It didn't take long for Hawai'i football coach June Jones to realize Timmy Chang was going to be a special player.
"I remember the first time he stepped into the huddle his freshman year. We were running a two-minute drill, and I think Timmy was the third quarterback out there," Jones said at the recent WAC Media Day in Reno. "He came in and bang, bang, bang completed eight straight passes leading his team to a score. I turned around and said to the coaches 'I think we have one here.'"
Indeed they did.
Chang comes into his senior season needing only 2,218 yards to surpass ex-BYU star Ty Detmer and become the all-time NCAA passing leader. He has helped put Hawai'i football on the map.
"Barring injury, I think he will (break it)," Jones said. "It will be fun to watch this happen. What it will do for the program, state and conference is second to anything that has ever happened to us.
"By week five or six, maybe even four, every TV set in America will be on (and people) watching him break that record. I'm excited about Timmy's senior season. It's hard to believe how fast it has gone by."
Chang, who is being mentioned as a Heisman contender, said he's not worried about the record - yet.
'My job is to be the best leader I can be for this football team," said the UH senior. "I can't be worried about it (the record). My job is to put the ball into the hands of our receivers. If it (the record and Heisman award) helps the team get some recognition, I'm all for it. Right now, it doesn't mean anything. There's a lot of football to be played."
Jones said Chang has worked extremely hard in the weight room since January and applied himself more to the game.
"Timmy is working hard to better himself," said QB coach Dan Morrison in the team's media guide. "He spends a lot of time evaluating film in an effort to improve himself. It's a difficult task to be a quarterback in this offense because he has a direct impact on more snaps than any other quarterback in any other system. Because of our pass-oriented offense, Timmy is one of the few quarterbacks in the country who is directly involved in virtually every play."
That's why it's critical he stay healthy. Last year when Chang faltered and was even benched for a couple of games, the Rainbow Warriors had Jason Whieldon to rely on. The two returning quarterbacks - Kainoa Akina and Jeff Rhode have thrown two passes between them. Redshirt freshman Jack Rolovich and true freshmen Tyler Graunke, the all-time passing leader in Arizona history, NorCal Player of the Year Taylor Humphrey and South Carolina Player of the Year Brandon Satcher are in the mix for the No. 2 job.
As successful as Chang was last year (4,199 yards, 29 TDs, 20 Int.), he was replaced by Whieldon in the Alabama game. Whieldon started the Boise game, but Hawai'i lost 45-28.
"Any time a quarterback goes through tough times, you find out what a competitor he is; what he's made of," Jones said. "Every quarterback goes through that. I pulled him in the Alabama game and he didn't start the Boise game. I probably should have put him in (against Boise) because we couldn't complete some passes. He could have changed that game."
"It was hard," Chang said. "I wasn't doing what I needed to be doing. Watching Jason perform at a high level brought back the fire in me."
Chang seemed sincere, but the writers who follow the Rainbows said Chang didn't handle the benching well, and was told to keep quiet by Jones.
Whieldon started the bowl game against Houston, but Chang was in by the Rainbows' third possession. He finished strong, completing 26 of 42 for 475 yards and five scores, three to Jason Rivers, in leading Hawaii to a 54-48 triple-overtime win.
That game gave Chang some momentum heading into what could be a record-setting season.
The Jones File
Age: 51
Birthplace: Portland, Ore.
Education: New York State Regents College
Years at Hawai'i: Starting 6th season
Record at Hawai'i: 40-25
NFL Record: 22-36
Notable: Played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons from 1977-81, and then spent the 1981 season with Toronto in the CFL.
The Chang File
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6-2
Weight: 194
Year in school: Senior
Notable: Needs 2,218 yards this season to become the NCAA all-time passing leader.
