Teodecki to take QB job

Backup prepares for starring role It was hard not to get excited, despite the warnings. He's just a rookie, Penn football coach Al Bagnoli pleaded. But watching Mark DeRosa make the long throw across the diamond from third base, one could only imagine Miles Macik or Leo Congeni pulling the ball in for a touchdown instead of A.B. Fischer catching it at first base for out three. Mark DeRosa had already made a name for himself as a standout freshman infielder for the Penn baseball team. But Quakers football fans didn't care about his bat, his range, his speed, his instincts. It was his arm they came to watch. Jimmy McGeehan was already done stamping his name in the Penn football record books, and it was time for him to leave. After a school record 3,954 passing yards, an Ivy League championship and an undefeated season, McGeehan was graduating. That summer, after baseball season ended, DeRosa headed over to Camp Bagnoli and battled with fellow sophomore Steve Teodecki for the right to succeed McGeehan as Penn's new starting quarterback. Finally, after a month of 6:00 a.m. wake-up calls and two-a-days, Bagnoli declared DeRosa the winner. As they tend to, the fans let their imaginations run wild. All of a sudden, the teenager out of Bergen (N.J.) Catholic High School, who had yet to take his first snap was being dubbed the next great Quakers QB. DeRosa was supposed to rewrite the Penn record book, which still hadn't seen the ink dry from McGeehan's days. Others had even greater ambitions for DeRosa, like a place in Ivy history as one of the all-time great signal callers. After all, he would be the first ever Ivy quarterback to start for four years, the first to benefit from the league's new freshmen eligibility rule. DeRosa's high school coach went so far as to compare his protege to none other than Joe Montana. And DeRosa's performance in 1994 served only to reinforce the hype. Bagnoli eased his rookie into the offense, accentuating the running game in the first month of the season. But by season's end, Bagnoli had a potent air attack to complement all-Ivy running back Terrance Stokes. DeRosa completed better than 63 percent of his attempts on the season and finished with a QB rating of 135.6. But it was the Quakers' season finale against Cornell that made the few doubters truly take notice. With torn ligaments in his thumb, a cast on his throwing hand and an appointment for surgery after the game, DeRosa set a school record with 360 passing yards in a come-from-behind victory over the Big Red which sealed Penn's second-straight undefeated season. After the season, Bagnoli joked that his biggest worry about DeRosa was "the baseball draft." But Bagnoli knew what he was getting himself into when he recruited DeRosa. He knew the kid was a pro prospect as a shortstop and that he was planning on playing both baseball and football at Penn. In fact, it was Bagnoli's willingness to let the 6-foot-1 star do double duty that convinced DeRosa to turn down a scholarship from William & Mary. One month ago, Bagnoli's fear came true when the Atlanta Braves made DeRosa their seventh-round pick in baseball's amateur entry draft. So after just two years of college football and three years of college baseball, DeRosa signed a pro baseball contract and gave up his remaining Ivy League eligibility. The decision had to have been made easier by a junior year on the gridiron filled with more disappointment than celebration. A year after earning honorable mention all-Ivy honors, DeRosa saw his winning percentage drop and his interception ratio skyrocket. Coming off back-to-back Ivy titles and a Division I-AA record 21 straight victories, Penn supporters envisioned nothing less than another conference championship. But the streak was halted at 24 by Columbia, and, a week later, Penn had another streak -- a losing streak -- after losing to William & Mary. DeRosa's supporters had envisioned many school records -- but interceptions in a game was surely not one of them. However, it is that mark that DeRosa set against William & Mary with five in a single game. Perhaps fans had unreasonable expectations of Mark DeRosa. Or perhaps they didn't appreciate what they had. All Mark DeRosa did in two years of college football was post a 16-3 record and win an Ivy championship. His 3,895 career passing yards rank second on the Penn all-time list, just 69 short of McGeehan's mark. He may not have broken the record, but give him one more quarter on Franklin Field and he probably would. Bagnoli knew from the start he might only have two years of DeRosa, which is why he has spent so much time developing DeRosa's understudy, Teodecki. Teodecki lost that initial battle for the starter's job but will get a second shot with DeRosa gone. While DeRosa struggled last season, Teodecki studied the system, learned the offense inside-out. And when Bagnoli finally decided something needed to be done to spark his stagnating team, Teodecki was ready. "Steve's such a hard worker. He's very knowledgeable when it comes to the offense and our playbook," Penn backup quarterback Damian Swank said. "He knows why different things are done. He knows the system. He knows what we need to accomplish." The Quakers' hopes of a third-straight Ivy title had already been washed away with a loss to eventual champion Princeton a week earlier. And Bagnoli saw his offense spinning its wheels early against Harvard. On just the Quakers' second play from scrimmage, DeRosa tossed his 16th interception in nine games. Three drives later, Bagnoli made the switch. Enter No. 12, Steve Teodecki. On Teodecki's first drive, he led Penn 66 yards down field for a touchdown. Teodecki was handed the ball again just 18 seconds later after a Crimson turnover. This time, Teodecki marched Penn 72 yards for another six points. "We had plans for probably the last four weeks of playing Steve," Bagnoli said after the game. "We got into these bad weather games, and we never thought that was the optimum time to actually put him into the game. We probably did Steve a disservice." Bagnoli split the playing time between his two quarterbacks the rest of the game. But in the season finale against Cornell, DeRosa got the call. Again, Teodecki could only watch. "Mark and I are both competitive, but there was never any controversy as far as we were concerned," Teodecki said. "I knew the problems weren't all his fault." Sitting on the sidelines and watching someone else take all the snaps is never easy. But for Teodecki, the situation was especially rough. DeRosa and Teodecki were classmates, so there appeared little hope of Teodecki getting any serious minutes. "Steve just wanted his chance -- that's only natural," Swank said. DeRosa's decision to go pro changed all that. Now Teodecki has the job he has coveted for three years. "Coach told me I have a better chance to make an impact," Teodecki said. "He said it's my job to lose." Like an apprentice learning his craft, Teodecki has spent three years studying and preparing for this opportunity. And on opening day, Steve Teodecki will be Penn's starting quarterback. "I hoped for that situation. I thought it would be best for both of me and Mark," Teodecki said. "I was working hard either way, but it was in the back of my mind that Mark might leave." The competition between DeRosa and Teodecki may have been the best possible thing for both of them. It spurred DeRosa to improve, the alternative being a demotion to second-string. And it prepared Teodecki for the very situation he now faces. "It seemed like a real good relationship. They seemed to be good friends," Swank said. "It just made Steve work harder. And Mark had to step it up to keep the No. 1 spot." Despite the change of leadership, don't expect any major differences in Bagnoli's system. Although DeRosa was more athletic than Teodecki is, both quarterbacks are more or less traditional pro-style passers. "Mark's more of a finesse passer, he uses a little more touch. He's a little bigger and stronger. But I run a little better than him," Teodecki said. "We're both pretty much drop-back passers." What Teodecki lacks in game experience he makes up for in leadership. "Steve's a strong leader, although Mark certainly was, too," Penn backup quarterback Joe Beggans said. "That's one of the main things when you think about Steve. He commands respect. He's probably the hardest working guy on the team. "I don't expect to miss a beat with Steve at quarterback." With Teodecki's position as the first stringer locked up for the foreseeable future, there will be a three-way battle for the backup spot. Last year's No. 3, Tommy McCloud returns for his junior season, as does classmate Beggans. And Swank should provide stiff competition after a season learning the ropes as a freshman. "It's going to be a competitive situation going into camp," Teodecki said. "I'd guess Tommy and Joe would have the edge because of seniority. But it's an open fight, and not just for the backup spot. One of those guys could push me for the starting job." McCloud is the more agile of the two juniors, but Beggans has the size advantage. Swank faces an uphill battle in his bid for the backup role because he spent the bulk of his freshman season practicing with the scouting squad while learning the system. "Tommy makes plays. He makes things happen," Beggans said. "Damian's similar to Steve. He has a great work ethic. Given the chance, I'm sure he could lead the team down the field. We're very fortunate to have four quality quarterbacks." While his younger teammates battle to move up the depth chart, Teodecki has something he hasn't had before at Penn -- security. Three years and 39 games later, Steve Teodecki's patience is finally being rewarded.