Devon Dampier has the 'it factor,' and Utah football hopes it will lead to winning ways

FRISCO, Texas — Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson sat back in his chair, with a stern and seemingly uninterested look on his face as members of the media surrounded him Tuesday afternoon.

At one point, the veteran quarterback, who is looking to take the Wildcats to greater heights after narrowly missing out on a Big 12 title game appearance last season, responded somewhat coldly to a reporter that all the questions were the same.

His responses were devoid of emotion and felt forced; it was a necessary obligation he had to go through ahead of another season.

Whether it was his intent or not, Johnson didn't seem interested in talking about much of anything — a not so uncommon feeling among many athletes.

His newcomer counterpart at Utah, however, was loose and casual in his first Big 12 media day appearance, welcoming any interaction.

As Devon Dampier and offensive tackle Spencer Fano approached the microphone at the designated Utah football table on Wednesday, Fano laid down a beat while Dampier served as his hype man, with a grin stretching from ear to ear before eventually settling into a more serious tone — albeit one that still showcased his fun-loving personality.

The energy between the quarterbacks a day separated from each other was apparent.

None of what was said at media day or how the two carried themselves will ultimately predict how the season will go for their respective teams, but Dampier showed why the Utah football team quickly attached itself to him as its leader — and not just for the prototypical reasons that he's the leader because he's the QB.

Dampier is different.

He, along with several other new faces, have brought a new vibe to the Utah football program a year after the life was seemingly sucked dry from a program in a rare 5-7 season under head coach Kyle Whittingham. And the hope is it will impact the results on the field.

"It's just a different buzz in the building than there was in years past," Utah linebacker Lander Barton said. "I mean, you can just feel it; it's an energy, it's a buzz. Deep down, it feels different."

And while it's not just Dampier, his confidence and approach to the game has been a welcomed addition to a team looking to make a big jump after missing a bowl game last season.

"I mean, everyone expects a quarterback to be a vocal leader, and I think Devon embraces that," Barton said. "He doesn't shy away, he doesn't back down. He steps up and he takes control the offense. In practice, on the defensive side, you can hear him calling stuff out, taking control, so that's promising to see. And he also, he's got a little little stuff to him, like he'll talk some crap; we like that. Some fire is never bad. I mean, he just has embraced the entire role over there."

Whittingham said Dampier is "not an ego guy; he's a team guy," and the players could pick up on it immediately when he joined the program. He said it was a "landslide" vote to have him as a member of the team's leadership council in just two weeks of being around him.

"He is a guy that has that magnetism of leadership. You know, follow me, I'll show you the way, and here we go," Whittingham said. "And I think all the players have sensed that. ... You've gotta care, it can't be all about you; and he is the furthest thing from a me guy, he's a team guy all the way."

It's a leadership style in which Dampier doesn't just try to force it; it's a "let me demonstrate it first," he said.

"I hate to be the guy to come in and just start talking and telling people what to do; that's not me," Dampier said. "I love to earn the respect of my teammates first, and then you go on from there.

"My leader style is uplifting and getting on people, critiquing people; that's big," he added. "Obviously, you want problems to be solved, but don't ever just get past when your teammates are doing great things. Allow them to know that they're doing great things, and they're going to keep taking strides."

Dampier regularly treats all of his offensive linemen out to dinner in an effort to build a connection with them beyond what's needed on the football field — though it certainly helps the chemistry on the field, too. He said he wants it to be a "real brother thing."

"I'm happy I'm able to build that relationship with all my linemen where it's more than just you're blocking, you're doing what you're supposed to do, and I'm behind you throwing the ball," Dampier said. "It's a lot more to that."

"It's extremely important," added Fano. "I feel like as an offensive lineman, having a relationship with the quarterback actually takes a lot of pressure off of our shoulders. If you have someone behind you that you know you trust, who's confident, they know he's gonna get the job done, it's a lot easier for you as a lineman to get your job done. So it's pretty huge."

Most important for Utah, though, is that he's got the trust of the coaching staff — none more than offensive coordinator Jason Beck. The two moved on from New Mexico together where they took the Lobos to greater heights and finished with the fourth best offense in the country.

It's a connection that is natural between the two, and one in which Beck gives Dampier freedom on the field to do what he does best.

"My favorite part, personally, is just the trust level he gives me," Dampier said. "Every play out there, there's multiple options of what I can do with the ball, and he makes the plays where I get to make that best decision every play. And I think having that freedom, I'm always in control of our destiny, and I feel like I make the best decisions on the field."

Whittingham said Dampier still has some areas he needs to work on — a higher completion percentage and a better touchdown-to-interception ratio — but he's made strides during spring camp, and that "if spring ball is any indication, you guys are in for a treat to watch him play this fall."

"He's got that it factor that you look for in quarterbacks," Whittingham added. "He's got the field general mentality that you look for. He's a guy that everybody gravitates towards. There's no doubt who's in charge on offense. We don't huddle, and so it's not like he commands the huddle, but everybody looks to Devon as the leader of the offense, and that's pretty impressive in the short time that he's been on campus, but he's a guy that is a proven commodity."

Utah just hopes all of that will translate to success on the field this season. But everything is trending in the right direction with Dampier under center.

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