Andrew Brewer's football career at Northwestern has not turned out exactly like he planned. But while his position may have changed, his attitude has remained the same.
"If you told me coming in my freshman year that I'd end up as a wide receiver, I might have looked at you funny," the former quarterback said. "Ultimately, though, I know God's got a plan for me."
This spring, Brewer has been transitioning from quarterback, where he started three games for the Wildcats last year, to wide receiver.
Coach Pat Fitzgerald said the shift began near the end of last season, when sophomore C.J. Bachér became the everyday quarterback. With standout receiver Shaun Herbert graduating this year, the coaching staff decided to move the athletic Brewer to wideout.
Fitzgerald said he hopes Brewer can be a valuable addition to the team as a receiver, and possibly even on punts and kickoffs.
"When (Brewer) is a quarterback, all he can be is a quarterback," Fitzgerald said. "Now he's available to us on special teams as well, his impact is doubled at least."
The shift has forced Brewer to deal with changes both on and off the field. After a lifetime of perfecting five-step drops and reading defenses, Brewer spends his practices learning post patterns and blocking techniques. At the same time, he has had to come terms with his less visible role in NU's offense.
Wide receiver coach Kevin Johns has overseen the football side of Brewer's transition, which he says has been eased by the sophomore's innate athletic ability.
"When he steps out on the field, he's a natural athlete," Johns said. It's hard to teach people how to run fast. And he can do that: He just goes out and plays fast."
Brewer said he has yet to perfect certain receiving fundamentals, like the downfield release a wideout makes after the snap. But Johns said the former Oklahoma All-State quarterback's inherent skills on the gridiron more than make up for his lack of polish at wide receiver.
Spring Break
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