By Chip Scoggins
Star Tribune
Adam Weber has always acted older than his age, especially when playing sports, but the Gophers sophomore quarterback admits he struggled at times with his leadership demands last season.
He was so busy just trying to process a tidal wave of information as a freshman starter in a new offense that he didn’t always feel comfortable raising his voice or taking charge of the huddle when needed.
"With personal confidence comes the leadership aspect," he said. "When you know every single thing about the offense, it allows you to be calm and be relaxed. I’m still young, but I’m a veteran now. I can calm those guys down and say, ‘It’s still just football.’ "
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While Weber feels more confident at the helm, the Gophers offense still has a long way to go, judging by its performance in the team’s annual spring game Friday night before an estimated crowd of 5,000 at the Metrodome.
The offense had more turnovers (four) than touchdowns (two) and managed only 262 total yards on 71 plays.
"It was a sloppy way to end spring ball," said Weber, who completed 10 of 14 passes for 65 yards with one touchdown pass and a 1-yard touchdown run. "We had 14 good practices, and it would have been nice if we would have come out here and done a little better. We would have liked to put on a better show for our fans, but we had a good spring ball."
By all accounts, Weber had a strong spring practice that saw him cement his starting job after setting a host of single-season school records in 2007.
Weber showed he has all the physical tools last season, but the coaching staff urged him to become a more vocal leader. Gophers coach Tim Brewster said Weber has looked far more confident this spring.
Weber improved his footwork, refined his mechanics and has a far better grasp of the spread offense, which has resulted in fewer errant throws and poor decisions.
More than anything, though, Brewster said Weber has become the guy to whom everyone else looks.
