Rutgers football: Even injured, Noah Vedral continues to make an impact
Despite being sidelined for the season opener at Boston College, quarterback Noah Vedral has made his presence felt for Rutgers football. Vedral was scratched from Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury.
And even with the injury, Vedral’s impact on the program has continued as he mentors the young quarterbacks on the roster. The incumbent starter for Rutgers the past two seasons, Vedral watched on the sidelines as redshirt sophomore Evan Simon and redshirt freshman Gavin Wimsatt led Rutgers to the win.
Vedral, voted a team captain for this season, has repeatedly been praised by head coach Greg Schiano for his leadership during his two years with the program. Vedral, according to Schiano, wants to get into coaching when his playing career is over.
He is showing those traits during this time injured and on the sideline.
“He has been great with the younger guys. He has coached them. Noah wants to go into coaching when he is done playing,” Schiano told reporters on Monday.
“He has done an awesome job. He has helped me. He has helped Sean quite a bit. He is handling it well, but he is like a caged animal. He wants to play. This is very frustrating to him. But we’ll just week-to-week and see how it heals.”
Rutgers faces Wagner on Saturday at 4 P.M. in their home opener. In the weeks leading up to the opener at Boston College, Schiano, didn’t tip his hand about Vedral’s injury or the plan to heavily rotate the quarterbacks.
On Monday, he kept the plan for the Wagner game under wraps.
When asked if the quarterback shuffle is an option for this week, Schiano kept the answer similar to the weeks past.
“Anything is. We don’t have to answer this too many more times going forward,” Schiano said.
“This will be a blanket statement for the whole year. Whatever gives us the best chance to win is a possibility, so then basically, anything is a possibility if it gives us a chance to win.”
