Remembering Riley

Story by B.J. Bennett
Interview by J.T. Bennett

Members of the SouthernPigskin.com Staff spend an afternoon with Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner reflecting on his career. Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.

The numbers jump off the page like a teacher's red ink on a graded test: 9,672 passing yards, 57 career touchdown passes, a Division One-best 72.4% completion percentage in 2007, 31 career wins as a starter, one ACC Championship in 2006.

As a prep recruit at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, Riley Skinner's potential wasn't quite as obvious to many college recruiters. Few coaches wanted his signature on their dotted line. In addition to a last-minute offer from Wake Forest, one that came in large part because coaches were scouting former Demon Deacon defensive lineman John Russell, Skinner fielded offers from Hawaii and Miami of Ohio. Despite leading the Bolles School to a 14-0 record and a Florida 3A state championship, recruiters cited his 6'1'' frame and average arm strength as potential worries. Skinner considered accepting a half-scholarship at Samford or even enrolling at Georgia simply as a student.

Throwing the football around with the recent Wake Forest graduate on a chilly January afternoon, watching Skinner recall those moments was like watching a successful businessman look back through his high school yearbook; there was a harmless chuckle or two, but that person in the picture, and the circumstances provided, were a painfully crucial part of their progression to today.

Skinner rattled off the evolution of his career like a legendary broadcaster detailing a big play, all with a content, maybe even surprised, smile and gleam. Recounting memories from his freshman season, the now-ACC legend took myself and my brother, SouthernPigskin.com staff writer, J.T. Bennett, back with him.

A late offer from Jim Grobe in hand, Skinner instead opted for Winston-Salem, North Carolina and a Wake Forest program that had won just 43 games in the ten years prior to his arrival. The Demon Deacons had one conference championship, coming in 1970, and had been to just six bowl games in the history of their program. Skinner bonded with a fast-rising coach from Ohio in Grobe, an affable, yet meticulous, leader with whom Skinner's destiny would prove to be directly intertwined.

A simply-hoping-to-compete mindset suffered the same harsh result as starting quarterback Ben Mauck's season as the two went down to an arm injury in the 2006 opener against Syracuse. With Mauck, Wake Forest's most decorated recruit ever, down for the count, many believed the Deacons' season would soon follow suit.

Enter Skinner. A rangy redshirt freshman from north Florida whose previous on-field experience had come handling a clipboard, Grobe himself wasn't sure what to expect. Skinner wasn't highly-touted out of high school and, while intelligent and savvy, faced an uphill battle as a green newcomer in the black-and-blue ACC. Taking the field at a haircut over six feet tall, he threw just one pass in a 20-10 win over the Orange.

"Riley has a lot of ability. He came from a great high school program and is really smart. He can run this offense," Grobe told the media after the Syracuse game in 2006. "He needs to grow up fast and realize that he needs to learn like Ben did that he has to take care of the football and manage the offense. I think he can do it. I like what we are doing with our quarterbacks and our offense right now. We are not asking them to do rocket science, we are doing things that a young quarterback can just do and plug in."

Grobe went on to explain that Skinner earned the nod over reserve Brett Hodges due missed practice time stemming from an injury.

"I think we have to go with Riley because he has been the one in practice," Grobe explained, "think that with all the practice that Brett missed, we will make Riley the guy right now."

There's a fine line between opportunity and total disaster. While Skinner would go on to lead the Deacons to an impressive 230 first downs and 33 touchdowns his stellar freshman season, the biggest line he would cross that year was that pivotal, and often unpredictable, mark of circumstance.

Skinner led Wake Forest to a stunning 5-0 record and, following a loss to Clemson, a historic 9-1 ledger entering mid-November. The highlight in that run? A 30-0 home throttling of Florida State, the worst home loss of Bobby Bowden's career. The Seminoles were one of many regional teams to overlook Skinner during the recruiting process. He completed 13 of 19 passes with one touchdown in his first showdown with the 'Noles. In addition to his aforementioned accomplishments, the Jacksonville-native ended his career with a 3-1 record against FSU.

After finishing the season with a road win at Maryland, Skinner had led the Deacons to an ACC Championship Game showdown with Georgia Tech. Considering Wake Forest had not won more than eight games, um, ever, the feat topped the national headlines and had league fans feeling like dice in a Yahtzee Jar. The conference's walking sniffle, think Zolteck from the Little Giants, was something to sneeze at no more.

In the frigid drizzle in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, Skinner's Deacons held on in a sloppy 9-7 victory over the Yellow Jackets to win their first conference crown in over 35 years and a berth in the Orange Bowl. The storybook finish to his first season seemed too good to be true, the surreal pinnacle of a three-month whirlwind that turned Skinner from just another name on the depth chart to the leading name in ACC football.

The postgame press conference was one of sheer jubilation and honest-to-goodness disbelief. I was there. And, though I had no association to Wake Forest whatsoever, I shared some of their joy as a mere witness to one of the most unlikely seasons in league history. I vividly remember the press conference with a young Skinner beaming ear-to-ear, along with Grobe, kicker Sam Swank and linebacker Jon Abbate, joking about the number of media in the room. That astonished look was one that came back to Skinner, and stood out to me, now four years but also a complete legacy later, as we chronicled his career late that afternoon.

Talking to Skinner that day, it's clear that how he came to Wake Forest and the development he went through personally, academically and athletically, was just as important as the end result, one that will forever be lamented in program history and lore.

Some things stand out in life; key moments, dates, sequences and stories. A cold rain shower, a memorable radio clip, ink on paper; Skinner, both with his arm and a smile Wake Forest fans won't soon forget, more than left his mark.

Skinner Interview

What is your best memory from your time at Wake Forest?
Besides all the guys you meet and all the locker room memories, jokes, and traveling with all of the guys over the years, obviously the best football memory is coming down my freshman year and playing in the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville the first year I got to play and winning an ACC Championship. That is definitely my best memory.

What is it like to win an ACC title as a freshman?
It was pretty surreal. As cliché as it sounds it was kind of like a storybook season, coming into the year as third string and the two guys in front of me go down in the first two weeks and getting thrown into the mix. All the factors of being ranked last in the conference, being a freshman, and getting a last minute scholarship offer for the year and coming in and winning the title for the first time in 30 or so years was unbelievable and it was an honor to be a part of it.

What was it like playing in the Orange Bowl?
It was unbelievable. That whole week you felt like you were an NFL team about to play in the Super Bowl with the way you got treated. The hype around the team and how grand the whole platform was down there in Miami, playing in that game is something I will never forget. I got to meet Arnold Palmer down there, Dewayne Wade, and Muhammad Ali. They were all of our coin toss people for the game. It really was unbelievable being down there for eight days. Playing in that stadium was like you were playing on the NFL so it was pretty cool.

How would you describe your relationship with coach Grobe?
My relationship with coach Grobe is pretty special. Being there for five years… ever since my freshman year he always had an open door policy. We have a lot of similar interests from faith to playing golf and obviously football. I spent a lot of time in his office, I stopped there almost every day and we talked about football and other stuff as well. Our relationship grew more and more as I was able to start for four years. As the starting quarterback you have to be on the same page as the head coach or things can go south pretty quick. It is a pretty neat relationship and me being out of school for the past three weeks I still talk to him. He gives me a lot of advice not only with football and going to the next level but with life in general. Like he says he wants to shape you into a good character guy first; to be a good husband, to be a good citizen after football and then shaping you in the a good football player second.

What is it like being the star quarterback at a small school like Wake Forest?
It is pretty cool. You obviously get recognized a lot easier being at a small school. You get to see a lot of the same people throughout the week. You have a lot of the same people in your classes. It is a lot of fun. It isn’t just a bunch of fans that you have no clue who they are they are people that you know and who you interact with daily. It is different being the star quarterback at a small school than a big school. The hype may not be as big but it is cool to create relationships with those people that are football fans.

What teams did you have the most fun playing against?
Probably the number one team is Florida State. Just growing up in Florida and all your hear about is Florida State and the success we had against them for three years in a row was pretty special. I had a lot of fun playing against them. I enjoyed playing Maryland. We just always had good games against Maryland. My freshman year against Maryland was probably my favorite. We were both tied to go to the ACC Championship Game and we won. The second year we were down 21 points in the third quarter and we came back to win in overtime. We scored a touchdown at the end of regulation to send it into overtime. The third year was ugly I don’t want to talk about that. And then this year I had one of my better games of my career against them.

Who is the toughest player you have ever played against?
Gaines Adams, defensive end for Clemson, was very tough because he hit me pretty good a couple of times. Derrick Morgan was one of the better defensive linemen I have ever played against. He and Chris Long were pretty similar. Those three guys: Gaines Adams, Derrick Morgan, and Chris Long.

Who has the toughest stadium?
That probably has to be Clemson. It was fun playing in there. They have a great crowd, a great fanbase. My girlfriend went to Clemson. I spent a lot of time at Clemson so I was always pumped to go there but we didn’t have great success there. Those were probably my two worst games of my career there. I didn’t leave there with the best memories but it was still a pretty fun place to play.

4and10, fourth quarter, who do you throw it to?
I want to say Kenny Moore but I liked throwing to Nate Morton my freshman year. He had some pretty dang good hands. He came up clutch a good bit. I liked throwing with Nate.

How would you describe playing in the ACC?
I love it. I like it because it is a real competitive conference. I think it is the most competitive when it comes to talent. There aren’t any cake walk teams anymore. I know everyone used to say Duke but they have turned that program around. I know we beat them everytime but they really played us close. It is fun because you have to come to play every week. I like the fact that there is not one or two dominant teams in the conference. I know the national media doesn’t like to see that but in the Pac 10 you have USC and the Big 10 you have Ohio State, it is like you are seeing the same teams every year. I like having that competitiveness that makes every team come out and play every week because you honestly never know what the heck is going to happen.

Do you feel like you proved a lot of people wrong because you weren’t highly recruited and you came in to Wake Forest did so well?
I never really had that chip on my shoulder, you know, these guys never recruited me so I need to beat them to get back at them. I mean it feels good to beat people like the Florida State’s as they are a couple hours down the road and you never got looked at, but it isn’t like I went down to Doak Campbell thinking I was going to show them because they didn’t recruit me. I kind of knew because of my size that a lot teams would pass me up and I was fortunate that Wake gave me a chance. It was nice to beat those teams because it kind of proved to yourself that you could play. Because when all the guys on your high school team are getting recruited it starts to eat away at you a little bit. Seeing all of the coaches come around and talk to everyone but you. Being able to go and prove to yourself that you really could play with the best in the country felt pretty good.

You were pretty clutch throughout your career, what advice would you give to young quarterback about playing clutch?
I think a lot of it is intangibles and some quarterbacks really thrive in the clutch. I guess I don’t get flustered. I wouldn’t look at the big picture. You have to look at a last minute drive as just another drive but you just have to hurry up a little bit. The biggest thing is management of your team. If you ask guys on our team with a minute and a half left I think they felt confidant and I think they had just as much confidence as I did. I think if you look like you’re nervous and scared it is going to effect how the rest of your team does on that last minute drive. You just need to be poised and confidant and take your time. The big thing with two minute drives and being clutch at the end is you need one play that gives you that big chunk of yards that you need. If you can just get that one play, our philosophy was take what they give you, take what they give you, get the five and eight yard routes. And one time during that drive you need a big play. I think for the most part we were able to make those kind of plays over the past four years.

How does it feel to be mentioned with quarterbacks like Phillip Rivers, Joe Hamilton, and Chris Weinke as one the top QB’s in the league in recent memory?
It is unbelievable to be honest. I have only been out of Wake for a couple of weeks and while I was there it was hard to take a look at the big picture over the last four years. Just because things move so fast and you always have to be ready for the next thing. Now that it is over, I think it a couple of weeks, months, or a year pass when I look back it is going to be pretty cool to see what I accomplished over the past four years. To be named with those guys…personally it sounds very weird to hear my name with quarterbacks like that who have been so successful and still are with Phillip Rivers in the league right now. It is also a huge honor to mentioned with them and if I could have half the success they have had I would be happy.

What has Wake Forest meant to you off of the field?
I couldn’t be happier with where I ended up. I think the academic part of the school is something that I will really appreciate once football is over. Having a degree from Wake Forest is something special and having a business degree is really nice. I think last year Wake Forest had the number one ranked business school in the country. It was a lot of hard work that’s for sure. Outside of football it was a big requirement from me off of the field in terms of hours, preparation in the classroom and hard work. It definitely paid off and it was definitely worth it. The relationships that I have created from people outside of football I know will last for a lifetime. It is pretty special to make those relationships while spending five years at a division one college football program. It has been pretty neat. Wake has meant the world to me. I kind of hope that I have given back to them half of what they have given to me. I will be a very supportive alumni and be back as much as I can. I think that the football team will continue on the rise and will start to get more national attention. A lot of people think that school isn’t a big deal but the average NFL career is only three years and football is over. And football can end real quick if you aren’t lucky. I think if people can realize the combination of playing in the ACC and playing against some of the best teams in the nation while getting one the best degrees in the nation it is a pretty amazing combination. I feel personally that it is one of the best schools in the nation. I feel that they have given me a lot.

What is the day in the life of a star quarterback in college football?
It is pretty time consuming. To be detailed we start off with 6:30am lifts and then you get 30 minutes of breakfast and then you are off to class. Being in the business school I had to spend a lot of time in the classroom outside of class hours just doing extra work, group work and just studying. I was on campus usually from about 6:15am or so to 8:30pm at night. I would get an hour or two break in there to go home if I needed to. It was class and then lunch. I usually spent an hour of my free time in the film room and meetings started at 3:30pm. So I would get some treatment about 2:30pm and I would get into meetings at about 3:15pm. We would be in meetings from about 3:15pm to 4:45pm, then get taped and dressed. We would be on the field from about 5:15pm to 7:30pm practicing and after practice you go get showered and iced up. You go eat with the team and then you get home about 8:30pm or so every night. The typical fan doesn’t realize what goes into it. They see you on Saturday and that is about it. When we get home at 8:30pm we don’t really have time to be the star quarterback and go out and party and be social. We get home and watch Entourage or The Office, chilling watching a movie and getting to bed around midnight or 1:00am in the morning. I know all of the fans and analysts want a playoff but I would be very surprised to see a player, unless they have gotten screwed, that would want to go through another four weeks of that. If you look at coaches too…coaches see their families on Sunday. You play a Saturday night game and coaches don’t see their families much other than Sunday. That is a lot of wear and tear on your body. I don’t know if another four weeks will happen. I don’t think the players and coaches really want that, other than teams that might have gotten screwed like Auburn in 2004. That is a lot of practice and time commitment.

What do you think your lasting legacy will be?
On the football field…winning is a big deal and representing the school with class and the way they wanted to be represented. Off of the football field…be someone that gave their heart and soul to the Wake Forest community and fans as well. Somebody that when you came in the place was different after you left. Hopefully when I got there I made an impression on people. Doing it with class and doing it the right way and the way that Wake Forest wanted to be represented.

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