COLLEGE PARK - Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen delivered an impassioned defense of Jordan Steffy yesterday, likening the beleaguered quarterback to his own son and making an unusual appeal to Terrapins fans to quit harassing Steffy.
"If you want to boo me, boo me. Don't boo the kid," Friedgen said during a media briefing noteworthy for the coach's intensity, but also for the fact that he wouldn't commit to starting the fifth-year senior Saturday at Middle Tennessee State.
The team was waiting for X-ray results on Steffy's thumb, injured in Maryland's 14-7 season-opening victory over Delaware at Byrd Stadium. Friedgen labeled the quarterback "questionable" for the game. But even if Steffy is healthy, Friedgen said it was premature to say who would start.
"First of all, we've got to see if he can play at all," Friedgen said of Steffy.
Steffy was unable to practice yesterday, and "he's very questionable" for [today], offensive coordinator James Franklin said. Steffy's absence has made it more unlikely that he will play.
Chris Turner and Josh Portis have been taking snaps in Steffy's absence. Steffy was unavailable for comment yesterday but is expected to be available today.
The Terrapins might have an uncertain quarterback situation - again - but Friedgen was clear in his feelings about Steffy and about some fans' hostile treatment of the player at Saturday's game. Steffy was booed periodically, the fans' displeasure growing as he threw two interceptions in the second half.
Friedgen paused for several seconds to collect his thoughts before launching into his defense of Steffy, his voice quickening and becoming more emphatic as he spoke.
"You know, there's a lot of things that bother me right now with this whole thing," the coach said. "I've got a kid that has done everything that I could possibly ask him to do. Would I like him to make some better decisions or throw some better passes? Sure. But this kid to me is the epitome of what we want in this football program.
"You know, I'm like the father. If you're booing my son, I'm going to get upset. That's how I look at this kid. If he was a kid that didn't give effort, that didn't prepare, then that would be a different story. That's not the case with the kid," the coach said.
Friedgen pledged that Steffy will be a hero sometime during the season.
"I can tell you this, regardless of who plays this week or next week or whatever, Jordan will come in and win the game for us before the season's over. I promise you that," Friedgen said.
The 6-foot-1, 209-pound Steffy was heavily recruited in high school in Lancaster County, Pa., and Terrapins fans' expectations were high. He played sparingly his first few seasons and suffered a concussion in last season's fifth game. He regained the starting job this preseason - a choice unpopular with many fans. Some fans favor Turner, a junior who started last season's final eight games, and others are behind the multidimensional Portis, a junior transfer from Florida.
Coaches have said the studious Steffy needs to calm himself in games and, in Friedgen's words, allow the action to "slow down."
