2017 football: Five best Eastern Washington QBs of all-time

1) Vernon Adams Jr.

2012-14

701-1,081 (64.8 pct.), 10,438 yds, 110 TD, 31 INT: Yes, he left a year early, but Adams also left the Eagles with an unprecedented three straight Big Sky Conference titles. He also leads the program in career pass-efficiency rating (173.4), yards per pass attempt (9.4) and total yards per game (315.4). Eastern’s record-setting offense was defined by Adams’ mobility (315.4 total yards per game), pocket presence and strong arm.

2) Erik Meyer

2002-05

721-1,097 (65.7 pct.), 10,261 yds., 84 TD, 17 INT: The best pure passer in Eastern history, Meyer also was was the most accurate. His last two seasons ranked second and third for efficiency, and the Payton Award winner twice carried the Eagles to the postseason.

3) Bo Levi Mitchell

2010-11

618-1,008 (61.3 pct.), 7,505 yds., 70 TD, 28 INT: Imagine his numbers had “The Gunslinger” played in Cheney for his entire career. Mitchell made the most of his two seasons in Cheney, winning a national title in his first season, then the Payton Award as a senior when he was called upon to carry the offense.

4) Matt Nichols

2006-09

995-1,608 (61.8 pct), 12,616 yds., 96 TD, 46 INT: The most prolific QB in EWU and Big Sky history, Nichols also ranks sixth all-time nationally. No quarterback has been asked to do more: Nichols started a school-record 47 games and carried the Eagles to a 23-13 record his last three years.

5) Rick Worman

1984-85

430-765 (56.2 pct), 5,588 yds., 45 TD, 25 INT: His numbers aren’t gaudy (he played just two years), but Worman went 16-5-1 as a starter. He completed 274 passes in 1985, when and led the Eagles to their first Division I postseason win (42-38 over Idaho in ’85).

Honorable mention

Harry Leons (1994-97), the glue of the 1997 squad that reached the national semifinals. … Mark Tenneson (1989-92), ranks fifth in career completions and yards … Bill Diedrick (1965-7, ’69), had a 136.7 career passer rating and led Eastern’s NAIA runner-up team in 1967. … Fred Salanoa (1990-2001), ranks eighth in completions, seventh in yards … Gage Gubrud (2015-). Already seventh in career passing yards, the redshirt junior is on course to surpass every record should he stay through 2018.