Biz-Nuss As Usual At Idaho Fien Impresses Vandal Teammates With His Linebacker-Like Attitude

The whistle had blown, but the play wasn’t over in the minds of Idaho’s defensive players.

They were squatting on helpless wide receiver Robert Scott, milking precious seconds off the clock during a scrimmage. Suddenly quarterback Ryan Fien, sporting a non-intimidating pink jersey, was chucking large defensive players from the pile, mixing it up with All-American linebacker candidate Ryan Phillips.

“We were just trying to waste time,” said Phillips, 50 pounds heavier than Fien. “He knew it and he was screaming at us to get off. The ref got in his face. I started pushing him just to see what his reaction would be…”

And that was? “He has a lot of “Nuss” in him,” Phillips said.

“Nuss” would be Doug Nussmeier, former Vandal quarterback who is with the New Orleans Saints. Nussmeier sometimes confused quarterbacking with linebacking.

It’s not a bad comparison, especially since Fien has pro ambition and picked Idaho as the place to prove himself after leaving UCLA last winter.

He’s not a carbon copy of Nussmeier, a grab-your-facemask type. But he’s not exactly a laid back Californian searching for the next wave either.

“I guess it did surprise me how competitive he is,” quarterbacks coach Greg Olson said. “Because of the fact he was beaten out (at UCLA) and anytime you have a kid who transfers, you worry about how coachable he is. But Ryan’s always had a good attitude.”

If you’re waiting for Fien to start in with a woe-is-me spiel, you’d better have a lot of time on your hands.

He is genuinely happy to be at Idaho, which is ecstatic to have him. Fien solved the quarterback debate that had grown complicated when Brian Brennan’s shoulder didn’t respond to surgery. Also, UI coaches wanted to keep Robert Scott as a starting receiver and backup QB.

Fien has fit in so well, he said, “it’s scary. It’s like it’s meant to be.”

It’s starting to look that way, but it certainly wasn’t meant to be at UCLA. As a junior last year, Fien started three of the Bruins’ first four games, including wins over Miami and Brigham Young.

In Week Four, UCLA was whipped by Washington State 24-15, with Fien relieving for freshman starter Cade McNown. After the game, Fien met with coach Terry Donahue and told him he thought the offense was too conservative.

Donahue, who retired after last season, didn’t care for Fien’s comment.

“He took it to heart, like I was questioning the coaching staff, which I wasn’t. We’d just gotten crushed by WSU,” Fien said. “I didn’t play the next week. He brought me back in against Arizona and we came back and won, but I didn’t get the starting job back the next week. I knew his mind was made up.”

Fien (pronounced FEEN) played sparingly the rest of the year and decided to transfer to Idaho last January, spurring a string of events that have unfolded about as perfectly as possible for the 6-foot-4, 207-pound senior.

For one, at the time of Fien’s arrival, Idaho was preparing to move up to I-A football and the Big West Conference. But Idaho didn’t have to abide by I-A rules until after Fien transferred, meaning he was eligible immediately because Idaho technically was still I-AA. If Fien had transferred to a I-A school, he’d have had to sit out a year. (You can imagine the joy of enemy coaches in the Big West.)

Once in Moscow, Fien was quickly put to the test. In winter conditioning, coaches pushed Fien hard.

“That first morning, the coaches were on my butt so hard, it was like Marine boot camp,” Fien said. “It was harsh; they wanted to see if I would fold.”

He didn’t.

In spring ball, he was able to win over his teammates.

“I’m not the most flashy guy in terms of winter conditioning, the run timing and stuff,” he said. “When we got on the field and they saw I could play…”

But what about his pro dreams?

“I think they’ve been enhanced,” Fien said. “I’ve talked to a few scouts who’ve told me for a quarterback to go to the pros, this offense is better.”

And if there is any lingering doubt whether Fien truly wants to be in Moscow, this should put it to rest. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 40th round of the Major League draft this summer, but turned down a contract offer in the $100,000 range. “Definitely any kid struggling in college would think about it,” he said. “But I knew where my heart was.”

Fien said he was clocked throwing a baseball 94 miles per hour while messing around three years ago at UCLA.

In football, the speed of his throws isn’t as eye-catching as the motion in which they’re delivered. Most QBs are taught to throw over the top. Fien has a three-quarter motion, semi-sidearm.

“Coaches have tried to change me throughout high school,” Fien said. “But I don’t get many blocked.”

The main benefit of Fien’s motion is his quick release.

“He can drill it and he has touch,” said Scott, on the receiving end of Fien’s aerials.

Scott, a talented quarterback in his own right, had no problem with Fien’s arrival. Scott said UI coaches were forthright, discussing Fien’s transfer with him before it occurred.

“My thought is, whatever’s best for the team and we weren’t big on numbers at receiver,” Scott said. “I’m trying to get some rings on my fingers and if he can help me, hey, that’s great.”

“I hosted Ryan on his (recruiting) trip and he was worried if there was going to be resentment,” Phillips said. “I told him he’d pretty much be seen as a savior because we were hurtin’ at that position.”

Clearly, the pain has subsided. The Vandals have a strong-armed, competitive leader.

“There’s a lot of talent here, guys overlooked in the recruiting process,” Fien said. “I’m more than thrilled to have this opportunity. I’m just thankful to the coaching staff. This is where I want to succeed.”

In many ways, he already has.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo