Spokesman.com
Minshew credits Leach for saving him from Alabama's bench
Gardner Minshew is the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals now, and he spent part of his press conference reminding everyone that he almost wasn't. He was ready to go to Alabama, hold a clipboard, be a graduate assistant, and love every second of it. Then Mike Leach called.
Leach asked him a question that changed everything: "Do you want to go hold a clipboard or lead the country in passing?" Minshew chose the latter, came to Pullman in 2018, and threw for 4,779 yards and 38 touchdowns in one season. That got him drafted in the sixth round. Eight NFL years later, he's still starting.
Minshew said he can't overstate what playing for Leach did for him. That tracks. The guy had one season in the Palouse and it rewired his entire career. Leach saw a gunslinger buried on a depth chart and pulled him out. Not every coach makes that call. Not every quarterback answers it.
It is good to see Minshew get another shot, and even better to hear him say the quiet part out loud: Pullman made him. If you want more on how Cougs are showing out right now, check out *Coug ballers made Week 8 worth watching from the couch*. Go Cougs.
