By Paul Casey Gotham
****Remember, try this without research. Release your inner James Joyce and show us your stream of consciousness as you try to decipher the answer.
My college is not just known for making heating mechanisms. We have a reputation for sending quarterbacks to the N.F.L. We are part of the ongoing Quarterback U discussion. Something like 16 signal callers from my alma mater have played in The League to one degree or another. Three of them have won Super Bowls. Not me. I did garner notoriety while in school. I finished fourth in Heisman voting. I know finishing fourth doesn’t sound like much, but that was a time when we all thought the award was just for running backs. Yeah, running backs won 12 Heismans in a row. I was near the end of that run. Actually, there were three other QBs that earned Heisman votes that year. I led the way getting as many first-place votes as the other three QBs combined. One of the guys played at Portland State. He went on to a pretty solid N.F.L. career. He started every game he played in for seven seasons. The other two guys had another year left in college. They were both chosen in the first round in the following draft. One guy fought his demons. The other guy battled injuries, but he did play on a team that shuffled its way to a Super Bowl. Me? I was chosen in the fourth round. I started 12 games for four organizations over 11 seasons. I was there when the Mayflower trucks took everything from Memorial Stadium. We moved closer to where I grew up. I was also on another team when the “Air Coryell” era came to an end.
Who am I?
Ok … let’s get started. So we know that this QB played for the Purdue “Boilermakers”. We also know that he was in the same draft class as Neil Lomax of Portland State. (he’s the ONLY player I recall ever coming out of Portland St). Okay … some thoughts swimming in my head. Jim McMahon must be the other QB in that draft … he fought injuries and did the SB Shuffle with Da Bears! Going to the showers now to ponder the Purdue QBs who were early ’80s grads. There was this real tall dude.
Okay … back from the showers and thinking clearly. I’m gonna give this one shot cuz I have to get in the car and drive to work pronto. I think the QB we’re looking for is Mark Herman. He was an extremely tall, skinny guy … I think maybe 6’9″ … and just a prolific pocket passer for Purdue in real early 80s. Didn’t win the Heisman and had a so-so career in NFL as a backup. Colts were one of his teams. Final answer.
Without looking at Wally’s response…
I believe it’s a Miami QB because of all of the QB’s that have come out of that school. It must be someone from the late 70’s / early 80’s considering that one his QB contemporaries was Jim McMahon (sp.) of the Super Bowl Shuffle Bears of ’85. I believe the Mayflower move was the Baltimore Colts moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis in the middle of the night. I do realize that this can’t be Kelly, Testaverde, Kosar because he didn’t start that many games. Must be a career backup. I was thinking about a QB in the Jimmie Johnson era but I can’t think of his name and I don’t think that’s far back enough…
Not sure what else I got. I’m going to look at Wally’s now…
Purdue QB, I’m guessing. Mark Herrmann? My best guess at a QB successful at PurDumb, but not much in the NFL. Going to look at other answers now.
Wally and I on same wavelength here, except I had NO idea Herrmann was that tall. Also, once again, I do believe I nailed the spelling. Purdue is MY QB U. Griese, Breese, Herrmann, and a truckload of other guys who beat ND often. I’m going to look them up right now. I know there are several big names not coming into my head.
Phipps and Dawson were 2 biggies that did not come to mind. Phipps was a particularly good ND slayer. I forgot about Orton and Everett and totally did not remember that Danielson was a Boilermaker. Also did not remember that Jeff George spent part of his freshman year at W Lafayette before taking his sorry self to Illini and NFL. Also, Mr. Speller apparently misspelled Brees in previous post. Oh, well, he’s not from the era in which I followed football closely.
I’m assuming the heating mechanisms are a reference to the Purdue Boilermakers. I’m not really sure who the three Super Bowl winning QBs from there are (is Drew Brees from Purdue?), but I guess that really doesn’t matter.
We’re talking pre-1985, since I’m assuming the guy who “shuffled his way to the Super Bowl” was Jim McMahon.
Since you only started 12 games in your career, I probably wouldn’t have much of an idea based on the NFL stuff, but obviously, you were on the Colts and later the Chargers.
There’s one name that popped into my head the instant the Purdue hint was thrown out there. He was the Purdue QB when I was a youngster getting intereest in college football. I think I even drew a picture of him, since that’s one thing I liked to do back then.
Are you Mark Hermann?
“…interested in college football,” that is.
It looks like both Wally and Pete beat me to it, and Pete did nail the spelling of the last name.
Oh, and according to pro-football-reference.com and NFL.com, Mark Herrmann was 6’4″. Wally, maybe you’re thinking of Dan McGwire? Do you think he took steroids? 😉
Hermann was only 6’4″?? Boy, was I off. I guess 6’9″ was getting carried away, but i woulda swore at least 6’6″. Anyway, he sure was a slinger and not much of a scrambler.
I thought of Jim Everett but I believe he was mid ’80s … remember seeing him play vs ND while I was in school.
Looks like a lot of us got it … great job!
Chas, I think you are right. It was McGwire that was 6’9″ range. Steroids were probably part of the daily diet in that household. Darned if I can even remember where McGwire played. Going to have to look that one up.
McGwire was “only”6’8” (tallest QB to be drafetd in the NFL to date). Both his older brother (Mark) and his younger brother (Jay) have admitted to use of HGH. Probably mixed it in with the tap water at the family home.
Pete … I’m pretty sure Dan McGwire played at SanDiego State.
Yes he did Wally, but he also spent his first 2 years at Iowa. I had him pegged as a West Coaster, but never would have remembered the Iowa stint.
Pete —
Did you see that Michael Floyd will play another season for ND??? GREAT news!
Did not see. Great news indeed. Of Clausen, Tate, and Floyd, Floyd was the best candidate to go early and be successful. By end of year he looked like he was having fun; I think that must have influenced his decision. I think early on he thought he would miss UnWeis, but fortunately he found BK to his liking.