Greg Paulus is on his way home.
The one-time Christian Brothers Academy football superstar has officially ended his four-year gridiron exile, announcing that he will attend Syracuse University’s graduate school and play for the Orange in 2009. Paulus broke the news at a teleconference Thursday morning in Durham, N.C., where he has finished up classes and will be graduating from Duke University. In his four years as quarterback at CBA, Paulus broke state records for both passing yards (11,763) and touchdowns (152). As a senior in 2004, he led the Brothers to the state Class AA championship and was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. Yet Paulus also excelled on the basketball court for CBA, earning 2,399 career points in five varsity seasons. Heavily recruited for both sports, Paulus spurned football and decided to go to Duke to play basketball under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski. In his four seasons at Duke, Paulus started 100 of a possible 139 games and helped the Blue Devils reach the NCAA Tournament every time, but it did not advance beyond the round of 16. What’s more, Paulus, a starter in his first three years, came off the bench as a senior. Shortly after the Blue Devils lost to Villanova in the NCAA East Regionals, Paulus received a call to work out with the Green Bay Packers. The NFL proved too high, but an NCAA rule says that a student-athlete that has graduated can apply for one more year of eligibility if he attends graduate school at another institution. Intrigued, and wanting to return to football, Paulus drew interest from the likes of Michigan and Nebraska, but SU, with first-year head coach Doug Marrone, was also on the list. Ultimately, Paulus has chosen to come back to his hometown. If all goes well, he could battle redshirt freshman Ryan Nassib for the starting quarterback’s job this fall. What’s more, given the high profile Paulus had at Duke, his return is guaranteed to spark increased interest (and perhaps more ticket sales) in Marrone’s first season with the Orange.