Sept. 9, 2001

By Amy Fiscus
MU Media Relations Office

Senior quarterback Jim Dougherty remembers his first collegiate start like it was yesterday. "It was really exciting, I was only a sophomore so I guess I thought there would be a lot more," he said.

Dougherty started 10 of Missouri's 11 games in 1999 as a sophomore, but an elbow injury before last season forced him to sit out the entire year. Surgery and subsequent rehabilitation also caused Dougherty to miss the spring season and the chance to learn new Head Coach Gary Pinkel's offense for the first time alongside fellow quarterbacks Darius Outlaw and Kirk Farmer.

"I was at a disadvantage from the beginning because I didn't play in the spring, but then Kirk isn't playing right now," Dougherty said. "I've had to accelerate during the fall, during two-a-days. There are a lot of mistakes I need to correct, but I'm doing better."

Last week against Bowling Green, Dougherty dressed for the first time since his injury. He is listed as the backup quarterback. Since Dougherty was the third-string quarterback as a freshman, this season is the first time he has had to train for the No. 2 spot.

"Honestly, I'm not going to prepare any differently from when I started," he said. "I can't be like, 'Oh, Darius got hurt, it's a surprise.' You have to be prepared. Obviously there's less pressure because I'm a backup now, but I have to be ready for any situation."

Dougherty has spent the last year waiting for this month, when he can finally be a true part of the team again. His rehab was slow and painful, as his elbow had to be rebuilt into a throwing tool again. He started stretching rubber bands and worked his way up to a football, eventually increasing his throws in increments of 10 yards to the point where his arm was fully functional. The tedium helped Dougherty appreciate the days he has left as a football player.

"It's been fun being back out there after a year of being off," Dougherty said. "Just being with the guys, I'm having fun doing that. It's been a long time. I can't wait to get out there every day and get on the field."

Being constantly involved in athletics has always been a part of Dougherty's life. His father, Tim, coaches football at Edwardsville (Ill.) High, where Jim was the co-player of the year in the St. Louis metro area his senior year. He was also an all-district kicker, setting Illinois state records for PATs in a season (63) and in a career (150). He was also all-state in basketball and had a 24-4 record as a pitcher on the Tigers' baseball team.

Dougherty intends to continue his involvement in sports even after he leaves MU. He is currently pursuing a degree in secondary education and will graduate in May and hopes to coach someday.

"My dad coaches, so football's always been a part of my life. I can't really see my life without athletics," he said.

Dougherty believes he will always have ties to MU.

"The people I've met here are people that I've gotten close to and I feel like I will be friends with them 50 years down the road," said Dougherty. "My roommate, Chris Ryan, and Dwayne Blakely are close to me. Joe Chirumbolo is one of my good friends. I'm pretty close to everybody. Clayton McAboy has been a good friend of mine since freshman year. That's the great thing about football. You get really strong bonds."

Part of that bond comes from playing together in front of thousands of hostile fans in places like Manhattan, Kan., Lawrence, Kan., or Austin, Texas. Dougherty believes those times are when the squad proves its unity, and that only a team atmosphere will prevail. He also realizes that his own role is unique even among those wearing the same uniform.

He recalled watching Farmer go down on the field last year and getting hurt again before this season.

"I could definitely relate to it," Dougherty said. "You go through ups and downs. You have to have played quarterback to understand, you get all the blame or all the credit. The whole thing was hard. Any time you go through an injury, it's hard. I wouldn't wish what happened to him on anybody."

Since he arrived on campus in 1997, coming off a high school career where he led his team to a 27-3 record and was named first-team all-state only to be redshirted and left for the scout team, Dougherty has grown into a leadership role for MU.

"You get older and you learn from your mistakes and some of them are learned the hard way," he said. "As a football player, I've gotten stronger and mentally better but I'm just beginning to learn some things.

"No matter what happens personally I can't let that get in the way of how I help the team," continued Dougherty. "It would be wrong of me to sit back and criticize the program. I'm not going to do that - not that there would be any reason for me to do it anyway. I'm just going to be there for all the coaches and my teammates and support them."