The College of New Jersey’s Lions Stadium has marked many a milestone for former Central High School quarterback Austin Fellows. The last time he was on the field, he suited up for the West squad in the annual Sunshine Classic senior all-star football game. The time before that, though, just might have been the sweetest game of his Bulldog career; Fellows led the team to a 31-14 win over Lawrence last December, winning the Group III state title and finishing the season at 10-1.
This time around, though, he was decked out in orange and black rather than black and gold. Fellows won the starting QB role during training camp at William Paterson University and when the Pioneers traveled to TCNJ on Oct. 25, it was like an unofficial homecoming for the HoVal alum.
“It was good,” he said. “It brought back a lot of memories from the state championship game, which always brings good thoughts for me. I got to see a lot of my family and friends who I haven’t seen in awhile, and they got to see me play in a different uniform, which was nice.”
Fellows led William Paterson to a 21-0 win that day, going 10-20 for 142 yards with a touchdown and an interception. At 4-6, the Pioneers are experiencing a bit of a lull—to which head coach Jerry Flora does not attribute to his new quarterback, who has a 52.54 percent completion percentage for 1,914 yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions over nine games.
And Fellows, whose efforts earned him New Jersey Athletic Conference Offensive Rookie of the Year, three-time NJAC Rookie of the Week and Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Southeast Rookie of the Week honors so far this season, had some pretty big cleats to fill coming into his freshman season—Flora said WPU graduated an “all-time” quarterback in Ryan Gresik, but Fellows didn’t let the pressure overwhelm him.
“He demonstrated real knowledge of our offense,” Flora said. “He learned all the formations and the motions, and that’s the hard part. The easy part is learning plays. We knew he had a good arm, but he’s commanding the huddle. The way he’s carried himself, you look on the field sometimes and you feel like it’s a sophomore or junior out there.”
That was no surprise to Hopewell head coach Dave Caldwell.
“That’s just his attitude and demeanor,” he said. “He’s not shaken too easily. He’s very even-tempered. He doesn’t get too high, and he’s doesn’t get too low, either. When you’re getting the ball so much, mistakes are going to happen. You have to have short-term memory, and he knows that. He knows it’s a pressure position. He accepts it, and he’s able to handle it.”
But the Hopewell grad didn’t anticipate starting.
“I just wanted to compete from the beginning,” he said. “I wanted to come in and compete for the job. I won the job after camp, but I’m still competing today to keep it.”
Flora realized he had found a starter in Fellows when the freshman hit the “wall” that most newcomers reach early on in training once the difference between high school and college ball sets in. Instead of letting hit hold him back, though, Fellows advanced beyond it.
“Even when he struggled, he always asked questions,” he said. “We met and watched film constantly. He’d come in and sit every morning with me and go over the gameplan so he feels comfortable come Saturday. You can’t teach those attributes. Guys either have them or they don’t.”
Film sessions and meetings with Flora, said Fellows, have literally changed the game for him.
“It’s huge,” he said. “It gives me an extra edge going into games. Sometimes, [Flora and I] call the same plays at the same time because we think the same thing in certain situations after watching film together. At first, he didn’t trust me with plays, but now we’re on the same page. It’s like I’m turning into him because I see him all the time.”
It’s certainly paid off. He currently ranks second in passing yards per completion, passing yards per attempt and passing touchdowns; third in completion percentage per game, pass efficiency, total offense and total offense yards; and fourth in total offensive touchdowns throughout the NJAC.
“He’s really talented,” Caldwell said. “He can change the game. It’s hard to find quarterbacks at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds who can make those throws and show that kind of poise in the pocket. I would say that he’s one of the best Division III quarterbacks in the country. It’s just a great fit for him.”
Attending voluntary pre-season workouts, team barbecues and coming to camp early made all the difference for Fellows, said Flora.
“One thing that impressed me about Austin was that most freshmen think they are what they are because they were starters in high school,” he said. “They think they’re the best. Eighty-five percent of them, they get to college, and they realize that it’s still tough even though it’s Division III. That resonated with him. He not only realized that it was tough, but he accepted it as a challenge. And he’s gotten better. He’s got the respect of his teammates and coaches.”
Once the season got started, Flora said the transition “hit” Fellows. He and his staff kept an easy, relaxed game plan for the first two games, but they opened up the play book after that.
Fellows had a bumpy few starts after playing two of the conference’s top defenses in Montclair and Rowan, but he finally hit his stride in a 30-24 loss to Kean, which found the Pioneers down 30-3 going into the fourth quarter.
“There’s no quit in him,” Flora said. “He always wants to take the blame, and it’s valiant, but it’s not his fault. Not once when we’ve watched film has he blamed a receiver for not catching a pass, blamed someone for running the wrong route, blamed us for calling the wrong play.”
Fellows said he’s just glad to be on the field.
“The most positive thing is probably just getting through my freshman year with the stats that I have had,” Fellows said. “Just playing as a freshman was a huge thing for me. Playing with these guys is a huge plus.”
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