Quarterback Bryce Petty enjoyed a stellar career at Baylor. He thrived in the Bears' high-powered spread offense, throwing for 8,055 yards and 61 touchdowns in his two seasons as a starter. The dual-threat quarterback also rushed for 21 touchdowns. But that system is very different than ones used by NFL offenses. Thus, the star quarterback in college is now learning the basics of the pro-style system.
His first major lesson came at the Senior Bowl, when he called plays in a huddle for the first time.
"Before that, I had no idea what to expect as far as even what a play call was," Petty said at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Petty used a signal system at Baylor, which allows the Bears to play at an extremely fast pace. With Petty directing that offense, Baylor went 22-4, but he knows he must expand his game. That starts by calling plays and taking snaps from under center.
"It's a learning curve a little bit going from what we were doing at Baylor to where we are now," Petty explained. "But it's all part of the process, so you've got to enjoy it. You've got to love it, really, and I do love it."
Petty is embracing the change. He isn't afraid of the transition that lies ahead and he's not shy when interviewing with NFL teams despite his lack of experience in a pro-style setting.
"It's almost like I'm a little kid in a candy store when I start talking about NFL offenses, because of the lack of NFL style that I've been in," Petty said. "And so getting to talk to these general managers and coaches the way we have is different than what I've always done. It's a blast. I love it and I could really do it all day."
It's difficult to project Petty at the next level because of his spread-oriented background. But the former Baylor signal-caller is right when he says that every prospect is an unknown quantity to some degree.
"Honestly, it's got to be hard for them to diagnose and project anybody really, because anything can happen," Petty said. "For me, the best way I can say it is you're going to get guy who is passionate about football, loves football, loves to learn, loves to absorb. I think that's what is hard to find on paper."
