CARDINALS

Cards' Quick 'a different player' post-citation

Steve Jones
@stevejones_cj

University of Louisville sophomore wide receiver James Quick, who was cited in May for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, appears to be taking the proper actions to get back in the good graces of coach Bobby Petrino.

"He's done a nice job and done everything that we've asked him to, so if he continues to do what he's supposed to do, he should be good to go," Petrino said at the Cardinals' media day Saturday.

Quick's attorney entered a not-guilty plea for him during a July 7 court date, and he has another court date scheduled later this month.

Police claim they found Quick in possession of 39.5 grams of pot and a digital scale in his apartment on May 26. His former Trinity High School teammate Jason Hatcher, who plays for the University of Kentucky, was with him and also cited for possessing 2.5 grams of marijuana in his pocket. Hatcher's citation was later dismissed.

Quick said his lawyer is handling the details of his case, and Quick wasn't sure of the specifics about its status. He said it's the first time he's ever gotten into trouble.

"I'm just sitting back and waiting for things to happen, talking to the coaches every day and making sure I stay out of trouble," he said.

Quick described Petrino's reaction to the news of his citation as disappointment in him more so than anger.

"He was disappointed because I was stupid and making dumb decisions," Quick said. "He just told me to make sure I learn from my mistakes and come out here and keep performing."

Quick's father, former U of L player Rhonyia Quick, had a similar reaction, and James Quick called him was a "helpful parent."

"He didn't really get on me as bad because everyone makes mistakes," James Quick said. "With me making a mistake, he just told me to make sure I learn from my mistakes and make sure I don't do it again."

Quick said he has been required to come in early for team functions and is "just coming in doing whatever Coach Petrino asks of me, keeping my head up and staying out of trouble."

"He's doing a really good job," offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. "We're very impressed with him and very fortunate to have him. … I think he's grown up a lot this offseason. He had a setback, but I think he's handled it well. You never want anything to happen negatively, especially that type of situation, but sometimes when you're a really young kid, that type of thing happening gets you to mature really fast.

"I've seen the kid mature, and he's a different player now mentally and physically than he was in the spring. Hopefully (the legal issue) was not the reason because you don't want that at all, but you've got to learn from every mistake. He made a mistake, and I call it failing forward. You learn from it and end up a better person and better athlete out of it."

Assuming Quick remains on course, he shapes up as a candidate for a breakout season.

He had five catches for 152 yards and a long touchdown in U of L's spring game, and he has moved up to the first team in practices this week. He was a standout on Friday and had one of the highlights of camp — a fantastic, diving catch on a deep, well-defended pass.

One of the most highly touted U of L recruits in recent memory, he appeared in nine games in 2013 while sitting behind Damian Copeland and other veterans. He had six catches for 73 yards for the season and scored a touchdown on a fumble return against Central Florida.

Steve Jones can be reached at (502) 582-7176 and followed on Twitter at @SteveJones_CJ.