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‘Skins scoop: An eye-ronic adjustment changed Trey Quinn’s career

Posted at 7:52 PM, Aug 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-23 20:04:07-04

Starting pitcher Trey Quinn throws a pitch in the United States Final. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

RICHMOND, Va. - Ten years ago this month, Redskins rookie receiver Trey Quinn threw a no-hitter in the Little League World Series. Quinn, Washington's seventh round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, struck out 12 batters in Lake Charles, Louisiana's 9-0 victory.

He's obviously stuck with football, making pigskin his primary sport. But there was a point, during college, when Quinn came close to going back to the diamond.

"There was a point when I was just really aggravated with football and I wanted to try [baseball] out," Quin told News 3. "I started long-tossing with my buddy. I finally got my head on right and changed my determination back to football."

His head was on right, because his eyesight was corrected.

Trey Quinn of the LSU Tigers has the pass broken up. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

During his freshman football season at LSU, Quinn - who started seven games for the Tigers, struggled with drops. On multiple occasions, often late in the game, Quinn was unable to haul-in passes. Turns out, you can't catch what you can't see.

"When I get winded or tired, my eyes would get really blurry," Quinn explained. "Throughout my life, I had pretty bad eyesight, but I was able to strain my eyes to see. I played baseball growing up so I never really got winded, so I was always fine. But when you have 20/60 vision in one eye, it's time to get contacts - time to get some corrected vision. Since I got it corrected, it's been really good."

Two years after he began wearing contact lenses, following a transfer from LSU to SMU, Quinn led the NCAA in receptions last season with 114.

Wide receiver Trey Quinn of the Washington Redskins. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

"He caught option routes, seam balls, double moves from the outside, from the inside, he did a lot of great things at SMU," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said about Quinn. "He has shown his ability to move around, grasp the system, see coverage, adjust, break in and out of cuts pretty effortlessly and really, he has really, really, strong, strong, good hands. As good of hands that I’ve seen out of that position."

And to think: had it not been for an adjustment to his eyes, nobody would've seen Quinn's incredible hands.