In today's instant-gratification world, the term might be seen by some as faint praise, as unflattering code for an athlete who has spent most of his scholastic career out of the varsity spotlight.

Football coaches know better.

So do true fans of high school sports.

Programs are built with program players, with athletes who pay their dues, bide their time, improve each year, and emerge as seniors on a mission.

Players such as Clearview quarterback John Robinson.

"He's a program player," said coach Dan Pidcock, and he meant it as a compliment. "He's waited his turn, and darn if he's not making the most of it."

Robinson played freshman football. He played junior varsity as a sophomore. He even played JV last season, although he was the Pioneers' top backup at quarterback, running back, tight end and safety, according to Pidcock.

Now, as a senior starting for the first time, Robinson has been one of the surprise players of the early part of the season.

He's passed for 627 yards and six touchdowns and run for another score. He's also made 23 tackles as a starting safety.

More important, the 6-foot, 180-pound Robinson has made big plays in big moments as Clearview has compiled a 2-1 record in three wildly entertaining games entering tonight's nonconference matchup at Pleasantville.

"I worked hard to get ready for this season," Robinson said. "I know it was important to me to be ready to be as good a football player as I could."

Robinson was a backup quarterback the last two seasons to Ed Eisenhart, one of Clearview's top athletes in recent years. He also was Eisenhart's backup at safety.

Pidcock said the coaches desperately wanted to get Robinson some action at quarterback. So they asked the junior if he wouldn't mind playing some junior varsity.

Many juniors would recoil at the prospect of playing at the sub-varsity level, in Monday afternoon games with sophomores and hotshot freshmen. Robinson embraced it.

"That says something right there about what kind of kid he is," Pidcock said. "He's a great kid. He'll do whatever you ask. He'll do whatever is best for the team."

Robinson played mostly special teams for the varsity last season but said he never felt frustrated.

"I was always fine," he said. "I trusted that Coach would make the right decision. And I knew in the back of my mind that I would get my chance this year."

Robinson made sure he was prepared by attacking Clearview's off-season weight-training and conditioning program.

"He was the first kid in the weight room and the last kid to leave, all summer long," Pidcock said.

Robinson has made the most of his chance. On opening day at Gloucester Catholic, he threw four touchdown passes - for 40, 80, 47 and 13 yards - in a 45-41 loss to the high-powered Rams.

The next week, his two-point conversion pass to running back Nick Cacciola in the fourth quarter provided the winning points in Clearview's 14-13 victory over Woodstown.

And last Friday, Robinson led the Pioneers through another wild fourth quarter in a victory over Delsea. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for another. He engineered the game-winning drive in the final three minutes, hitting tight end Chad Gravinese for a 30-yard gain on third and long, then finding Gravinese again on a slant for a 7-yard touchdown with 49 seconds on the clock in a 27-25 victory.

"That was great for the whole team," Robinson said. "It was crazy in the fourth quarter. We were behind, 18-14; then ahead, 21-18; then behind, 25-21.

"We just kept fighting back. We all worked so hard to get ready for this season, there was no way we were going to give up."

Pidcock has coached his share of talented athletes in 35 seasons. He has coached plenty of sophomores and juniors who were impact players, and plenty of three-year starters.

But the old coach, like most of his colleagues, has a special place in his heart for kids who work their way through the program, who grow up in their steady, quiet way from baby-faced freshmen to seasoned seniors.

"It's what it's all about," Pidcock said of his quarterback's seemingly sudden success.