Sandberg bringing presence/maturity

[aubiefifty 16,699]

Auburn Football

................. 'good presence,' maturity to Auburn's quarterback room

Updated Aug 12, 10:03 AM; Posted Aug 12, 10:03 AM

Former minor leaguer Cord Sandberg has brought a veteran presence to Auburn's quarterback room, even if he's still working to learn the offense and re-acclimating himself to football. (Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics)

12 shares

By Tom Green

tgreen@al.com

Jarrett Stidham wasn't completely sure what Auburn was getting in its newest quarterback, Cord Sandberg, before he arrived on campus for his first practice last Sunday.

Yes, Sandberg was a former four-star prospect and rated as the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school in 2013. However, that was more than five years ago, and in the time since Sandberg pursued a professional baseball career in the minor leagues as part of the Philadelphia Phillies organization, which selected him in the second round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

"You never know," Stidham said. "A guy who goes and plays minor league baseball for five years and then he does and comes back, you just don't know if he's going to be like, 'Oh, it's just college; let's go through it,' or if he's really going to be locked in to what we're doing and trying to learn the playbook."

It didn't take long for Stidham to realize that Auburn was getting the latter, and not the former, when it came to Sandberg.

After missing the team's first two practices of fall camp to be in his brother's wedding, Sandberg reported to the program last Sunday. He spent his first two practices in shorts and was limited to 7-on-7 and 1-on-1 drills his first day. The following two practices -- including Thursday's scrimmage -- he was in shells as part of the team's acclimation period, and then he moved to full-pads in recent days.

While head coach Gus Malzahn's early assessment of Sandberg after his first practice was that he's more of a "timing thrower-type," he conceded that Sandberg will understandably have somewhat of a learning curve as he readjusts to the game of football. Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey expounded on that a couple days later, when he noted that Sandberg is knocking off some rust following a six-year minor league career and needs to improve his fundamentals and footwork, among other things.

Malzahn expects 'learning curve' for QB Sandberg

Former minor league baseball player Cord Sandberg signed will join Auburn in time for the Tigers' third practice of fall camp.

Yet while his impact on the field could be minimal this season and climb up the depth chart could be a long way off, Stidham and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey are already seeing Sandberg's impact in the quarterback room.

"He brings a really good presence to the quarterback room," Lindsey said. "He's an older, mature guy. He understands about preparation. He really wants to do well. He takes it really serious. You can tell he's here focused on playing well and getting back in the flow."

Sandberg's veteran presence, despite being freshman, is already rubbing off on Auburn's younger quarterbacks on the depth chart behind Stidham -- sophomore Malik Willis and freshman Joey Gatewood -- while showing them how to take a more seasoned approach to the position. Sandberg's attitude and willingness to learn has not been lost on Lindsey, or Stidham -- who has stood near Sandberg on the field early on when the 23-year-old has received reps with the offense in practice to help him through certain aspects of the offense.

"He's asking me stuff all the time about this play or that play, and it's just good to see him wanting to learn and wanting to get better and that sort of thing," Stidham said. "So, I think as time progresses, he's just going to get more and more comfortable."

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

8 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

Auburn Football

................. 'good presence,' maturity to Auburn's quarterback room

Updated Aug 12, 10:03 AM; Posted Aug 12, 10:03 AM

Former minor leaguer Cord Sandberg has brought a veteran presence to Auburn's quarterback room, even if he's still working to learn the offense and re-acclimating himself to football. (Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics)

12 shares

By Tom Green

tgreen@al.com

Jarrett Stidham wasn't completely sure what Auburn was getting in its newest quarterback, Cord Sandberg, before he arrived on campus for his first practice last Sunday.

Yes, Sandberg was a former four-star prospect and rated as the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school in 2013. However, that was more than five years ago, and in the time since Sandberg pursued a professional baseball career in the minor leagues as part of the Philadelphia Phillies organization, which selected him in the second round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

"You never know," Stidham said. "A guy who goes and plays minor league baseball for five years and then he does and comes back, you just don't know if he's going to be like, 'Oh, it's just college; let's go through it,' or if he's really going to be locked in to what we're doing and trying to learn the playbook."

It didn't take long for Stidham to realize that Auburn was getting the latter, and not the former, when it came to Sandberg.

After missing the team's first two practices of fall camp to be in his brother's wedding, Sandberg reported to the program last Sunday. He spent his first two practices in shorts and was limited to 7-on-7 and 1-on-1 drills his first day. The following two practices -- including Thursday's scrimmage -- he was in shells as part of the team's acclimation period, and then he moved to full-pads in recent days.

While head coach Gus Malzahn's early assessment of Sandberg after his first practice was that he's more of a "timing thrower-type," he conceded that Sandberg will understandably have somewhat of a learning curve as he readjusts to the game of football. Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey expounded on that a couple days later, when he noted that Sandberg is knocking off some rust following a six-year minor league career and needs to improve his fundamentals and footwork, among other things.

Malzahn expects 'learning curve' for QB Sandberg

Former minor league baseball player Cord Sandberg signed will join Auburn in time for the Tigers' third practice of fall camp.

Yet while his impact on the field could be minimal this season and climb up the depth chart could be a long way off, Stidham and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey are already seeing Sandberg's impact in the quarterback room.

"He brings a really good presence to the quarterback room," Lindsey said. "He's an older, mature guy. He understands about preparation. He really wants to do well. He takes it really serious. You can tell he's here focused on playing well and getting back in the flow."

Sandberg's veteran presence, despite being freshman, is already rubbing off on Auburn's younger quarterbacks on the depth chart behind Stidham -- sophomore Malik Willis and freshman Joey Gatewood -- while showing them how to take a more seasoned approach to the position. Sandberg's attitude and willingness to learn has not been lost on Lindsey, or Stidham -- who has stood near Sandberg on the field early on when the 23-year-old has received reps with the offense in practice to help him through certain aspects of the offense.

"He's asking me stuff all the time about this play or that play, and it's just good to see him wanting to learn and wanting to get better and that sort of thing," Stidham said. "So, I think as time progresses, he's just going to get more and more comfortable."

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

Hard to start writing articles on Cord when he has been in shorts working with the 4th team O. This spring will be the major deal for him.