Did Comeback Earn Rutgers QB a Shot at NFL?

I’ve always been fascinated by ways in which college athletes deal with adversity. Some hit a low point and are mentally unable to turn things around. Others have the self-confidence to come off the floor and take their game to new levels. Those are the athletes who have what it takes to succeed on the professional level and are sought out by coaches. This year, no one displayed more perseverance and guts than Rutgers’ quarterback, Mike Teel.

The local high school star from Don Bosco Prep in North Jersey entered the 2008 college season as a fifth year senior. Despite the team’s success over the past few seasons – the greatest in Rutgers’ history -- Mike Teel was never perceived as a topnotch quarterback worthy of being noticed by NFL scouts.

This year, after suffering convincing losses during their 1-5 start, it looked like Rutgers’ season was over. The fans dumped all the blame on Teel, who greatly underperformed during this stretch and was a couple of bad throws away from losing his job as starting quarterback. In a 12-10 home loss to UConn, Teel was furiously booed by the Rutgers faithful. What followed was an amazing turnaround that placed Teel among the elite and propelled Rutgers to a bowl win.

Teel threw for 931 yards in the three games before the showdown with Army. He then went on to break the school’s all-time passing record and led the team to a compelling 6-5 mark heading into Louisville. That’s when he simply erupted, throwing for seven touchdowns (six in the first half) and a team record 447 yards passing in the Scarlet Knights’ 63-14 victory. Yesterday, in the Papajohns.com Bowl against NC State, Teel delivered a solid performance that included 319 yards passing and two scores.

His 2008 statistics include a 96.5 quarterback rating, 3,418 yards passing, 25
touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a 61.4% completion percentage. Mike Teel was the primary contributor to Rutgers’ seven-game win streak to end the season. If the Heisman Award were based on the second half of the season, Teel would be a top candidate. He is a true competitor who was able to battle through the worst of times and came out on top. For that, he deserves a shot at the next level.