| Second place doesn’t fit John Joseph Harrington; he won’t have
it. As far as "Joey" is concerned, there is no better quarterback in the Class
of 2002. "I don’t lose," Harrington said. "There is no way around
that. I hate to lose. Football, pickup basketball, chess, backgammon … it
doesn’t matter."
The game currently in front of Harrington is out of his control. It’s a battle
waging in front offices around the NFL: Fresno State QB David Carr vs. Harrington.
"I think they are two different styles," said Charley Casserly, the Houston
Texans’ general manager. "Carr is more of a downfield thrower: a strong-armed
guy. I think Harrington is more of a touch passer, more of an underneath, control-type
passer. They are both quality individuals. They are both smart. They both played in
different systems. You could switch them, and they could play in the opposite systems they
played in, but that is the way we compare them."
Educated perception says Fresno State QB David Carr will be the No. 1 overall selection
April 20 when NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue makes the announcement.
"After all this, I think I would be a little shocked if I wasn’t picked No.
1," Carr said. "But I think the most important thing isn’t being picked No.
1, but being considered No. 1 down the road."
The Houston Texans, who hold the top pick, are fond of Carr’s ability and
aren’t going the extra mile to keep their collective admiration under wraps.
Offensive coordinator Chris Palmer talks to Carr three times a week. He spends hours
breaking down Fresno State game film and comparing Carr’s technique and mechanics to
those of Tim Couch, among others.
"We’ve scouted Carr quite extensively," Casserly said. "We asked
him to work out at (the NFL Combine in Indianapolis Feb. 28-March 4) because it
wasn’t going to change our thinking one way or another. "He still has an upside.
He can still improve as a passer. He has a big, strong arm. He’s a very accurate
passer. He’s smart and has a great work ethic. Above that, he’s a very solid
character person. Those are the things we like."
When asked at the Combine who else might be worth the No. 1 pick, Casserly named North
Carolina DE Julius Peppers and Oklahoma S Roy Williams. Still, Harrington isn’t
conceding anything, though the rest of the NFL is assuming Carr will be the first name
taken off the board.
"I’m not assuming anything," Harrington jabbed when asked if he assumed
Carr was a lock to be the No. 1 pick. "I’m going to go out there and give it my
best and see what people think. I’m not getting my hopes set on anywhere, because I
have no choice in the matter. I go in with no biases, no preconceived notions. If I get my
hopes set on something, Draft Day, somebody could trade, I could get traded."
The judges — in this case, NFL personnel, scouts and coaches — have been
watching this competition closely since the middle of the 2001 college football season.
Carr led Fresno State from behind at Wisconsin to pull ahead; Harrington put six
touchdowns on the board against Arizona (he had six scores in 2000 vs. Arizona State as
well). Carr toasted Michigan State in the Silicon Valley Bowl; Harrington smoked Colorado
in the Fiesta Bowl.
"He’s extremely intelligent," Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said about
Harrington. "He’s a very accurate passer and has a great feel of the pocket. He
sees the field very well and understands both offense and defense. That allows him to have
an understanding and quick recognition of what defensive schemes are, and then he has the
ability to come up with the big play when needed.
"He’s elevated his ball carrying to improve his release. Then, he’s a
great leader; he’s charismatic and has the energy to encourage his teammates."
The stalemate turned distinctly in Carr’s favor when Harrington went down with a
knee injury at the East-West Shrine Game in San Francisco Jan. 12. Carr made a victory lap
at the Senior Bowl and has been the apple of the Texans’ eye ever since.
"Everything up to now is conjecture," Casserly said. "I don’t know
if you can say that somebody has slipped unless you have access to one of the 32
teams’ draft rooms. You have to know where they were at the start."
Harrington, 21, who will again display his strong arm and mobility for NFL clubs in
Eugene, Ore., March 14, is no longer keeping track of the race. To the finely tuned jazz
pianist, it isn’t the words that matter, but hitting the right keys. Even Carr
acknowledges being the top pick doesn’t end the comparisons, or the competition,
between the two players that is sure to be paralleled throughout their careers.
"I just met David for the first time in New Orleans," said Harrington, a
6-foot-4, 212-pounder. "We haven’t talked about the situation much because there
has been a lot going on. He’s a friendly guy."
Harrington’s numbers — 27 touchdowns, six interceptions, 2,764 passing yards
and 10 wins his senior season — rival the gaudy statistics (46 touchdowns, nine
interceptions, 4,830 passing yards, 64.5 percent completions) posted by Carr. The on-field
comparison stops there. Harrington is "agile, accurate and a savvy leader,"
according to one NFL scout. Carr is known for his powerful arm. How their games translate
on the next level remains to be seen.
"I play because I love the game," Harrington said. "I enjoy being out in
front of a crowd. It’s not about making money. I happen to be able to play a game for
a profession. I’d like to think I’ll bring that same enthusiasm that I played
with in college to the professional level."
Harrington said he has spoken with 20 or more teams in an interview setting since the
end of January. While he was in Indianapolis for the Scouting Combine, Harrington sat down
with as many as 20 teams, including the Washington Redskins and head coach Steve Spurrier,
who hold the 18th pick in the draft and have a vacancy at quarterback.
"They throw the ball," Harrington said with a smile. "I’ve watched
Florida play for years now. I don’t want to say I’ve been envious of those
quarterbacks, but it always seemed like a fun offense to play in."
Bellotti, who listened to Harrington play the piano on his initial recruiting visit,
said Harrington has the best pocket presence of any quarterback he has ever coached.
Though his former tutor said he doesn’t have the strongest arm, Bellotti is confident
Harrington can play, and play well, at the next level. An offense like Washington’s
might be the perfect fit.
"I think he would fit in (Washington) very well," said Bellotti, who also
coached Harrington at the East-West Shrine Game. "Steve Spurrier has done a great job
of basically creating space, creating throwing lanes up the field with his offense. It
hasn’t always been a guy with a rocket arm. It’s been a guy with intelligence,
vision, the ability to recognize defenses and the ability to throw on time to a particular
spot with repetitive accuracy. That is Joey."
For Harrington to be in the nation’s capital would likely mean the Redskins will
have traded up to get him. The likelihood of him lasting until the 18th pick
seems slim. Harrington is more likely to go in the top 10, where former Oregon QB Akili
Smith, thus far a bust in Cincinnati, was selected in 1999.
"Akili was by far the best athlete I’ve ever coached," said Bellotti,
adding that he was surprised Smith hasn’t had success in the NFL. "Joey has that
same field generalship. He has the intangibles, that pocket sense and knowledge. He
combines that with very good physical skills. He isn’t as fast as Akili, can’t
throw as far as Akili, but overall, he puts the whole package together."
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