In the months leading up to National Signing Day, it appeared Austin Westlake quarterback Chad Schroeder was destined to follow the footsteps of his pass-happy predecessor at Westlake, Drew Brees, who went on to become a Heisman Trophy candidate at Purdue.

But in the end, Schroeder decided to use his hands and feet instead of his arm to be a playmaker close to home rather than a Boilermaker far from it.

"Purdue is an awful long way from home, and West Lafayette, Ind. is not an easy place to get to," said Schroeder’s father and head coach at Westlake, Ron Schroeder. "On the other hand, Texas A&M is an easy drive from Austin, it’s where his sister is already at school, and it just made a lot of sense to him. I’m delighted that he chose to sign with A&M, and I know he is really excited about it, too."

Schroeder is projected as a wide receiver at Texas A&M, and he appears to have all the tools to be an excellent one.

In fact, it was as a wide receiver that he first began turning the heads of college coaches at summer camps. His soft hands and precision routes impressed plenty of coaches, and his blazing speed wowed them.

His fastest time in the 40-yard dash at a summer camp was 4.38, and he ran a 4.42 at Kyle Field during A&M’s summer camp.

He also played wide receiver as a junior at Westlake after an injury sidelined him early in the season. In limited action as a junior, he caught four passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

"Most of the interest he had at camps was because what he had done as a wide receiver as a junior," said Ron Schroeder, who has been the head coach at Westlake for 15 years. "With his speed, it’s hard to overthrow him.

"He has a lot of natural skills as a wide receiver, and I think he has the ability to be an outstanding receiver on the Division I level. Plus, he has a super work ethic and has been a real student of the game."

Indeed, the 6-foot-2, 170-pound Schroeder could be considered a valedictorian of the game. Playing quarterback last year, Schroeder led the Chaparrals to the Class 5A Division II state championship game. He completed 134-of-251 passes for 2,535 yards and 28 touchdowns and ran for 798 yards and nine scores.

He was also probably the star of the game in the first half of the state title game, leading Westlake to a 21-3 lead. The star of the second half, of course, was Lufkin quarterback Reggie McNeal, who also signed with the Aggies on Feb. 6.

Both players are natural leaders, and it could be fun for all A&M fans to see what the duo can do together.

"To come to Texas A&M with Reggie McNeal is something I know Chad is excited about," Ron Schroeder said. "Hopefully, they can form a nice combination. And it’s certainly something Texas A&M should be excited about. Chad was the reason we made it to the state championship game, and I think Reggie is the main reason Lufkin won it all.

"I think it could be a good situation for the Aggies."

It should be a good situation for the Schroeder family, as well. Ron Schroeder, for one, says he is very excited about the fact that he won’t have to completely rework the family budget.

"By the time you fly to Indianapolis and then get over to West Lafayette, you’re looking at spending about $1,000 to go visit your son if he is going to Purdue," Ron Schroeder said. "But it costs about $20 in gas for us to drive from Austin to College Station. Plus, my daughter, Stacy, is a junior at A&M now, and it just seems like everything came together and pointed Chad toward A&M."

–Rusty Burson