Southeast Missouri State football adds two quarterbacks to roster

There are some specific criteria a player must meet to be signed as a quarterback by Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz.

"We just ask two or three non-negotiable questions, like let's make this real fast and easy," Matukewicz said. "If you're a bad leader, like, it's over. If you're not very good academically, we move on. If you're a statue back there, 'Thank you, have a nice day.' We're going to have to have a mobile quarterback. We can't just sit back there like Peyton Manning and expect to do that. We have to do some things, even from a defensive standpoint, you've got to be able to move the pocket and just create plays with your arms and your legs."

Two quarterbacks made the cut and signed National Letters of Intent to play football at Southeast on Wednesday.

Anthony Cooper, from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Mo., and Griffin Pickler from Coffeyville Heritage High School in Coffeyville, Texas, both signed, and join returning Southeast quarterbacks Scott Lathrop and Kyle Snyder in competing for the starting spot.

"What I tell them is if I'm giving you that much money you better be competing, or that was a mistake, and both of those guys are in that mold," Matukewicz said, referring to the scholarships given to Cooper and Pickler. "So I expect them to compete for a position right away. That's why I've given you that much money to come in and do that. From a quarterback standpoint and all of them -- number one thing is I want a high-character individual. ... They're going to get some academic money here even. They're top-notch individual, high-end dudes. That's who I want to be touching the football every time."

Last season Southeast never settled on a starting quarterback under former head coach Tony Samuel. Lathrop started eight games as a redshirt sophomore while Snyder started four as a junior.

Lathrop threw for 1,049 yards and 11 touchdowns and had 532 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Snyder threw for 617 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

Cooper saw interest from Missouri State, University of Central Missouri and Missouri Baptist, but ultimately chose Southeast.

Matukewicz said that Kickapoo coach Joel Wells reached out to him about Cooper.

"He used to coach at a little school called Cassville, Missouri, where Coach Tuke was a Mighty Mite football player back in the day," Matukewicz said, referring to himself. "I actually carried the ball, believe that or not, but Cassville -- that's where my dad still lives today. But he got on the phone and he just said, 'Hey, Coach Tuke, let me tell you something. This guy's a winner. We went from 6-5 to 11-2, and it wasn't because of my coaching. It was because of this kid.' That kid wanted someone to believe in him, and now that he's committed to play here I'm excited that he's on our team."

Cooper seemed equally excited and motivated to prove himself at Southeast.

"Well, I know that if he gives me a chance I'm going to try my absolute hardest," Cooper said. "I'm going to be lifting every day up until I get there and I'm going to be putting in a whole bunch of work before to hopefully prepare myself the best that I can, and then if I get the opportunity I'm going to give it my all."

Cooper threw for 1,935 yards and 27 touchdowns and ran for 564 yards and nine touchdowns his senior season. Pickler had 2,522 yards passing and 29 touchdowns his senior season.

"He told me that the quarterback position was something he wanted to focus on, and so he made it sound like it was very important, and so from then on I knew I had to take it serious," Cooper said. "He told me he liked my mobility and the fact that I can throw and he said that he thought I'd come in and possibly make a big impact."

Cooper noted that when he visited on Saturday, several recruits and current players were excited about the direction that the program is headed under Matukewicz.

"All the players were excited for change," Cooper said. "We had a player panel and all the players talked very highly of coach Tuke even though he'd only been there for [a short time] leading up to that. Everybody's just ready to see what happens, see if we can build a program right."