TCU freshman quarterback Hauss Hejny opens up about his first season as a Horned Frog
TCU quarterback Hauss Hejny’s first season in Fort Worth was one focused on growth.
The former four-star recruit and Aledo standout experienced a lot during his freshman season. There were the highs, like getting on the field in four games this season and quickly learning a new offense under Sonny Dykes and Kendal Briles.
There was also adversity as Hejny suffered an injury in one of his first college snaps against Stanford.
“I had a few good plays and then I got rolled up on and had a high ankle sprain,” Hejny said after a recent practice. “I was out for the next three to four weeks. It was pretty frustrating, but everyone talks about everything happens for a reason. God has a plan for me, so my job at that point was to make the most of the situation.”
Hejny had dealt with the typical bumps and bruises that come from playing football, but this was the first injury that kept him out for multiple games since a knee injury in the fifth grade.
The timing couldn’t have been worse as the injury kept Hejny out of TCU’s game against Long Island. A blowout that would’ve likely allowed Hejny to get extended reps. It was a tough process for Hejny both mentally and physically as he longed to get back on the field while rehabbing, but he maintained high spirits and used that opportunity to continue to dive deeper into the playbook.
“I was in the training room every hour I could to get as healthy as possible,” Hejny said. “I wanted to get back healthy to be able to get back and help my team. It was frustrating, I had to do a lot of sitting there by myself and just trying to keep positive, but everything happens for a reason.”
Hejny credits his father Jesse, a former Horned Frogs defensive linemen, for instilling in him the mental approach needed to overcome the injury and also transition into a much different role than he had in high school.
Like many talented high schools making the jump to Division I, Hejny had to adjust from playing every play to just hoping to get a snap here and there. For some it’s hard to maintain patience which leads them to the portal, but for Hejny it was another opportunity to grow.
“It’s definitely tough being the dude at your high school and being out there every play,” Hejny said. “I just took a step back and realized that I was young and had time to mature. A lot of times they’ll throw a young guy out there and the lights are too bright for him.
“I’m just trying to look at it glass half full and realize I have a lot of time to grow and mature. So when my time is there, I’ll have a year or two under my belt and I’ll be ready to step out on the field and make plays.”
Hejny had a few moments to make plays this season when TCU opted to use him as a runner in the backfield. The explosiveness he displayed at Aledo was easy to see on the field and his biggest moment came in the regular season finale against Cincinnati.
Savion Williams and Jack Bech were banged up, the offense couldn’t generate big plays as a light snow fell and TCU still had about five minutes of game time left in the fourth quarter that needed to be burned down.
Who did Dykes and Briles turn to? Hejny, who responded with six carries and 48 yards including a 21-yard run. Hejny was effective enough to take more than four minutes off the clock, which was enough for TCU to survive a late hail mary attempt at the buzzer.
It was a big moment for Hejny and one that helped build his budding confidence.
“I was excited, it was 30 degrees outside, the snow is coming down and the game is on the line,” Hejny said of his mindset entering the game. “That was a big win for us, for them to be able to trust me to go out there was a big for me. I was like dang, I’m about to go in during a big time moment and chew out the clock.
“It was fun because I had one or two plays throughout the season, so to get four or five consecutive plays and have that feeling back it was just good to be out there. I had a 20-plus yard run and that was fun, it’s been awhile since I opened up like that.”
Hejny added that seeing how much his teammates believed in him while cheering him on during that moment meant a lot to him. He’s grateful to have had that opportunity after spending so much of the season focusing on learning.
Hejny spent a lot of his time analyzing Josh Hoover’s play on the field and his presence off of it. They have two different styles with Hoover being a gunslinger in the pocket compared to Hejny, who can do a lot of damage outside of the pocket. Those contrasting styles and Hoover’s leadership made it a worthwhile learning experience.
“He’s a really good leader, looking at his leadership in the locker room and how he operates on the field it’s been awesome to just store things away for the future when my time is here,” Hejny said. “He’s a pocket passer, so he keeps his eyes downfield a lot. He really does a good job of going through his reads quickly and being decisive about where he goes with the ball.”
Hejny also mentioned studying Hoover’s pocket presence and how he’s able to trust his offensive line to maintain blocks while he surveys the field. Hejny was a sponge this season, soaking up everything as he plans towards being the quarterback of the future for TCU.
He’s already shown growth as he’s no longer the wide eyed freshman just trying to remember as many plays as he can. There’s still plenty of growing to do, but Hejny is already showing traits of being a successful quarterback.
Now his next focus will be on hopefully getting an opportunity against Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 28.
“Having another game to get under my belt is good,” Hejny said. “Louisiana’s a good team, but I’m hoping we prepare well these next few weeks so I have a chance to get in this game. It should be fun.”
