Nic Shimonek's NFL dream appeared to be dead when the Texas Tech quarterback was benched before his final college game.

"I won't lie to you, I was really ticked off," Shimonek told Bleacher Report about getting benched after a rough outing against TCU.

But Shimonek didn't let negativity get the best of him. "I had seen some guys handle a similar situation in the past a certain way, howling and complaining," he said. "I wasn't a fan of it then, so I didn't want to be that guy. It was almost like being a hypocrite."

So Shimonek mentored his replacement, sophomore McLane Carter, during the week and through three quarters against Texas. But when Carter proved ineffective, Shimonek decided to plead his case to coach Kliff Kingsbury.

"I looked at him and told him that we were almost out of time," Shimonek …show more content…
Shimonek threw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat Texas. The win made the Red Raiders bowl-eligible. It may have saved Kingsbury's job. It definitely revived Shimonek's NFL hopes.

Shimonek went on to perform well at the East-West Shrine Game. He earned a combine invite, though he was tasked with throwing during running back drills in addition to participating in quarterback drills. Just a few months after benching Shimonek, Kingsbury helped get the Texas Tech pro day rescheduled so his former quarterback wouldn't have to return from a grueling combine week of extra work and immediately prepare for his next big audition.

Doug Farrar broke down film with Shimonek for Bleacher Report a few weeks ago; the feature provides a deep dive into Shimonek's story and his attributes. The short version: Shimonek, who got stuck behind C.J. Beathard at Iowa before transferring and getting stuck behind Patrick Mahomes, has a textbook delivery, NFL-caliber accuracy and the ability to work through a progression of reads. He threw for 3,963 yards and 33 touchdowns last year, three times throwing four touchdown passes in losses in the wide-open Big