CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Garrett Gilbert was a mess.
It was 2012, and the former high school phenom had transferred from the University of Texas to SMU after going 7-7 as the Longhorns' starting quarterback and being demoted to third string. He admittedly spent too much time listening to the boos and reading negative articles.
His childhood dream of starring for his hometown team in Austin had turned into a nightmare.
His confidence was shot. The decision-making and accuracy that had made him one of the country's top prospects a few years earlier needed an overhaul.