Sophomore adjusts as football season approaches for Rutgers

This wasn’t a part of the master plan.

When Hayden Rettig originally signed his letter of intent to take his talents from SoCal to the bayou, the former four-star recruit and U.S. Army All-American was poised to take the reins for the Tigers in the almighty Southeastern Conference for years to come.

But even after waiting his turn and taking a redshirt season in 2013, Rettig went from the potential starting quarterback to buried at third string on the depth chart. It almost feels like an eternity since he was out on the field slicing up defenses at Cathedral High School in Los Angeles, California.

But for Rettig, how he got to Rutgers is a testament to the old adage that it is sometimes the journey that teaches more about the destination.

Making a stop at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, before arriving in Piscataway, regardless of where he has gone, Rettig managed to stay true to himself despite some of the turbulence experienced along the ride.

Back at the Rutgers football team’s Media Day, Rettig reflected a bit on that journey.

“I had the most culture shock probably my freshman year when I was at LSU," Rettig said. 

"It’s just different, you know? It’ll be different wherever you go, but it’s gonna make you a better person because you’re gonna learn what other people go through. You’re gonna learn what other people do. You’re gonna understand,” he said.

Initially, Rettig had to learn on the fly as an 18-year-old freshman down in the South. Adapting to a new playbook and a new lifestyle, it allowed him to grow.

“Mentally, it takes a toll,” Rettig said. “I feel like, you know, as good as anyone can be or as a player, as a person, I mean, it kind of takes you to your knees at times because you have to sit out for a whole year, you know. You have to learn a whole new system and, you know, I feel like I handled that pretty well.”

Now the starting quarterback for the Scarlet Knights’ 2015 opener against Norfolk State on Sept. 5, Rettig had to come a long way — even past the journey from the bayou.

For Rettig, it took time. Limited as he sat out last year, he mainly ran the scout team as he adjusted to Ralph Friedgen’s offense.

Thrown into the quarterback battle in the spring, the rust was evident. But now, as his time in the system increases, the progression has been evident.

Head coach Kyle Flood reflected on that progress from the past year.

“I think it’s night and day from the spring,” Flood said. “I knew that the spring was gonna be really hard on him. He didn’t have the fall to be running our offense and to go out there. And the other part that makes the spring tricky is you don’t play every day, you play every other day … so that helps your learning curve as well.”

Ben McDaniels had to work with Rettig directly since taking over as offensive coordinator in the spring. In the span of that time, the work yielded the results.

“He's done a great job of working hard both physically and mentally. Had a good summer. He's had a good start to training camp,” McDaniels said. “… So, he, along with all those guys in that room, have really done a good job of progressing through from the spring, through the summer and now transitioning into training camp.”

When he takes the field for Rutgers this year, it will be the first time he does so since his high school days. The time off leaves question marks for what the Knights will see this year on the banks.

But Rettig isn’t worried about any of that.

“I’m just trying to protect the ball, get some ways where we can score points and just show that I’m a leader,” he said. “I’m not trying to win anybody over. I’m just trying to be me.”

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @GarrettStepien and @TargumSports on Twitter.