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a starks choice: Play rather than watch PLAYER PROFILE

April 22, 2008 12:15 am

BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.--

The move is often a difficult one for quarterbacks to deal with mentally, but Stewart was more concerned about getting one of his best athletes on the field when he asked the redshirt freshman to make wide receiver his primary position this season.

"I said, 'Bradley, I recruited you, and I'm not going to ever be anything but straight with you,'" Stewart recalled. "I said, 'Right now, you're going to stand over on the sideline and be a [third-string quarterback]. Do you feel like watching all next year?'"

Still a quarterback, too

Starks has never been one to watch from the sidelines.

He was a two-time Free Lance-Star Male Athlete of the Year, while starring in football, basketball and track and field at Orange.

But at West Virginia, senior star quarterback Pat White is entrenched in the position, having been named the Big East Conference's offensive player of the year the past two seasons. White's backup, Jarrett Brown, also has considerable experience.

Stewart said because White works hard every day and is a "fierce, fierce competitor," there's no chance for another quarterback to see the field unless he's injured. He also said Brown "is a clear No. 2."

Stewart shared the same advice with Starks that he gave a former West Virginia quarterback, who transferred to a Division I-AA school because there was no opportunity for playing time. That quarterback told Stewart, "All I want is a chance."

"I said, 'You've got no chance to get a chance. I'm not going to take Patrick White off the field,'" Stewart said.

Starks' goal is to become a college quarterback, so he pondered Stewart and offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen's suggestion before he accepted the opportunity at receiver.

He did so knowing he'll continue to fight for the No. 3 quarterback job with Charlie Russell in the fall, and after White departs, he'll battle for the starting job.

He'll also play quarterback when players organize their own passing league this summer and he'll attend quarterback meetings in the fall, while also learning his new position.

Simply put: Starks is still a quarterback.

"I had that cloud in my head. I wasn't for sure," Starks said of moving to receiver this season. "But I talked to Pat and my coach back home. I thought it over and I just knew it was the best decision for the team to put me out there instead of sitting on the bench for two years."

Spring sensation

If spring practice was any indication, Starks won't have to worry about sitting on the bench in the 2008 season.

His performance had both West Virginia's coaching staff and its fans abuzz.

At practice last Wednesday, the 6-foot-3, 182 pound Starks displayed his speed (4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash) when he split two defenders on a deep pass, and he also showed off improved catching ability when he twisted his body and reached to his side for a touchdown grab.

Stewart was taken aback.

"Bradley Starks. Wow. Just wow," Stewart said following that practice session. "Bradley Starks is going to be something special Bradley Starks is going to be a pretty recognizable name."

Stewart said Starks is in contention to earn a starting job at wide receiver. He had a 49-yard touchdown reception in a recent scrimmage. In the Mountaineers' spring game on Saturday, he caught three passes for 41 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown catch.

White said Starks' experience under center helps him know exactly what a quarterback is looking for in a target.

"He's definitely a great addition to our offense," White said. "He's a great player, and I guess they're starting to call him 'Touchdown Bradley' because every time he gets in, he's scoring a touchdown."

Still learning

Starks scored 107 touchdowns for Orange, but only one came as a wide receiver.

After he was injured at quarterback against Louisa as a senior, he returned the following week as a receiver. He caught two passes for 67 yards, including a 37-yard scoring reception in a 33-0 victory over William Monroe.

But despite his inexperience, West Virginia wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway said his newest pupil has made a smooth transition.

He said Starks, who recorded a long jump of more than 24 feet in high school and was so successful in basketball he admits it crossed his mind to try out for the Mountaineers' hoops squad, "is too good of an athlete to have standing on the sideline."

Galloway said Starks has suffered a few drops and he needs to improve his blocking technique, but he has all the makings of a standout receiver.

"He's shown a lot of ability," Galloway said. "He can run. He can stretch the field. That's what we're looking for: someone who can stretch the field and is able to make plays. He's shown he can do that. He's just got to tie it all together."

Galloway and Starks will focus more on the intricacies of the position such as blocking and route running in August when the Mountaineers begin fall practice.

It's not the same as quarterback, but it will enable Starks to contribute to one of the top programs in the nation on game day.

And even more than playing quarterback, that was his ultimate goal when he arrived at West Virginia last summer.

"One day in my room, I was just thinking, 'I'm actually here. I actually made it here,'" Starks said. "Now I have to do something about it."

Taft Coghill Jr.: 540/374-5526
Email: tcoghill@freelancestar.com