First, the Green Bay Packers expressed interest in Greg Paulus, the former Duke University point guard and high school All-American quarterback. Then, University of Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez had a meet-and-greet with Paulus about the possibility of playing in Ann Arbor this fall. And today, there's this: Duke also wants in on the Paulus action. But unlike the Wolverines -- who could envision him as a quarterback in their spread offense -- Blue Devils football coach David Cutcliffe has no such plans. Nope, he'd like to kick the tires on Paulus, college wide receiver.
Cutcliffe said he and Paulus "talked extensively" about the possibility of Paulus joining the football team, but the bottom line was there was "no way" he could come out and try to play quarterback for the Blue Devils after such a long hiatus from the position.
"He's a quarterback at heart, but there was no way he was going to be able to compete and play quarterback for us," Cutcliffe said. "I think that was the deciding factor. Prior to our last six practices, I was going to try to get him out, give him a chance to work at slot receiver. He's a fierce competitor, a great young man. He's been a tremendous basketball player. "
There are eligibility concerns (ESPN reports that "... Because [Paulus] was never a basketball redshirt at Duke, as an undergraduate transfer he would be eligible to play football at another school, assuming there are no extenuating circumstances concerning his eligibility."), and, of course, there are also issues of whether Paulus is good enough to play a major college sport after a four-year layoff.
Even his high school football coach sounds skeptical.
"I'm not sure the Michigan offense suits him," [Joe] Casamento said. "We ran a spread, but a spread to pass. He might take some pounding in that offense. I understand Greg is keeping his options open, but I still believe basketball is his passion. When he chose basketball, he told me that one day he'd like to be a basketball coach."Casamento added, "He could always throw it accurately and he's a smart winner and a leader, but where now is the arm strength?" Fair question. No idea how this ends up, but if Paulus is the Wolverines starting quarterback in the fall, Rodriguez might as well start polishing up the ol' CV. There's no way one of the most storied college programs in the country can't find a somebody to beat out a backup point guard who last threw a pass in 2005.
As for Paulus' NFL aspirations, they may have to wait a year. Which means Aaron Rodgers gets one more chance to prove that trading Brett Favre last offseason was the right thing to do.
