SYRACUSE PRODUCT GIVES INSIGHT ON A BIG EAST QB

Written by Daniel Mogollon

Saturday, 03 May 2008 09:22

Newly inducted Don McPherson (CF HOF) tells us why Brian Brohm's stock dropped.

McPherson Speeks On His Induction

WALDORF-ASTORIA, NY--Quarterback Don McPherson, who covered the Big East for XM Radio last season, was one of 13 players from the Football Bowl Subdivision selected as a member of the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2008. As a player he won numerous honors, including the Davey O’Brien Award, the Maxwell Award (Player of the Year) and the inaugural Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. McPherson was reminded of his age when he saw pictures of all the Johnny U winners and his was the only one in black and white. The Syracuse alum was also a unanimous All-American and finished second in the Heisman Trophy race.

McPherson told the NFL Draft Bible that he was pleasantly surprised to hear the name of Ray Rice called on day one of the NFL Draft, not because he felt Rice wasn’t worthy, but because he was not sure that scouts would see his true value.

The former Syracuse Orangeman—McPherson’s playing days pre-date the nickname change to simply Orange—readily admits being a Big East guy. He roots for players coming out of the conference to do well, but is far from a homer when breaking down another highly decorated quarterback—Louisville’s Brian Brohm.

“I think that Brian had the type of season at Louisville where you can blame it on a lot of things. I covered the Big East and I think I understand why that happened (draft stock dropping),” McPherson said while sitting with us at the Waldorf-Astoria. “I think there were moments…there were a couple of games where there were moments when I was watching the game and I said, ‘This is his moment…he can shut a lot of people up with this moment’ and he didn’t deliver. It happened at Connecticut in the rain, on a rainy night, it was Connecticut, an up and coming team. It happened against Syracuse. It happened a few other times where he could have put a lot things to rest. Now you can blame it on a lot of things…you can blame on the team around him, the defense, no offensive line and all those things. But it didn’t happen for him.”

The former signal caller pointed out that these plays and these moments mean almost as much as the totality of work. After all, Brohm did throw for 30 touchdowns (12 interceptions) and 4,024 yards in 2007—both career highs. Fair or unfair, it is a double-edged sword for quarterbacks.

“Everyone will say Doug Flutie won the Heisman Trophy on one pass,” McPherson concluded. “He didn’t win the Heisman Trophy on one pass, but that’s what people remember…and the same things happened to Brian Brohm.”

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