Guys, I figured I would post a little gem I wrote two years ago but decided not to have published. I'm not exactly sure why I never posted this piece but I figured now is just as good a time as any since the Saints are now in need of a back up Quarterback. Kurt Rocco is now playing for the New Orleans Voodoo, so finding the kid shouldn't prove too hard. And the rest of the story goes a little something like this.

Recently while looking over the top receivers in the upcoming draft, I found myself pouring over the highlights of a little college in Ohio. The college was Mount Union and the player was Cecil Shorts. As I was viewing the footage I noticed that Shorts had a way of getting open and making himself an available target down field. He didn't seem to have extraordinary speed but it was good speed. He also displayed the ability to break a few tackles and turn a short run into a long run. Overall, I was very pleased with what I saw from him and considering CBS sports has him listed as a 4th-5th round pick, I think he will be a great steal in this years draft.

Also, after about 30 seconds of film I couldn't help but be drawn away from Shorts and onto the quarterback, Kurt Rocco. I know right, I never heard of the guy either. Kurt is listed at 6'5" 218 pounds, so the size is definitely there. His throws were not always on the money but were put in a place where only his receiver could catch it. He and Shorts seemed to have a very good chemistry together. Cecil never gave up on throws that seemed to be overthrown or off target, (something even NFL receivers seem to do occasionally).

It was like Kurt knew what Cecil was capable of and Cecil knew what Kurt was thinking. One of the things that this can be contributed to is the fact that Shorts has been known to play quarterback himself from time to time. This really helps a receiver to understand what a quarterback is seeing and how to adjust on the play to make yourself available for the pass.

It's very hard to say just who was more valuable to the team but you can be assured that both parties played a big role in helping the Purple Raiders to an undefeated season. Coincidentally their only loss of the Season came in the Division Three Championship game against Wisconsin Whitewater in which Kurt Rocco did not play due to injury. Matthew Piloto finished the game 20 of 43 for 267 yards with two touchdowns and four picks while filling in for Rocco. So, a better performance from the quarterback position probably could have helped win the game. Just in case your wondering the final in the game was 31-21, Whitewater.

Please forgive me if by the time this is posted, we have already signed a quarterback for the back up position, but hopefully it provided a neat little peak into the past. I thought it was a pretty cool find.