Ex-Receiver Catches Rave Reviews As Qb
The story is true. It just sounds mythical.
Daunte Culpepper was a wide receiver in junior high. He ran a pattern and the quarterback overthrew him. A disgusted Culpepper retrieved the ball downfield and chucked it back to the huddle.
“I’ve been a quarterback ever since,” he said.
Culpepper now throws for Central Florida. Nebraska found that out Saturday when Culpepper’s Golden Knights led the Cornhuskers at halftime before falling 38-24.
Nebraska’s problem is now Idaho’s. The Vandals visit UCF on Saturday at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
According to UCF’s media guide, Culpepper is 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, runs a 4.6-second 40, has a 36-inch vertical leap and can throw the ball 80 yards.
“He reminds me of a cross between Mark Brunell and Drew Bledsoe,” lavished UI coach Chris Tormey.
UCF coach Gene McDowell offered a generic comparison. “What you’ve got is a guy that looks like a pro defensive end physically and has all the skills of a quarterback and a linebacker.”
Culpepper is a junior, which has led to speculation he might skip his senior year to go pro. Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently listed Culpepper among his top 20 underclassmen, just below Nebraska’s Ahman Green and above North Carolina’s Dre’ Bly.
“Until last week I wasn’t worried about it at all,” McDowell said. “During the summer, I joked that I sure hope he does (go pro) because that will mean he had a heck of a year. He looked like a pro in the Nebraska game.”
Public figures
Though 0-3, Central Florida is currently a media darling. CNN aired a story on Monday about deaf running back Dwight Collins. Collins gets the plays from coaches’ signals. Since he can’t hear the snap count, Collins simply watches the ball and reacts.
But Culpepper and UCF’s stubborn showing against Nebraska are responsible for much of the attention. Since Saturday’s game, Central Florida sports information director John Marini has been called by Sports Illustrated, NBC Nightly News, Los Angeles Times and the Dallas Morning News.
“We sold 500 additional season tickets and 1,000 single-game tickets (since Saturday),” Marini said.
“It’s been gratifying to see us play well and see what it caused,” McDowell said.
BSU boots defender
Defensive lineman Chad Moore’s career at Boise State has been sacked.
Moore, a senior who transferred to BSU from Nassau Community College in New York, was dismissed from the team for undisclosed disciplinary reasons, coach Houston Nutt said.
Moore, who led the team with three tackles for losses, went into the stands after a heckling group of fans following BSU’s loss to Wisconsin two weeks ago. Last Saturday against Central Michigan, Moore was flagged for two personal fouls.
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