Sept. 16, 2007
Coming into any Division I football program, student-athletes are expected to play the waiting game for their turn to step on the playing surface and shine. UCF senior quarterback Kyle Israel has been in the shadows for the past three years, only making five starts over that period.
Like many young quarterbacks, Israel used the time while he was not playing to learn as much as he could about the game.
No longer the new kid on the block, Israel knows he needs to be the go-to guy who sets an example for the incoming players, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
"When the younger guys came in during the second half of the summer, I was in their ear trying to get them on the same page as myself and the other quarterbacks and really get them to do what coach expected," said Israel. "When I started to be a little more vocal this summer as far as teaching the offense to the younger guys, that established my leadership role just because they were looking to me to do the right things."
Israel, the only senior quarterback on the roster, knows that in order to preserve the respect from his teammates, coaches and the fans, he needs to perform on the turf.
"Coming into it, one of the biggest things I realized at first was people were not going to respect you until you did something on the field," said Israel. "I knew that for the past three years that I was not going to get the respect I wanted until I did something on the field. Last year I got the opportunity to play, which I think helped me out a lot."
Israel has already made a positive impression upon another member of his offense. Senior tight end Mike Merritt has watched Israel transform into the type of leader the offense can look to for guidance.
"I am very confident in Kyle. He worked real hard this summer," said Merritt. "He is trying to be perfect with everything he does. He has become more confident. He is a leader. He puts everybody in the right spot and makes sure things are going the right way."
The past three years were not the easiest for the Orlando native. Rated one of the top national prep quarterbacks at University High School, Israel came into a program with an already-established offense and an incumbent starting quarterback in Steven Moffett.
As a freshman, Israel appeared in three games in 2004 and even made his first start at home against No. 10 West Virginia. Despite a good performance in which he went 4-for-4, passing for 44 yards and rushing for 23 yards, he still had to battle to beat out his competition in Moffett.
The best thing Israel could do during the time that he was not playing was to observe the game and learn as much as he could. By getting a better grasp for the game, Israel knew he could be much more competitive and have a better chance at fighting for the starting job behind center.
"Understanding the game is the big difference," said Israel. "When you understand our offense and what defenses are doing, it helps you out by making better decisions, which leads to big plays. As time goes on, the knowledge of the offense and defense make a big difference in the performance. I think knowledge of what I have gained over the past few years has helped a lot. I learned a lot from Steven Moffett, some of the good things he did and some of the things he did not do so well in and that helped me out a lot."
Israel and the Knights are done playing the waiting game. Bright House Networks Stadium has arrived and so has Israel, no longer a student, ready to teach the class.
- Ira Green