The column I turned in for today’s paper on Danny O’Brien wasn’t exactly kind to the player who sits second on the Terrapin football team’s all-time passing yards list.

The main culprit? Chris Turner, himself.

The three-year starting quarterback pined for the type of talent that he feels O’Brien brings to the table. It was a jarring quote, especially for a player looking to hook on with an NFL team, either by getting selected in this weekend’s NFL Draft or signing as an undrafted free agent.

Turner has never been confused for the most athletic guy–especially, when he was trying to get around the end during some of the designed run plays offensive coordinator James Franklin called for him last season–so the praise for the Terps’ current stable of quarterbacks makes sense.

But as he looks to jumpstart his pro career, Turner said he has confidence because of the improvements he’s made since his Terp came to a disheartening conclusion.

Following the season, Turner headed back to his native California, where he hooked on with the Performance Gaines, NFL Combine Training program, where he worked out with players such as Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews and Cal wide receiver Nyan Boateng.

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We’re running the first of what we hope will be a series of stories about the five quarterbacks in Terrapin football spring practice in tomorrow’s print edition, and current starter Jamarr Robinson will be featured first.

I spoke with the sneakily funny Robinson for a while after practice yesterday afternoon, and toward the end of our interview I asked him if there is anything he likes to do away from football.

He took an opposite approach and told me something he doesn’t like to do: Play video games.

Watch this clip from last fall for some perspective before reading what Jamarr had to say.

“I’m a pretty calm, basic person,” Robinson said. “I don’t like to play video games. I’d rather go outside and do something. I’d rather be active than sitting there in front of the TV playing video games. I will go to sleep before I would play a video game.”

A lot of guys on the team like to play video games? I asked.

“They love them. That’s why I spend a lot of time alone. Because everybody is in their room playing video games. I’d rather be active somewhere.”

Greg Schimmel is The Diamondback’s Terrapin football beat writer. He can be reached at schimmeldbk@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

The biggest (read: only) piece of news from the Terrapin football team’s second spring practice session Thursday was first-team fullback Taylor Watson injured his right knee in the first period of practice and could be out for several months.

Watson was scheduled to undergo an MRI this morning, but coach Ralph Friedgen said he feared Watson tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament which would require about a six-month recovery period.

Friedgen said  Watson caught his foot on the practice field turf during a non-contact drill.

“He was the heir apparent [to graduated Cory Jackson],” Friedgen said. “We have some players there, but Taylor’s paid his dues and played a lot last year. He’s a pretty good runner with the ball and we were planning on doing a little more of that. He can catch the ball pretty well. So, hopefully we can get him back.”

Watson walked on crutches past a few reporters in the lobby of Gossett Team House last night after practice, and when a reporter asked him what happened the junior didn’t say anything and just shook his head morosely.

The same reporter then asked him if he would be back and Watson curtly said “Yeah.”

Friedgen said he’s been happy with his team’s effort during the first two closed practice sessions, and the team will practice in pads on Saturday.

Greg Schimmel is The Diamondback’s Terrapin Football Beat Writer. He can be reached at schimmeldbk@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel.

If I have learned anything from the past few Terrapin football spring practice seasons, it is that spring storylines don’t always turn into anything worthwhile when the fall rolls around.

Two of the major pieces of news last spring were wide receiver Quintin McCree’s three touchdowns in the Spring Game and Drew Gloster moving from tight end to linebacker.

Neither made any significant impact for the Terps during the season, as McCree caught five passes for 24 yards the entire year and Gloster recorded six tackles and recovered one fumble. 

With that said, the Terps held the first of their 15 spring workouts this afternoon, and a slew of Diamondback writers will be covering them over the next five weeks searching for the next big story that may or may not mean anything five months from now.

The Terps will practice three times a week until the Spring Game on April 24, so look for football stories in the print edition about that often, starting with one tomorrow.

To kick off our coverage, here are a few notes from coach Ralph Friedgen’s press conference earlier in the day.

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Five former Terrapin football players will participate in showcase events in the coming weeks in preparation for April’s NFL Draft, an Athletics Department press release announced today.

Safety Terrell Skinner and fullback Cory Jackson will play in the Senior Bowl on Saturday, and defensive tackle Travis Ivey will play in the Texas vs. The Nation game on Feb. 6.

Ivey, cornerback Nolan Carroll and tackle Bruce Campbell will all take part in the NFL Draft Combine, which is scheduled to begin on Feb. 24.

The Terps begin spring practice on March 23.

Greg Schimmel is The Diamondback’s Terrapin Football beat writer. He can be reached at schimmeldbk@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel.