Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Dieker hones skills at Manning Passing Academy
07/22/2010 | 12:00:00 | Football
July 22, 2010
By Jason Clay
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois senior quarterback Chris Dieker was one of 25 college quarterbacks and just one of three FCS quarterbacks invited to participate in the prestigious Manning Passing Academy, which was held July 8-11 at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La.
The nation's most advanced camp, in its 15th year, is run by the Manning family; Archie, Peyton, Eli and Cooper. Nearly 1,000 football players from all over the country come to learn the fundamentals, techniques, skills, motivation and sportsmanship necessary for success.
Dieker's primary responsibility was to serve as an instructor for the kids at the camp. The college quarterbacks had their own sessions receiving instruction from the Manning's, along with the other coaches on hand that included NLF legend Ken Anderson.
The elite group of college quarterbacks at the camp include frequently mentioned Heisman Trophy candidates Christian Ponder of Florida State and Jerrod Johnson of Texas A&M.
Also at the camp were Davey O'Brien Award candidates Andy Dalton (TCU), Case Keenum (Houston), Andrew Luck (Stanford), Greg McElroy (Alabama), Kellen Moore (Boise State) and Taylor Potts (Texas Tech). Other notable quarterbacks at the camp include Jordan Jefferson (LSU), Matt Simms (Tennessee) Adam Weber (Minnesota) and T.J. Yates (North Carolina).
Southeast Louisiana's Tyler Beatty and Samford's Dustin Taliaferro, who was Dieker's roommate at the camp, were the only other FCS quarterbacks at the Manning Passing Academy.
Below is a Q&A session with Dieker about his experiences at the Manning Passing Academy.
Q: What kind of experience did you have at the Manning Passing Academy?
Dieker: "My primary job there was to be an instructor for the kids - I think we had 1,060 kids. I had a great time doing that. I love working camps for kids anyways, so it was fun. As far as my personal experience, I got to throw twice with Peyton and Eli. I had a workout right when we got there. We ran through some drills, some movement drills, some drops, some throws and all that. We had Peyton and Eli there critiquing you and giving you compliments and letting you know some stuff to work on. We had fun the whole time, everyone was great there. All the college quarterbacks were down to earth, great guys, and so was Payton and Eli."
Q: What kind of advice did you get from Peyton and Eli?
Dieker: "We also had a little sit-down session with Peyton and Eli. They gave us some tips on the way they watch films and the way they go about practice and workouts."
Q: Were there any specific areas that were pointed out for you to work on?
Dieker: "I wouldn't say anything necessarily specific. There was a time when we were doing a movement drill and I moved and kind of patterned my feet a little bit. I had them in my ear telling me to `calm your feet down' and stuff like that. The time before that when we did the movement drill they were there telling me `nice feet, good feet, good throw, good drop'. It was just them critiquing and trying to get us better."
Q: What kind of confidence will you gain from attending this camp?
Dieker: "I think I did gain some confidence. You see those quarterbacks from bigger schools on TV all the time and when you actually get a chance to get out there with them and throw with them, it lets you realize that you are able to be with that group of people. I'll bring back some confidence that way and I feel like I picked up some tips that are going to help me come camp and preparing for teams."
Q: How have the summer workouts been going for you?
Dieker: "Summer workouts have been going real good. We've been getting a lot done and everyone has been working real hard. I feel confident about where we are at right now going into camp. I'm excited to start camp up and I think [strength] coach [Jared] Nessland has been doing a real good job."
Q: What are your expectations for the team going into this year?
Dieker: "The expectations for the team are to obviously win every game. We have those expectations no matter how many seniors you lose. I feel that we still have a good squad and we had some good depth last year, so I feel pretty good about the team."
Q: What are your expectations for yourself going into your senior year?
Dieker: "I'm just trying to go out and be the best player that I can. I just want to play to the best of my ability and do anything I can to help my team out. I'm not going to set goals for yards I want to pass for or touchdowns I want to throw. I guess my goal is to just win every game really and be a part of that. Help these guys out, just have fun with the season - it's my last year - and just leave it all on the table."
