Football: Paulus to play against Pitt, this time on the football field

The last time Pitt sports fans had any reason to even think about Greg Paulus was Dec. 20, 2007. That night at Madison Square Garden in New York City, former Pitt point guard Levance Fields scored the game-winning 3-pointer in overtime against the then-No. 6-ranked Duke Blue Devils.

Paulus started opposite Fields at the point that night. Fields pretty much doo-doo-ed all over Paulus that evening. He poured in 21 points, going 3 for 7 from beyond the arc. Paulus had three points and five turnovers. Pitt fans probably thought that’d be the last they would hear from Paulus, the once-high school football All-American.

Paulus, who started three years for Duke, fizzled in his final season of basketball last year, ultimately losing his starting job. The NBA? Pro ball in Europe, even? No way. Dreams of pro sports appeared dashed. But in a move to salvage any chance at competitive and athletic glory, Paulus headed home to Syracuse, N.Y.

Paulus had used up his four years of NCAA athletic eligibility playing basketball, but through a loophole discovered that he had one year of eligibility left in another sport, aside from basketball, if he enrolled as a graduate student.

Those in Syracuse remembered Paulus from his high school days — a local athlete, in the national spotlight, recruited by top-tier programs in both football and basketball. Paulus had turned down the likes of Michigan and the Big House for Coach K and Cameron Indoor. Now he was back to try his hand at football on a campus in his hometown.

Syracuse football, which had struggled for years, saw it as a publicity opportunity. They gave Paulus a full-ride. He was promised a chance to start, and by opening day, he was doing just that. Now, eight games into the 2009 season, the Orange are 3-5 behind Paulus and tied for last in the Big East.

But Paulus hasn’t been all that bad, especially for a guy who took four years-plus off from a game he dominated in his high school days. He is tied with No. 13 Pitt’s Bill Stull for second in the conference in completion percentage, with a mark of 65. He’s sixth in the conference in passing yards per game, averaging about 173 per contest.

He’s had his struggles, though. He’s last among Big East quarterbacks in passer rating and ranked 69th nationally. He’s thrown 10 touchdowns, opposed to 11 interceptions. He’s only responsible for 8.25 of Syracuse’s points per game.

But think about it. The guy took four years off from a sport he used to rule before coming back. By opening day, he’s starting for a Big East program. He even won three games, just narrowly losing another in overtime in the season opener to Minnesota. Now, that’s an athlete (as much as I hate to admit it, because, after all, Paulus is an easy target. I mean, it’s Duke we’re talking about). So, isn’t it pretty impressive?

“I’m definitely impressed, especially with the quarterback position,” Pitt cornerback Aaron Berry said. “Jumping into college football, he hadn’t played since high school, it’s a lot faster and more mental. You have to be impressed.”

So, Paulus has to be the most interesting thing about the entire Syracuse team. They don’t win, they don’t have any interesting skill position players and no other play caller at ’Cuse has attracted this much attention since Donovan McNabb — who also played on the Orange basketball team, mind you.

Berry, though, insists that he and the rest of the team aren’t much interested in Paulus and his story. They simply want to go out, get another win and trek further on their mission to win the Big East crown.