(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Greg Paulus Report: Week 1
Throughout the college football season I will pay close attention to several key stories. One of these will be the continued impact of former Duke point guard Greg Paulus. I will chronicle the season right here on Bleacher Report as well as on www.curtisandkyle.com
Little back story about him… In high school he set 6 New York state records and was touted as being one of the best QBs in the country. Greg had Notre Dame offering him a scholarship to be their man, but he turned it down to play basketball at Duke. I guess it was easier to decline Charlie W. than Mike K.
Greg went on to play four solid seasons at Duke, but never was able to play deep into the NCAA tourney and wasn’t able to make a real run at a national title. His senior year was the most testing as the former starter was benched for more athletic players Nolan Smith and Elliot Williams.
Once the season ended, Greg decided he wanted to play some football. He talked with the Packers, Coach K, and Coach Cutcliffe and decided that this dream was possible. The Duke squad wanted him to be a receiver but G.P. is no receiver. He is a field general that can throw the ball!
Fast forward to the opening game for Paulus…Win or lose game one was a success for him. He did the impossible by not only making the roster, but being the field general for the Syracuse Orangemen.
Sure, the game ended with Greg throwing an int. in OT that eventually led to their loss, but he did something in Syracuse that hasn’t been done in a long time, and that is to add excitement to a team that has pretty much not had a heart beat in recent years.
His stats for the game looked like this… He was 19-31 and passed for 167 yards with a TD and an INT.
The stats only tell part of the story. G.P. played better than several key QBs among the nation that had not sat out four years. He showed up ready to play and continuously showed the leadership he learned at Duke. Every time he left the field the cameras would follow him as he would walk around and talk to his fellow teammates. He would urge them to play better, hold their blocks, or get open. He was a true leader on the field. Just a few days after the horrible incident in Oregon, it was nice to see someone like Paulus prove that there are people in this world that just gets it.
Game 1 = success.
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