The Black and Gold Breakdown takes a different look at the Buffaloes, getting a player's perspective from former CU All-American center and long-time pro Jay Leeuwenburg, the man who snapped the ball and graded out paths for skill players during the 1990-91 Orange Bowl-teams that played Notre Dame. Leeuwenburg was a unanimous first-team All-American, only the fourth Buff to earn that honor.
BGB: You played on powerful offenses at CU but as a professional, I'm sure there were days your teams experienced struggles on that side of the ball. In your opinion, what kind of expectations and pressure are the players feeling right now at CU on offense?
Leeuwenburg: There are so many emotions going on with these men. Their confidence is shaken. A new coaching staff comes in with a new language, a new system and that's a lot to handle. In my pro career, I had eight different head coaches. You don't think it matters that much but it does. Then they (CU) don't have a good beginning against Montana State and what confidence you do have is gone.
BGB: We hear Dan Hawkins say the offense is only a couple plays away. When you're averaging less than eight points a game, aren't you a more than two plays away?
Leeuwenburg: Every coach has his media front. Nothing good can come out of him saying "we're a horrible offense." The question is 'what is he telling his players behind closed doors?'"
The part I don't like about the offense now is there is a lot more pulling, trapping, a lot of misdirection. The offensive line, running backs and tight end are not used to that type of scheme. Then, I was watching the ASU game and they do a zone, straight-ahead running game. These guys (players) have been with (Gary) Barnett for seven years and that's thousands and thousands of repetitions the same way. They can't change overnight.
BGB: Is CU so talent deficient right now that it can't score or is it something entirely different?
Leeuwenburg: You have (offensive lineman) Mark Fenton and Brian Daniels, two preseason all-conference selections. I still believe if they're that good, use them. Line it up and run behind them. Yes, right now they are facing a lot of eight and nine-man fronts because the quarterback can't throw but you start there. And, Gary Barnett did not have elite recruiting classes. You have to bring blue chippers in and he has not.
BGB: On teams you've played for, does one unit ever look down upon another, whether it's the defense thinking or saying the offense isn't getting it done or vice versa?
Leeuwenburg: The players absolutely do that. But in my experience it almost always comes back to bite you in the butt. As soon as you start pointing fingers, as soon as you start worrying about the defensive side of the ball, you're taking away the focus on offense and you go lay an egg. The offense will get going because they will get more reps.
BGB: Where is this program right now, Jay? How far away is it from being a consistent top-20 team?
Leeuwenburg: What I see missing is we need a blue-chip quarterback. Hopefully the bad offensive year doesn't scare those players away. It's a two-to-three year process to get players in here.
BGB: What about having Cody Hawkins on the roster? Him being the coaches son, will that blue-chip recruit at his position cross off CU as an option or will that not be an issue?
Leeuwenburg: It could play a factor. It is a concern, real or not. He may be the best quarterback for that system right now. If he lights it up, then you have a problem. You do need a special guy who will take a chance (at coming to Boulder). That (blue chipper) has got to be a quarterback to help Dan Hawkins change the climate.
BGB: If you were Dan Hawkins, how would you recruit a young Jay Leeuwenburg to CU?
Leeuwenburg: I'd say this program has proven it is committed to championship football. I've been successful wherever I've been. What coach Mac (Bill McCartney) said that drew me to him was his honesty and I believe Dan Hawkins could be the same way.
BGB: You're planning on or are writing a book right now, I hear. Will you share a little bit about it with us?
Leeuwenburg: I wrote a book on my life, Yes I Can, Yes You Can, Tackle Diabetes and Win. I saw there were no role models of having diabetes and playing sports. I wrote this book because I wanted to be an inspiring tale that they can be what they want.
The book I'm working on with (CU sports information director) Dave Plati is a compilation of CU football, called something along the line of Tales of Colorado football, from Mac to Neu (Rick Neuheisel) to Gary Barnett and even the Dan Hawkins era. There's a lot of stories.
BGB: How do you spend your life these days?
Leeuwenburg: I'm teaching third grade at Colorado Academy, I work at The Mountain as an in-studio analyst, and for Fox Sports Net, for a show called Football Playbook, and on Fox Sports Radio as a college analyst.
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