THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: After coming to Idaho with ‘no expectations,’ Friesz keeps earning honors — all these years later

John Friesz shrugs off particular person honors very similar to he did opposing go rushers again within the day.

Quarterbacks get approach an excessive amount of credit score, he says — and even an excessive amount of blame, typically.

Any particular person accolades that come his approach — like this coming Saturday in Spokane, when he and 14 others comprise the inaugural class inducted into the Huge Sky Convention Corridor of Fame — Friesz accepts them as group awards, ensuring to credit score his linemen, the receivers, the coaches, and so forth., for the dignity.

He’s already in a number of halls of fame — the School Soccer Corridor of Fame, Vandal Athletics Corridor of Fame, North Idaho Athletic Corridor of Fame, the Inland Northwest Corridor of Fame …

Any others?

“I’m within the Hayden Little League Corridor of Fame,” Friesz mentioned proudly. “It’s humorous, if you wish to chuckle about it. The others are Vandal soccer, and team-related … and that one, I used to be capable of make an imprint as a person, away from soccer … type of a volunteer factor. I don’t need to overlook that one. All three boys (Hunter, now 27; Jake, 24; and Carter, 21) went by way of it, so I spent a whole lot of time on the market. It’s one thing they began 5 or 6 years in the past, their approach of inserting names on the market of people that improved the sphere (Croffoot Park) — tried to take Hayden Little League to a different stage.”

FRIESZ WAS a part of taking the Idaho soccer program to a different stage within the late Eighties.

From 1982-95, the Vandals reached the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs 11 instances, together with journeys to the semifinals in 1988 and ‘93.

Friesz handed for 10,697 yards in 35 video games at Idaho, and when he graduated, was the Huge Sky’s profession chief in passing yards and whole offense. As a three-year starter for Idaho from 1987-89, Idaho went 29-8 and received three Huge Sky titles.

In 1989, he was the Huge Sky’s first winner of the Walter Payton Award, honoring the highest participant in I-AA (now FCS).

Fairly good for a lanky 6-foot-4 child who began only one season at Coeur d’Alene Excessive, and had precisely two faculty scholarship gives.

“I had no expectations,” Friesz mentioned of enjoying at Idaho. “Once I first bought there, I used to be misplaced. Far down on the depth chart, fifth or sixth, not getting any reps, all these guys that would run and leap and throw and catch, and so they had been large and powerful. I simply thought, ‘What am I doing right here?’

“I didn’t have an unbelievable senior yr (in highschool). We had a very good group, a whole lot of guys that performed faculty ball off that group. We had been undefeated and ranked nationally, however I used to be an actual small half.

Numbers weren’t large. And so I wasn’t a believer in myself for a very long time. I simply stored making an attempt to get higher.”

So how did he do it?

It began when he redshirted at Idaho in 1985, then was a backup in 1986.

“One of many issues I did — I ran every play by way of 4 or 5 instances with out even taking the snap,” Friesz recalled. “So I might hear the play that the coach referred to as, and I might instantly in my thoughts course of it — what my job is. I’d see the opposite (quarterback) get to the road of scrimmage and I might put myself in that place, after which I might see what he really did on that play, and the consequence, and what I might have achieved.

“After which we’d get to movies the following day and we’d watch the sport, and I might see that play once more, and once more course of what I assumed and what I’d seen, and ensure what I assumed I noticed, or what really occurred, and so I’m getting all these psychological reps simply on one play, with out doing a factor.

These two years ready him for when it was his flip to begin, as a redshirt sophomore in 1987.

“ I’d by no means thrown hardly for 200 yards earlier than, and that first begin, I used to be freaking out — ‘I’m not prepared to do that, I can’t do what all these different guys have achieved earlier than me,’” he mentioned. “And we threw for 300 yards that day and I used to be like, ‘What? How did that simply occur? I’d by no means achieved that.’ And we did that each recreation for … ever. Only a enjoyable time; the final word group expertise.”

GROWING UP, Friesz was a pitcher and performed first base in baseball, and mentioned baseball was the game he loved probably the most — soccer was a detailed second.

He mentioned baseball actually wasn’t an choice in faculty, “However I wasn’t actually wanted in soccer, both,” he mentioned. “I used to be fortunate that my mother and father (Mel and Mary Jo) made the trouble for me to get all the way down to Vandal Soccer Camp when coach (Dennis) Erickson was there, and that opened the door for him to see me, and see one thing in there that warranted a suggestion for a scholarship. So I’m actual grateful for that.”

His solely different supply was from New Mexico — who recruited him solely as a result of the Lobos needed the tight finish from Coeur d’Alene, Friesz mentioned.

As a lot enjoyable because it appeared like from the skin throughout the Vandals’ glory days, “I wager it was in all probability extra enjoyable” on the within, Friesz mentioned.

“I used to be actual grateful to be proper in the course of a lot success,” he mentioned. “With coach Erickson, and Ken Hobart beginning it, after which so many quarterbacks earlier than me and after me, and coaches, and wins and championships, and yards, and information, and all people was doing every little thing … and beating Boise State all these years in a row. It was only a enjoyable time; it was such a enjoyable feeling to know that you just had been going to exit, and due to all these folks round you, and due to all these coaches being modern.

“Coach (Keith) Gilbertson actually took it to a different stage, constructed upon what coach Erickson had achieved. They had been scheming so properly, and so forward of the sport, forward of what defensive coordinators knew. They had been getting guys open, and the simple half was getting them the ball.”

“For those who keep in mind, I used to be very depending on good safety,” Friesz recalled. “In some methods, that may have been a part of the explanation for my success; I knew I couldn’t simply maintain onto the ball, and run round and make one thing occur.

“I needed to be very on high of what was taught to us and anticipated of us, and on high of what the protection does instantly, and perceive, if there’s a completion to be made, I have to make it proper now. And it’s OK if it’s second and eight, or second and 6, one thing that’s not actual incredible after a completion, but it surely’s a complete lot higher than holding the ball and it being second and 18. And now you’re forcing stuff on third down, and also you’re turning it over, and also you’re dropping video games.”

Hobart, aka the Kamiah Child, was gone when Friesz confirmed up at Idaho in 1985. Rick Sloan and Scott Linehan had been the opposite quarterbacks then, and each had been gone in 1987, when Friesz took over.

Invoice Diedrick was Idaho’s quarterback coach throughout the early a part of Friesz’s keep in Moscow. Bobby Petrino, whose brother Paul would grow to be Vandal head coach greater than twenty years later, took over as QB coach at Idaho in 1989.

“Invoice Diedrick, his large factor was consideration to element,” Friesz mentioned. “You walked into his workplace and there was not a factor misplaced, and that’s how he taught the place to be performed. It’s a must to take note of each little factor … I bought higher at that as time progressed, and I feel that’s the reason I caught within the league so long as I did, I did listen greater than the man I used to be competing with for a roster spot. And I do know that separated me a time or two.”

Friesz mentioned Petrino “simply expanded what we had been doing offensively.”

Petrino turned offensive coordinator in 1990, when Doug Nussmeier, who redshirted throughout Friesz’s senior season, started to flourish.

Erickson left after Friesz’s redshirt season, and Gilbertson was promoted to go coach. John L. Smith, who left with Erickson in 1985, got here again as head coach in 1989, changing Gilby.

Friesz mentioned the transition from Erickson to Gilby to John L. was clean, the offense remaining the identical, every coach placing their very own wrinkle on it.

“One in every of coach Gilbertson’s strengths was simply how humorous he was,” Friesz mentioned. “It was only a comedy present. We’d win on Saturday, Sunday afternoon we’d go watch movies, and it was enjoyable, completely enjoyable. He was a comic with a mic. However we’d simply thrown for 300 yards and we’d received and the kicker by no means missed and all people was in a very good temper. He was all about working onerous and having enjoyable, and that’s why he was an incredible recruiter.”

Then Smith got here again when Friesz was a senior.

“Despite the fact that he was a defensive coach, and let Petrino run the offense, he actually become a father determine for me,” Friesz mentioned of Smith. “There wasn’t a whole lot of expertise with brokers coming round, or professional groups coming round, and that was beginning to occur with me. He and Gary Hunter, the athletic director on the time, referred to as me in earlier than the season and mentioned ‘We’re taking good care of this, don’t fear about it, we’re going to do analysis on people who need to discuss to you, filter out the unhealthy guys, we wish you to only get pleasure from your senior yr … and to not get caught up in these items. We’ll discuss after the season.’

“And that’s precisely the way it occurred. I actually appreciated that buffer that they did. They arrange interviews with me, interviewing brokers after the season, and previous to the draft. The 5 guys that I visited with had been all standup guys, good folks, and I owe a lot of that to John L. and what he did.”

Friesz was solely round Erickson for the few months of the 1985 season, and was redshirting anyway, so he tried to look at and study as a lot as he may.

“I used to be getting higher by osmosis,” mentioned Friesz, who performed 10 seasons within the NFL, together with 4 with the Seattle Seahawks (1995-95) when Erickson was head coach there. “I by no means skilled all that modern passing stuff in highschool, so there was a lot to soak up. We weren’t reacting to what the protection did, we had been placing the protection in such a place that they might not be proper. So so long as we knew what to do, and executed that, we had been going to win that play most each time.”

Operating the Vandals offense took persistence.

“We stretched them horizontally with our formation, and our working again motion, after which we’d stretch them vertically with our capacity to go deep on both sideline, after which run routes off of that,” Friesz mentioned. “So in the event that they had been dumb sufficient to return up and crowd us, we’d go by them. In the event that they sat again, then we’d decide them aside beneath.”

MARRIED TO Julie for 28 years, with three sons and a grandkid, John Friesz, now 55, finds sufficient to nonetheless preserve busy as of late.

A season ticket holder, Friesz sees a couple of house video games every year, and is trying ahead to seeing what new Vandal coach Jason Eck can do with this system.

“I’m personally completely happy that we’re again to the Huge Sky,” Friesz mentioned. “I feel that making an attempt to comply with Boise State, making an attempt to do what they did at the moment, was a mistake. On a small stage, that’s what’s unsuitable with faculty soccer — cash wins video games. Boise State had more cash, had higher services, and so they had been capable of spend more cash on recruiting. That’s why we couldn’t compete.”

Not just like the Vandals did throughout the Huge Sky days of the Eighties and early ’90s.

“Stretching the protection vertically and horizontally was the muse of Vandal soccer for 15 years,” Friesz mentioned. “It wasn’t that arduous to be affected person, since you knew it was going to occur, I assume. You simply knew that, simply do what you do, do your job, and the large performs will occur. And on the finish of the sport, you’ll have moved the ball, and scored touchdowns, and received.”

Mark Nelke is sports activities editor of The Press. He may be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or by way of e mail at mnelke@cdapress.com. Comply with him on Twitter @CdAPressSports.

Inaugural Huge Sky Corridor of Fame induction

An induction ceremony and banquet honoring the Inaugural Huge Sky Convention Corridor of Fame Class is scheduled for Saturday, July 23, at 6:30 p.m. on the Davenport Grand Resort in Spokane.

Tickets for the occasion are $80 per seat and may be bought at eventbrite.com. Every ticket additionally features a meal on the banquet. These fascinated about buying a desk of 10 for $750 ought to contact Alex Kelly, assistant commissioner for championships and finance, by way of e mail at akelly@bigskyconf.com.

The induction ceremony, which is 28 months within the making, was initially scheduled for March 14, 2020, however was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down your complete sports activities world at the moment.

INAUGURAL BIG SKY HALL OF FAME CLASS

Jared Allen — Idaho State, Soccer, 2000-03

Shannon (Cate) Schweyen — Montana, Girls’s Basketball, 1988-92

Angela Chalmers — Northern Arizona, Girls’s Observe & Subject, 1982-87

Dave Dickenson — Montana, Soccer, 1992-95

Stacy Dragila — Idaho State, Girls’s Observe & Subject, 1993-96

Jack Friel — Huge Sky Convention, Commissioner, 1963-71

John Friesz — Idaho, Soccer, 1986-89

Milton “Dubby” Holt — Idaho State, Observe & Subject/Administrator, 1963-79

Damian Lillard — Weber State, Males’s Basketball, 2008-12

Lopez Lomong — Northern Arizona, Males’s Cross Nation/Observe & Subject, 2005-07

Ron Mann — Northern Arizona, Cross Nation/Observe & Subject Coach, 1980-04

Ellie (Rudy) Vanswearingen — Montana State, Girls’s Observe & Subject, 2004-08

Robin Selvig — Montana, Girls’s Basketball, 1978-2016

Jan Stenerud — Montana State, Soccer, 1964-66/Snowboarding, 1962-64