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SEATTLE – Washington receiver Craig Chambers says he learned his lesson.
In 2004, Chambers watched half the season from the bench because of what even he admits were casual practice habits. When he was finally allowed onto the field, he proved to be a gamer – the big-target, big-play guy the offense had lacked. Now, after belatedly winning the confidence of one coaching staff, Chambers has to convince another.
New UW coach Tyrone Willingham is a man who promised to judge every player on what he sees in practice and not what he saw on game tapes from last season.
Chambers got the message. If he wants to shine in games, he has to shine in practices. Which he says he has done.
“In practices I’m been sprinting my routes,” Chambers said Friday. “I’ve been focusing on catching the ball in practice – I only have a few drops the whole fall camp so far. Coach Willingham really stressed, ‘I don’t care what you can do in the games, if you don’t show it in practice first then you’re not going to be on the field.’ I feel I’m putting out a pretty good effort right now.”
New receivers coach Eric Yarber has noticed. But he wants more.
“Craig’s habits have gotten better,” Yarber said. “They’ve got to continue getting better, and he’s got to play at a high level all the time. Craig is a smooth athlete – sometimes he is so smooth that it looks like he’s not going hard.”
Last season, opposing defensive backs learned that the hard way.
In his abbreviated five-game, four-start season, he finished second on the team with 19 catches, first with 408 receiving yards, first with an average of 21.5 yards per catch, and tied for first with two touchdown receptions.
Now he is as eager as anyone to see what he might accomplish over 11 games.
“It would be nice to continue that or even improve upon it,” he said. “I love the routes that we have, and the route concepts.”
The Huskies new offensive staff envisions a West Coast style passing game that emphasized quick passes while mixing in the occasional long throw to stretch the field.
Both elements suit Chambers, who at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds is not only the Huskies’ biggest receiver, but also the fastest.
That rare combination is a gift that coaches do not want wasted.
For all his promise, Chambers has not yet wrapped up a starting job. The eventual starting pair will likely come from a group including Chambers, Corey Williams, Anthony Russo, Cody Ellis, Sonny Shackelford, Charles Smith and Quintin Daniels.
“They all can catch the ball,” he said. “If you’re not a burner you’d better have great hands. And we’ve got guys that have a little bit of football savvy. They know how to get in the holes and find holes, they know how to catch the ball and get the ball up field right now. That’s where we’re going to have to make our living: play fundamentally sound, with great effort and do the little things right.”