Spring all about Summers

By Pete Mollica

Senior quarterback returns to lead Penguins’ offense

About a year ago, Brandon Summers was the new guy in camp for the Youngstown State football team as spring practice was getting under way.

Summers, a Southfield, Mich., native, spent his first two college football seasons at the University of Toledo before transferring to YSU following the 2007 season.

A year ago, Summers came into the Penguins camp hoping to fill a backup role for the expected starter, Todd Rowan.

Well, as everybody knows a lot of unexpected things happened. Rowan never made it past the second game before getting benched and he eventually quit the team, throwing Summers right into the lineup.

Summers is back at spring workouts with the Penguins, now a senior. He is the guy that the Penguins will hand most of their offensive concerns to, and the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder is ready for the task.

“Last season was a difficult one for the entire team,” Summers said. “We are out here right now working extra hard to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

“It’s a big difference this spring,” he added. “I feel so much more comfortable now than I did a year ago. And although I know that I still have a lot to learn, I feel things are going in the right direction.”

After taking over as the starting quarterback in the third game of 2008, Summers finished the year with eight starts. He did miss two full games with injuries and the Penguins lost both. He was the starting quarterback in all four of the team’s victories.

In 10 games Summers passed for 1,540 yards, hitting 122-of-195 passes with seven interceptions and 18 touchdowns. He also rushed for 190 yards on 77 carries and scored three touchdowns.

“Brandon needs to have a good spring,” said YSU coach Jon Heacock, “and he needs to stay healthy. He can bring so much to the table on the offensive side of the football.”

Summers says he has no problems with the early morning practice sessions, which get underway at 7 a.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.

“It was tough at first, just getting up that early, but it’s become pretty routine now since we did it all winter,” he said.

Summers enjoys spring practice.

“You haven’t really been out on the field for several months and it really breaks up the time from weight training and workouts,” he said. “Plus you get to go over all the offensive plays and any new things the coaches will be putting in.

“I think we are all ready to work extra hard this spring and summer to get ready for next fall and avoid those things that happened to us a year ago,” he said.

The Penguins have just three quarterbacks in camp this spring. The other two, sophomores Dailyn Campbell and Marc Kanetsky, were called on to fill in for Summers for a couple weeks last fall when he was injured. Both were freshmen and were part of the quarterback merry-go-round that saw five different players assume the role during the year.

The Penguins return to action on Friday with their first practice in full pads at 7 p.m. They will also practice in full pads on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and then will be off until next Tuesday.

mollica@vindy.com