Pitchers and catchers report to camp tomorrow.
If that doesn’t snare your attention, maybe Temple’s spring football practices will.
Why?
The annual Cherry & White game might be the last time you see quarterback Mike McGann starting, as the quarterback competition between McGann and junior college transfer Walter Washington will be well worth seeing.
While Temple will be losing one All-American in Dan Klecko, they will be welcoming another in Washington.
He was a first team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American at Dodge City Community College in Kansas and was the runner up in last season’s Player of the Year award.
McGann will undoubtedly have his work cut out for him this spring, even though Washington won’t be in town until May.
McGann will somehow have to try to show the coaching staff he’s still deserving of the starting position, even though Owls coach Bobby Wallace has said that McGann is still his starter and that Washington will have to win the job.
The thing is, Washington could – and probably will – do just that. McGann can’t hide the 22 interceptions he threw this past season.
His overall numbers -173-353 for 1,994 yards and 13 touchdowns – aren’t that bad and actually stack up to or better Washington’s.
But it’s Washington’s athleticism and build – 6-foot-2, 240 pounds – that could give him the upper hand before he even steps foot on campus.
If that’s the case, McGann might know how Devin Scott felt when he was unseated as a senior two seasons ago by McGann, who was then a promising freshmen out of nearby St. Joe’s Prep.
McGann had a cannon of an arm that just might have been too loose.
Maybe Washington will step in and enrich the offense the way he could have for Nebraska or Iowa State, two of several upper-echelon programs that recruited him.
But he preferred going to a school in a major city and preferred offensive coordinator David Brock’s spread offense, which should suit Washington and his arm well.
He has the strength and the accuracy to heave the long ball, and his 708 rushing yards and seven scores last season prove he can move outside of the pocket.
He seems eager for the marquee opponents that the Owls will face in their final two years in the Big East.
And, by all indications, Washington seems to be a very charismatic kid who would not shy away from the spotlight or the attention that comes with his position.
That kind of swagger could be a welcome shot in the arm on North Broad Street.
It just might come at McGann’s expense.
Chris Silva can be reached at cbsrican@aol.com
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