Adam Weber was a freshman high school quarterback about to make his first varsity start when his father, Bob, suggested the two make a trip. A reconnaissance mission of sorts.
The father and son drove to the stadium where Adam would play his first game a few days later. It was late and nobody was around so the two sneaked in and walked around the field. Adam was 15 and excited. Perhaps a little nervous, too. His dad gave him a pep talk.
"I told him this is a great opportunity for you," Bob said. "There is no reason to be nervous."
That father-son moment took place nearly five years ago to the day as Adam prepared to make his debut as Mounds View High's starting quarterback on the road against a powerful Blaine team.
Bob, a former Gophers cornerback who is now a doctor, has reflected on that night a lot lately. His son is once again a freshman quarterback preparing for his first start, albeit on a much bigger stage.
Gophers coach Tim Brewster on Tuesday officially named Weber his starting quarterback for Saturday's season opener against Bowling Green. The news was not a surprise, considering Weber had worked almost exclusively with the first-team offense the final two weeks of fall camp.
"We just feel like at this particular time Adam Weber gives us the best chance to win," Brewster said.
It's also evident that Weber has been groomed for this moment. A hometown kid raised a Gophers fan, he has spent his entire athletic career ahead of the learning curve. This situation is no different, even if the stakes are higher.
"When you're outside of this, it's something really big," Weber said.
"When you step back you say, 'Wow, this is it.' But when you get out there on the field, it's still just football."
Ready for anything
Weber has always excelled in that arena. When Mounds View's returning quarterback suffered a knee injury in 2002, coach Jim Galvin picked Weber to be his starter as a freshman. Galvin didn't hesitate because Weber was their best option, he said.
"He was not overmatched by the situation," Galvin said. "The kids could feel his leadership."
That was obvious. Although Mounds View lost his debut at Blaine, the team finished 7-3 and tied for the Suburban East Conference title.
Weber's teammates included his brother Dan, a senior running back on the team. Rather than write off their senior season on account of a freshman quarterback, Dan said he and his classmates were confident that Adam could handle the situation. They knew because many of them had grown up with Adam tagging along or playing on the same youth teams.
"We were all excited because all my friends knew how good he was," Dan said.
Weber became a four-year starter, a three-time all-state selection and one of the Midwest's top-ranked quarterback prospects. Perhaps most notable about Weber's high school career, however, was the fact he was elected captain of three sports as a senior. That doesn't happen by accident.
Those close to Weber say he's always been a magnetic leader who acts older than his age. This past spring Weber returned to his high school at 6 a.m. on Fridays to lead Mounds View's quarterbacks and wide receivers in passing drills.
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