Determining what traits make a quarterback great is difficult to answer. There’s so much that goes into the position that not even the professionals that get paid to make those judgments at the game’s highest level can accurately evaluate and projection how a prospect will perform at a very high percentage.

While that’s an accurate assessment to make, some coaches and evaluators have proven over time that their track record of identifying the tools necessary to succeed at the college level should be given more credence than others. Jimbo Fisher is certainly among those that fall into that category.

When asked what exactly he looks for when evaluating a quarterback during Texas A&M’s appearance at SEC Media Days in Atlanta, Fisher admitted that he can’t really pin it on any single trait or attribute.

“I don’t think it it’s any one thing. I think it’s a combination of things,” Fisher answered at SEC Media Days. “Some guys have different things than others. And I think it’s finding out what each guy’s strengths are and featuring those.”

Chief among the strengths Fisher desires in his quarterbacks? Toughness.

The Texas A&M coach explained why a quarterback possessing toughness is so crucial to his success. In addition to the obvious benefits a player would get from being tough, Fisher believes the entire team works through adversity when they know they have a quarterback that possesses the toughness necessary to lead his team to a win in critical, do-or-die situations.

“I think there has to be a toughness in you. I believe this, if the quarterback is not the toughest guy you have on your team, your team is not going to be tough,” Fisher continued. “That’s the only position in the world you have to stand there and let 310-pound guys run at you. You don’t get to hit them back. You have to stand there and take shots and get hit and consistently do things.

“When that quarterback is tough and he is competitive and they know he can make the plays, to me, it energizes your defense because they know if they get the ball back to him one more time, he can play. He’ll win the game on offense. They are going to block him. They are going to make catches. They are going to do the things you have to do.”

Considering all the success Fisher’s teams have had at the quarterback position in his coaching career and how difficult it is for many programs to find some semblance of success at the position, his words carry significant weight. Of all the successfully players Fisher has helped develop under center, he came back to toughness being a common theme among them.

“I’ve been blessed to be around phenomenal athletes and phenomenal competitors,” Fisher said. “I think when you get down to it, they all had a certain level of arm talent. I don’t think I have ever coached one of them that wasn’t a tough guy, I mean, extremely tough and competitive.”