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Inside Will Hammond's drive to thrive for Texas Tech football in first career start at Liberty Bowl
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- Inside Will Hammond's drive to thrive for Texas Tech football in first career start at Liberty Bowl
Will Hammond 's alarm clock goes off each day around 4:30 a.m. An hour later, he's already at the Texas Tech football facility ready to begin the next growth phase.
Starting the season as third string on the Red Raider quarterback depth chart, Hammond has continued to be a sponge throughout his true freshman season. He estimates he spends about 12 hours a day in team facilities, be it studying film, working on his body and getting throws in with receivers Caleb Douglas and Coy Eakin.
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"He's like a robot," Jalin Conyers said. "I'm convinced he never leaves the facility. I don't think I've ever seen him go home."
More: Texas Tech football QB Behren Morton to miss Liberty Bowl after shoulder surgery
Midway through the season, Hammond had quietly been moved up to being Behren Morton 's backup. During the Oct. 26 game at TCU, Morton was knocked out of the game at halftime, paving the way for Hammond to get his first significant action. It was a moment the Hutto High School grad had put all those hours in for, knowing he was going to get the first snap of the second half.
Hammond has had that same feeling since the end of the regular season, when Tech knew that Morton would be undergoing shoulder surgery. That puts Hammond into the starting position for Texas Tech 's matchup with Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 27, a position his teammates are confident he can handle.
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"There's kind of no fall off," Douglas said. "Will is always ready. Even when Behren was here during the season, he's back there taking mental reps. Him just getting in there now, he's actually doing the physical reps."
Learning experience for Will Hammond's first run as Texas Tech quarterback
Hammond made his official debut for Texas Tech in Week 3 against North Texas. The game, already a blowout victory, allowed Hammond and some of the younger Red Raiders to get their chance to shine.
One play in particular Hammond remembers fondly. The Mean Green were running a three-stack, so Hammond used his eyes to look off the UNT safety, looking left before hitting Conyers on a post route.
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Caleb Rogers sat and listened as Hammond had his first meeting with the media, smiling and nodding, like a proud big brother, as the 6-foot-2 Austin native discussed the play and his preparation for what's ahead.
"It reminds me a lot of Tahj (Brooks)," Rogers said, "in the sense of like he absorbs everything that you're telling him. All the work he puts in gives him a lot of respect, because that's what we talk about here is being a pro. That's what a lot of our culture is built around, that's how you have to approaching the game."
More: Texas Tech football transfer portal tracker: Red Raiders add former Wake Forest QB
Hammond uses his second game action, the 35-34 loss to TCU, as his biggest learning tool. Spelling Morton in the second half, Hammond led the Red Raiders to touchdowns on back-to-back drives before the Horned Frogs stifled them the rest of the way, mounting the comeback win.
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"The biggest thing I took away from that game was how do I get to what's next?" Hammond said. "... I have a really good rack of four plays, what's next? If the next four plays later on in practice aren't good, then what's the point? You have to be able to maximize the present moment. That's something I really honed in on, just, let's be great right now. Let's really be in the present moment. Let's go win right now, because that's all that matters is the present moment."
Hammond's time has arrived
Hammond spent the year learning under offensive coordinator Zach Kittley and Morton. With Kittley gone, and Morton sidelined, Hammond will be getting the nod with Justin "Juice" Johnson, Tech's receivers coach, calling the plays from the box.
There's also no backup ready if Hammond were to go down. Tech's two other quarterbacks throughout the season, Cameran Brown and Jake Strong , have both entered their names into the transfer portal. Johnson said Tech will have a plan for that, and that he hasn't seen Hammond change his approach or put in more hours since being named the starter, mostly because it's not humanly impossible.
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"I don't know if there's an uptick Will could have," Johnson said. "That's the special thing about Will. Ever since he's been here, he's been the same guy. He's been super consistent about showing up. He's been super consistent about his preparation."
There is one big difference for Hammond, though. There's no question who's running the show in the Liberty Bowl.
More: Texas Tech football assistants rank near top of Big 12 pay scale
"I think there's a difference in knowing going in that, hey, you're gonna be the guy," Johnson said, "so I think he's excited about that."
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Rogers has seen a lot in his time at Texas Tech. In his final game as a Red Raider, he gets to be by Hammond's side for the momentous occasion.
"He's ready to go," Rogers said. "It just inspires confidence into everybody, especially when it's in the quarterback position. It's incredible to be around and I'm excited to be a part of his first start."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football's Hammond has put in the work ahead of Liberty Bowl
