Blaming the Packers is something that is second nature to a Bears fan, but now the entire country can point the finger at the organization for starting all the madness surrounding former Duke guard Greg Paulus.
Shortly after the Blue Devils met their demise in the NCAA Tournament last month, the front office at the frozen tundra came calling the 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound basketball player.
He’s not exactly your prototype quarterback, but one of the most storied franchises in NFL history thought he was worth a look.
After Green Bay gave their once-over of the sharpshooter-turned-gunslinger — or is it the other way around? — an age-old practice in the social hierarchy of American teens ensued.
When in doubt, do what the older, cooler kids are doing.
And that’s exactly what Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez did when he offered Paulus the chance to compete for the starting quarterback gig this fall.
This would be made possible upon Paulus’ graduation from Duke in June and a provision in the NCAA rules that would give him an extra year of eligibility in another sport since he was never redshirted.
I’m sure old Rich is feeling a flame under his keister from Wolverine boosters who were far from pleased with last year’s results — but this screams desperation.
Or, does it?
Although Paulus hasn’t taken a snap since he started the U.S. Army All-American game, he was the Gatorade High School Player of the Year as a senior at Christian Brothers Academy.
I admit, I remained very skeptical about this whole ordeal, but the prospect of Paulus coming in and competing at the collegiate level grew on me.
He may not be the biggest guy, but that never stopped smaller quarterbacks like Eric Crouch from having success, and clearly Paulus knows how to play football.
They don’t just hand out accolades like P.O.Y. for the fun of it.
After Paulus’ hometown Syracuse threw its name into the hat, I was no longer thinking about this as a gimmick.
There are people out there far more qualified than me who think Paulus can do this — and why not?
If you ever watched a Duke game, you know the kid is a competitor and a great athlete, but I guess at this point that’s implied.
My point is: Clearly Paulus is worthy of the recognition, and schools like Michigan don’t come knocking on the door every day.
So if the Paulus sweepstakes are officially underway, the Sun Devils might as well enter.
Let’s face it, senior Danny Sullivan will be one and done at ASU, and he’s not exactly the caliber of Andrew Walter, Sam Keller or Rudy Carpenter.
If you’re concerned about Paulus’ lack of experience, it’s not like Sullivan or any other ASU quarterback has much anyway.
I couldn’t picture a better time for such an unorthodox move.
Reach the reporter at emschimm@asu.edu.
