DUKE BB's PAULUS TO PLAY FOOTBALL AT SU

It was sometime in the winter of 2003-04 when I received a phone call in my football coach's office at the University of Kansas. It was from a guy named Dave Paulus from Syracuse, NY. He wanted to tell me about his son, a quarterback at Christian Brothers Academy (CBA). Greg Paulus was in his junior year and starting to narrow his scope on potential colleges where he might continue his career.

We did not actively recruit the Northeast at Kansas at that time, but we followed up on all leads, and I got this one because Syracuse is just 35 miles from my hometown. I heard the proud father talk about his son's two-sport achievements and how he was only going to look at schools that had nationally competitive basketball programs and a chance to play football, if that's what he ultimately decided to do. Having had a lot of conversations with fathers who often tried to act as agents, I asked if I could talk to the high school coach and if he could send some tape for us to evaluate right away. Not a problem.

What I learned was the Paulus family was as legitimate as could be. Greg's high school football tape showed why he was a three-time all-state selection at that point (a fourth to come) and his coach raved about his intelligence, character and certainly his football ability, too. Greg Paulus went on to be the 2004 Gatorade National Player of the Year and was 2nd Team All-USA Today as a QB. It's no secret that he went on to Duke where he was a two-time captain, earned several academic recognitions along the way, and was a key player in one of the nation's premier basketball programs.

Having exhausted his four years of basketball eligibility by not red-shirting, and by graduating from Duke about a week ago, Paulus set himself up for a very unique situation. He could petition the NCAA to use his fifth year of eligibility to play another sport--football, at another school. After doing his homework and talking to several different schools Paulus has decided to go home and pursue a master's degree at Syracuse University and try to make it as a QB on new Coach Doug Marrone's team.

What are the odds that a very good athlete, who played nothing but basketball over the last four years, can pick up a football and compete for playing time in a Division I program? The odds seems somewhat steep, but then again, maybe not. SU's coaching change in the winter means that competition among players at all positions is pretty bunched up because no one has a great knowledge of the new systems, nor have they had a lot of one-on-one coaching from the new staff to help cement spots on the depth chart. Paulus was not part of the Orange for spring ball, so he missed 15 practices and at least that many meetings watching tape and learning the system. But, he is incredibly savvy, has intelligence and play-making ability on the field, and he is a mature, tested-under-fire, competitor.

Sure it's been a while since he last called a play in a huddle or engineered a winning scoring drive on the gridiron, but don't think for a minute that Greg Paulus hasn't had this possible transition to football on his mind for quite some time. The Orange is a good situation for Paulus to compete. They do not have a proven, solid #1 QB, and their offense can get a shot in the arm from Paulus, who was equally adept at CBA throwing or running the football.

The NCAA should allow the move. Paulus represents exactly what college student-athletes should do--give everything they have to their university in terms of effort in the classroom, on the field of competition, as well as in the community. He earned his degree and he has earned the opportunity to use that fifth year of eligibility as he chooses.

If nothing else, the Greg Paulus story will give people who follow ACC basketball and those who follow Big East football something to track as the '09 football season unfolds a little later this year. If anyone can make such a move and make it work, Paulus' combination of physical talent, and the intangibles that are characteristic of winner, will give him a chance to beat the odds.