Given he has worked with Tyrod Taylor Jerseys Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Johnny Manziel, it takes a lot to make Kliff Kingsbury'sjaw drop in amazement.

Yet on a Thursday night in September 2014 he watched in disbelief from the back of the end zone at Memorial Stadium in Stephenville, Texas, as high schooler and future New England PatriotJarrett Stidham delivered a dart right in front of him. Rex Burkhead Jerseys

"It was the real deal quick release, drilled itand Kingsbury's nearthe end zone," Greg Winder told Stats Perform.

IYER:

"Kingsbury's mouth was just like, 'Oh, wow.'I knew then he was special."

Winder was the offensive coordinator at Stephenville High School, where Stidham was considered one of the state's finest quarterback prospects in football-mad Texas.

"He was very receptive," Winder recalled. "He always knew what was going on. We would Davion Davis Jerseys meet and talk about our game plan and he knew exactly what we were trying to do and what he needed to do.

"He was a great leader."

The moment became a New England Patriot.

New England Patriots (@Patriots)

Fast-forward to 2020 and Stidham is the centerof attention again.

The Patriots are seeking an answer at the NFL's most important position after watching Tom Brady leave for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. Stidham Tytus Howard Jerseys would appear the most likely candidate to succeed a player considered the greatest of all time, even if his NFL experience is limited to four pa s attempts one of which New York Jets safety Jamal Adams returned for a pick-six in Week 3 oflast season.

Fortunately, Stidham is used tothe spotlight. Winder remembers collegecoaches from all over the country coming to watch him at Stephenville.

"It was Houston Texans Pet Gear crazy, nuts," he said."We'd do our workout and those coaches would be in there watching him throw. He didn't seem to be nervous at all. He's a natural."

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Back when he dazzled Kingsbury, now head coach of the Arizona Cardinals,with his throw against Lubbock Cooper, Stidham had already committed to Texas Tech, where Kingsbury was the head coach. He wound up going to Houston Texans Women Jersey nearbyBaylor, though, avoiding a quarterback competition with future NFL MVP Mahomes.

The move to Baylorproved to beshort-lived. The football programwas rocked by coach Art Briles' firing followingan investigation that found there was a "fundamental failure" by school officials Terrence Brooks Jerseys to respond to sexual a sault allegations against players.

After consulting Winder about his next move, Stidham sat out for a year and then spent two seasonsas Auburn's starting quarterback before declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft, when the Patriots selected him as Brady's latest backup.

GET IN THAT END ZONE, DARIUS! reels in a 42-yard completion from and cro ses the plane for 6!

Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball)

Now, with Brady gone and only Brian Hoyer and Cody Ke sler as rivals, Stidham would appear to have a clear path to the starter' Maliek Collins Jerseys s job.

Succeeding Brady means he will be under even more scrutiny than usual, though Stidham, who moved inwith a guardian family at 18, has already had to cope with plenty Pharaoh Brown Jerseys of pre sure.

"He's been in a lot of different situations in his life with pre sure and different circumstances on and off the field. He'll respond," Winder adds.

But can he be succe sful under Bill Belichick, a man who has won six Super Bowl titles as a head coach, and with a team that has won the AFC East for 11 straight seasons?

"I just think he needs Brevin Jordan Jerseys to be with the right organization, the right situation," Winder says. "And I think he's in the right organization and the right time."