
That progression is aided by players who have been in the same situation as Milas. Senior running back Jahwan Edwards is back after a 14 touchdown, 1,129 yards rushing season and wants to do everything possible to be a leader for the offense, and teach young players how to grow into starting roles.
"I want [younger players] to know I was in their shoes at one point," Edwards said. "It was intimidating. Everybody starts off at the same spot, just trying to learn plays. It's better to ask questions than get embarrassed on the field."
Lembo said he expects Edwards to have an increased leadership role this season, especially after the losses of Wenning, wide receivers Willie Snead and Jamill Smith, and tight end Zane Fakes on the offensive side of the ball.
The leadership role could be even more critical if Milas wins the competition for starting quarterback, as he has yet to take a snap during a collegiate game.
Seeing on-field action is only part of the process. Before that, Milas must go through hundreds of hours of meetings, a shock to the system for most players making the transition from high school to college. Instead of breaking down opponents with quick slant patterns and deep passes to the corner of the endzone, he was breaking them down on film.
"You can ask Ben [Ingle] or Jahwan and they'll tell you one of the biggest differences from high school to college is the amount of time spent in meetings," Lembo said. "Those players who become students of the game are the ones who end up playing sooner."
‘BEND BUT DON’T BREAK’
Linebacker Ingle's situation is similar to Milas's. Ingle was redshirted in 2011 and played sparingly in 2012. It wasn't until last year that he exploded onto the scene, registering a team-high 116 tackles.
This season, he'll be asked to lead a defense losing several key players, such as Indianapolis Colts draft pick and former Ball State defensive end, Jonathan Newsome.
The team finished third in scoring defense in the Mid-American Conference last season, working a “bend but don't break” mentality that had success. But with youth stepping into roles left by experienced players, Ingle will be called upon to be a leader, as well.
"One of the best things we can do is try to build off last year and learn from what we did wrong," he said. "Turnovers are a huge part of the game, and we did a great job with that."
One way Ball State tries to integrate youth into the system faster is through its summer program. For the final five weeks of the summer, all freshman players are on campus and take two classes.
They work out together with strength and conditioning coach David Feeley and run with upperclassmen, allowing them to become more comfortable on campus and the Ball State football system before school starts.
Working out was a staple once Milas got to Ball State. He works out four times a week for two hours each time. He runs shuttles, agility drills and lifting, doing whatever Feeley deems necessary to maximize his workout.
With just a few weeks before Ball State's season opener, Milas said the game has slowed down. Defenses are getting easier to read, which he said was the most difficult problem he faced when first coming to Ball State.
"When I ask questions, there's no doubt he's much further along mentally than in the spring," Lynch said. "Once you understand what's going on, you have the ability to play fast and perform."
After Ball State's first practice, the team exited the field into the Fisher Football Training Complex. Milas and Mann stayed behind, throwing the ball back and forth, 40 yards apart.
The redshirt freshman wanted to stay on the field for extra practice. He knows he'll need every ounce of preparation if he wants to win the battle for starting quarterback.
He doesn't want to be sitting again.
"You never stop learning, and it's a lot easier to learn when you're playing than when you're not on the field," Milas said.
The cold, hard silver bench looks awfully unappealing now.
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