QB Alec Teff revamped his game after season-ending injury. Now he’s ready to lead Butler football
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Butler football Coach Eric Christy, back left, and Butler football player Quinlan Hanley, back right, hold up Alec Teff, front left, and Evan Reinsel, front right, during a group photo for the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler football coach Eric Christy poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler football player Alec Teff poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler football player Evan Reinsel poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler football player Quinlan Hanley poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler football players Evan Reinsel, front, and Alec Teff, back left, Coach Eric Christy and Quinlan Hanley pose for a group photo during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School cheerleaders and the Butler High School Sequinettes lead a pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School cheerleaders and the Butler High School Sequinettes lead a pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports team, from left, Derek Pyda, Jake Adams and Brendan Howe interview Butler High School football coach Eric Christy during a live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School Sequinettes play a stack the cups game during intermission of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School band members play the school's fight song during a pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School football player Troy Herrington makes his entrance during the pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School football coach Eric Christy speaks as the first guess during a live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School football player Declan Dobson makes his entrance during the pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School football player Evan Reinsel makes his entrance during the pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports team, from left, Derek Pyda, Jake Adams and Brendan Howe interview Butler High School football coach Eric Christy during a live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports team, from left, Derek Pyda, Jake Adams and Brendan Howe interview Butler High School football coach Eric Christy during a live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports reporter Derek Pyda, left, interviews members of the Butler High School football team including Alec Teff, Leland Anderson and Owen Trettel during a live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School band members play the school's fight song during a pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butter Football Coach Eric Christy makes his entrance as the first guest of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast which underwent a live recording at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler cornerback Quinlan Hanley during practice Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024 at Butler High School. Brendan Howe/Butler Eagle
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Butler lineman Leland Anderson runs through a drill during practice Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024 at Butler High School. Brendan Howe/Butler Eagle
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Butler cornerback Quinlan Hanley follows a receiver during practice Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024 at Butler High School. Brendan Howe/Butler Eagle
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Butler quarterback Alec Teff fires a pass during practice Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024 at Butler High School. Brendan Howe/Butler Eagle
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Butler quarterback Alec Teff looks to pass during practice Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024 at Butler High School. Brendan Howe/Butler Eagle
BUTLER TWP — Alec Teff was a snap away from unbuckling his chinstrap, grabbing a drink of water and watching practice as a bystander while Butler football prepared to play Meadville on the gridiron early last season.
What happened instead changed the trajectory of the junior quarterback’s season — and upended the Golden Tornado’s path in 2023.
“It was the last play before I (was supposed to be) subbed out for the other QB to get some reps,” said Teff, now a senior, Friday at Butler Eagle Football Media Day. “It was a fake jet sweep, QB keep up the middle. I keep the ball and go to make a move on the safety.”
His knee didn’t agree with the deke, though. Teff hyperextended it, leading to two sprained tendon, a ruptured joint capsule and a bone bruise. After just one start he was sidelined, and Butler was forced into a revolving door of signal-callers throughout a 2-8 campaign.
Senior Noah Ritchie first filled in, then classmate Braylon Littlejohn. Sophomore Tyson Pino and freshman Nico Baggetta also ended up behind center. The lack of stability meant Golden Tornado coach Eric Christy had to throw the playbook out the window at certain points.
“Alec has a certain skill set when he’s in there and Nico has a certain skill set,” Christy said. “It’s when you have different guys with different skill sets, then you’re like, ‘OK, how do we get time in practice to rep that guy and get him into it?’ ... If you didn’t get them reps, you were like, ‘Hey, this kid knows three plays.’”
The missed time damaged Teff’s recruitment prospects, as well as the chance to build confidence with experience. He felt like he’d let his teammates down, even though he tried to return later in the season and play through the pain.
It was hard for Teff to sit by and watch what he called a snowball effect. He continued to think about what would’ve been had he not gotten hurt.
“At the end of the season last year, I was pretty disheartened and frustrated,” Teff said. “I was in a bad place mentally, kind of just thinking, ‘Why me? Why did this happen?’ That was just not the right place to be. I refocused my mindset.”
Teff chose to turn his attention ahead.
He’s continued sessions with personal coach and former North Allegheny High School, Rutgers and NFL passer Mike McMahon, who Teff started working with before last season. Teff’s improved his footwork and accuracy. Christy has taken taken notice of the difference. So has classmate and receiver Quinlan Hanley.
“He makes the throws,” Christy said. “Any spot on the field, he’s hitting it and it’s zinging. ... He has taken this last year and taken his game to the next level.”
“It was really hard for the timing (aspect last year),” said Hanley, pointing out comeback patterns as an example. “It was a little bit difficult going from quarterback to quarterback. This year, Alec has been just perfect. This summer, he threw the first ball to me and I was like, ‘Wow!’ It was right there.”
The offseason work is a reason for hope ahead of a season in which the Tornado will play independent after spending the last four as an associate member of District 10.
Teff’s ability to process the playbook and command a huddle also stands out. He ranks at the top of his class in grade point average, Christy said.
“He knows what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to achieve, offensively speaking,” Christy said. “When we go out there, he can have conversations and we can talk about, ‘Hey, what are they doing? What’s going on? What are they trying to do to you?’ And he gets it.”
More so than the X’s and O’s, Teff wants to be a leader who limits miscues. That means being a steadying force through tough times.
“That’s something that I hope to do in games, is stay calm and collected, because that’s a great way to keep the team from getting down on itself, to keep the team from getting too emotional,” Teff said. “You want to stay as even-keeled as you possibly can.”
