Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus’ unorthodox move from Atlantic Coast Conference point guard to Big East quarterback not surprisingly sparked a flurry of national media attention. Instantly, reporters from across the country began posing questions regarding Paulus’ ability, potential and playing time.

That pattern continued when Paulus was named the Orange’s starting quarterback on Monday, Aug. 17. Head coach Doug Marrone gave Paulus the nod over redshirt freshman Ryan Nassib after just one full week of summer practice. Two days later, on Aug. 19, Paulus addressed both the local and national media in separate sessions for the first time as the starter.

Paulus transferred to Syracuse in May to play football after a four-year basketball career at Duke.

‘I’m really excited,’ Paulus said. ‘It’s a great opportunity. Coach Marrone made a decision, and its something I’m really excited about. I’m just going to keep trying to do what I’m doing with getting better and trying to improve each day and keep building from where I was yesterday.’

Paulus’ arrival almost instantly made him the top candidate to overtake Nassib, whom Marrone named as the team’s starter in March during spring workouts. Paulus won the 2004 Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year while at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse.

Both Paulus and Nassib saw time with the first-string offense during the opening week of practice – which began Aug. 10 – with Paulus moving ahead of Nassib in the eight days before Marrone’s announcement. Marrone said he told both Paulus and Nassib of his decision together in a closed-door meeting.

‘I think in the last couple days there’s been some separation,’ Marrone said last week following a team practice. ‘I feel that Greg is the player we can win with right now.’

Despite not seeing Paulus throw a football in person until official practices began, Marrone maintained that his decision was purely football based and was not influenced by potential fan and media interest.

‘I look at football as business,’ Marrone said. ‘My job is to play the players that give us the best chance to win games right now. At the end of the day, I felt Greg gives us the best chance to win. I really do.’

Paulus himself realizes there is an air of skepticism surrounding his recent ascendance atop the depth chart. Recently, an ESPN.com report contained a myriad of anonymous comments from coaches around the Big East who condemned Marrone’s decision.

One such coach suggested Paulus will have a hard time reading defensive coverage packages, while another wondered how much the Carrier Dome’s recent attendance woes have to do with the decision. A third simply suggested the Paulus experiment was destined to end in ‘spectacular failure.’

However, Paulus remains optimistic that he’ll be able to regain his football skills after a nearly five-year hiatus in time for the team’s opening game on Sept. 5 against Minnesota in the Carrier Dome.

‘I don’t hear or see many things,’ Paulus said about his handling of media criticism. ‘This is a big commitment right now with camp and double sessions and whether people are saying things on TV, magazines or newspapers – we get here in the morning before it starts and we leave after it all ends. We got some tunnel vision, and that’s the way I like it to be.’

To speed his learning curve, Paulus jokingly talked about renouncing his basketball past entirely. The former Blue Devil point guard said he thinks he’s taken only one shot since committing to play football for the Orange. At this point, it’s all about football.

‘I’ve tried to not play,’ Paulus said. ‘I know the guys on the team play more than I do – they’re always asking me to play, and I tell him once the season’s over I’ll get in a few pick-up games with them and play, but it’s all football and I’m loving it.’

ctorr@syr.edu

A version of this story originally appeared on dailyorange.com on Aug. 17.

Published on August 25, 2009 at 12:00 pm