After spending the past two seasons as Texas’ backup quarterback, John Chiles will move to wide receiver when the Longhorns’ open spring drills tomorrow.
Chiles, a Mansfield Summit graduate, agreed to the move today, coach Mack Brown said in a statement. Ironically, the position switch was announced roughly five hours after a news conference in which Brown said Chiles would compete with Sherrod Harris, an Arlington Bowie graduate, to be the backup to starter Colt McCoy.
By mid-afternoon, Harris had emerged as the backup and Chiles was headed to receiver, a position where he saw spot duty last season. In the statement, Brown said offensive coordinator Greg Davis discussed the move with Chiles this morning and Chiles agreed to the move by mid-afternoon.
“I talked to my family, the coaches and everyone close to me and just came to the realization that I think I can really help the team at receiver,” Chiles said in a statement distributed by school officials. “I’m willing to do anything to help us win games and make another run at a championship, which is the ultimate goal.”
Other quotes from today’s statement from those involved:
“At our position meetings this morning, John asked Greg Davis if we would consider letting him move to receiver. Greg told John to think about it, talk to his family and then he would talk to me about it. John came back this afternoon, told us he had decided he definitely wanted to move to receiver, we visited about it and are all excited about the move.”
_ Texas coach Mack Brown
“Colt’s (McCoy) return and Quan’s (Cosby) departure makes this a great move for our team. When we¹ve done our draft boards during the spring, our staff has always voted John as one of our best athletes on the team. This gives us a chance to get him more playing time.”
_ Texas coach Mack Brown
“Having had a chance to do some work out there last year laid a foundation for me, but I think having played quarterback will really help me have a better understanding of the receiver position. As a
quarterback, you know how much trust you need in your receivers and where you expect them to be. I think understanding that and knowing the demands of the position will help my transition. I¹m really excited and looking forward to getting started.”
_ John Chiles
“With Colt coming back and the great relationship we¹ve built off the field, that will really help my transition. I’ve spent more time with him than anybody over the last couple of years and a quarterback’s
relationship with his receivers is so important. I think Colt and I have built a lot of trust and hopefully that will help us be on the same page with me at receiver. The thought of getting into some one-on-one situations, with a quarterback like Colt that is the most accurate thrower in the country, is really exciting.”
_ John Chiles
“I think the timing is right. I’m a junior and am a little older, so anything I can do to get on the field and help the team, I’m willing to do.”
_ John Chiles
“John sent me a text this afternoon when he made the decision and we¹re all excited about it. Working together and being around each other so much, John and I have gotten really close. He’s a great football player that has the ability to make big plays for us. I’m really looking forward to working with him and seeing him out there at receiver.”
_ Texas quarterback Colt McCoy
_ Jimmy Burch
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