Spencer Rattler is amidst a fierce quarterback battle against Tyler Shough. Both players performed well during OTAs and minicamps. That makes the upcoming New Orleans Saints training camp and preseason critical for each player. Luckily for Rattler, he’s been in a similar position before. In an interview with Rich Eisen, he reminisced about his battle at Oklahoma and the importance of him facing adversity in college.
“What happened at Oklahoma, it’s like ancient history at this point. At the time we were coming off a Big 12 Championship on a 16 game win streak and we were rolling. I think we led the conference in touchdowns and completion percentage.” Rattler said, “Whatever happened happened. Like I said earlier, everyone has their own story. You know, God has a plan for everybody, and that’s just how mine went.”
Rattler was a highly sought after recruit before committing to Oklahoma. He achieved success in his first year and a half of starting. However, he was benched during the second half of their matchup against Texas in his redshirt sophomore season for Caleb Williams. Obviously, Williams went on to be the first overall pick and had a highly successful collegiate career, but Rattler still had to overcome adversity to find his next role.
Adversity from Spencer Rattler's collegiate battle has prepared him for the Saints QB battle vs. Tyler Shough
Rattler transferred to South Carolina after losing the starting role. He had a solid first year but dealt with some turnover issues, throwing for 3,026 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He kept working and improved during his second year with 3,186 yards, 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He still had concerns which dropped him to the fifth round of the draft, but his collegiate experience of overcoming adversity was a valuable thing he learned.
“I’ve been through a ton of adversity as well throughout college.” Rattler said, “I think that makes you a better player coming into the NFL because the earlier you see adversity, the better because you're going to see it at some point in the NFL, especially playing quarterback as a young guy.”
Rattler is going to need to draw on this experience to win the starting job. He’s facing an uphill battle as the Saints spent significant draft capital on bringing in Tyler Shough. In addition, Shough is the quarterback that this coaching staff chose.
That’s not to say it’s an impossible fight, but it will be tougher for Rattler. However, he isn’t bowing out. Rattler showed up to minicamps and put on a clinic, completing 45/59 passes and throwing around 6 touchdowns, per Louisiana Sports Dot Net's Ross Jackson.
Spencer Rattler is in familiar territory in his fight for the starting role. Luckily for him, he has experience in this spot and knows what to expect. His collegiate experience perfectly prepared him for his NFL career. If he wins the starting role, it’s because he earned it. Nothing was given to him.