Joe Ganz isn't the tallest quarterback in the nation, nor does he have the strongest arm.
Standing at barely 6-feet tall, Ganz doesn't fit the bill of the prototypical NFL quarterback. He won't be drafted in the first round of next month's NFL Draft and it's uncertain whether he will be drafted at all.
Ganz was excluded from last month's NFL Combine. He was passed up in favor of quarterbacks like Clemson's Cullen Harper, whom Ganz outperformed in the Gator Bowl, and Texas A&M's Stephen McGee, who only played in six games in 2008.
The slight, which Ganz has admitted he wasn't happy about, made his performance at Wednesday's NU Pro Day all the more crucial.
"I threw the ball really well, and I'm really happy with how everything went," Ganz said following the workout. "On those first few throws I was pretty nervous, I think I tried to throw them through (Nate) Swift's and Todd's (Peterson) faces. After that I settled in and it was business as usual."
Scouts and representatives from 18 NFL teams brought their clipboards and stopwatches to town for the Pro Day at Hawks Championship Center. With a little more than six weeks to go until the NFL Draft, the event serves as an opportunity for players to show off their skills in hopes of improving their stock.
Ganz said he's received attention from at least five NFL teams, and beamed when mentioning that the Chicago Bears, his favorite team, wanted to do a sit-down with him later in the day.
The NU signal caller had nothing but good things to say about his likely predecessor, junior Zac Lee. Ganz said the two are friends and that Lee, who attended the Pro Day in support of Ganz, is deserving of the opportunity for the starting job.
"We're very similar, and I think he has a little stronger arm," Ganz said. "He's kind of got that ‘it' you talk about with quarterbacks. He's a confident kid, and I think he's going to be a good leader."
Ganz was candid when the topic of former backup quarterback Patrick Witt's decision to transfer arose. He said he was baffled by the decision and didn't believe it when he had first heard it.
"I didn't really understand it. I don't understand why a guy would want to leave," Ganz said. "All you can ask is a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job at the University of Nebraska. I don't understand why you would leave when he had such a good opportunity. But that's up to him and his family. It's tough to see a kid kind of waste all that time he put in here."
Ganz went on, indirectly addressing reports that Witt left after coach Bo Pelini refused to promise him the starting spot coming into spring practices.
"You know, stuff's not going to be given to you here. This is the University of Nebraska. Things are not going to be handed to people. People are not going to be playing favorites and you're going to have to compete for everything you get. You're going to have to compete, compete your butt off and win that job. Coach Pelini and Coach (Shawn) Watson are never going to hand anybody anything. I don't know if he didn't like that, I have no idea."
When asked if he would have ever gone to Pelini and demanded a starting job, Ganz chuckled.
"No, he would rip my head off. First off, I would never go to Coach Pelini's office and demand anything. … I would never think about doing that to Coach. No way. I have too much respect for the guy, too much respect for his opinion and how he goes about his business and what he does and how he gets this team ready."
Though he's primarily focused on his pursuit of a pro career, Ganz admitted that getting a chance to return to NU to coach someday would be "a dream" and that he still hopes to pursue a coaching career whenever his playing days are over.
Sixteen other Husker seniors performed for scouts at the Pro Day, including the six Huskers who attended the Combine.
Following his stunning performance at the Combine, offensive lineman Lydon Murtha did position-related drills for scouts, acknowledging that he had no reason to try and improve his times.
Murtha led all linemen in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.89 seconds and also put in the best three-cone drill time at the Combine, earning the attention of several draft analysts and scouts.
"I know my stock has gone up, I'm not sure how much," Murtha said. "I don't really read into it too much, I'm just staying focused and hopefully I can get drafted by a team and get to compete to start."
Running back Marlon Lucky expressed disappointment with his day after he pulled a hamstring during his second attempt at the 40-yard dash. He said his times in the 40 came in at between 4.2 and 4.5 seconds.
"I was feeling really good today and I was ready to do everything, but you can't control an injury," Lucky said.
Defensive end Zach Potter did every test except the bench press and vertical jump, and feels confident his size and versatility will give him a chance of being drafted next month.
"I'm hoping to be the number one pick in the draft," he said with a smile. "But I don't know if that's going to work out."
maxolson@dailynebraskan.com
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