COMMENTARY: Louisville's Brohm should quit while he's ahead
By Trevor Joelson, The Louisville Cardinal
September 21, 2007

(CSTV U-WIRE) LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- After the loss to Kentucky, it isn't time for the Louisville Cardinals to throw in the towel, but it is time for Brian Brohm to.

The senior quarterback came back to U of L after contemplating an early jump to the NFL.

"I had two dreams growing up - to play quarterback at U of L and lead the team to new heights and to play in the NFL," Brohm said at a press conference in January of last year to announce his return to school. "I went back and forth with my decision a little and I made my final decision Saturday night. I just felt we would have a chance to play for a national championship next year with Coach Kragthorpe."

While the Cardinals as a team are living the nightmare of having their national championship hopes crushed by their most bitter rival, Brohm still has a chance to live the dream of one day playing in the NFL.

The only thing standing between him, a handshake with Roger Goodell, and a disgusting amount of money is a major injury. The most obvious way to sustain a major injury is by continuing to play football. Brohm is injury prone, suffering a thumb injury against Miami last year and a season ending knee injury against Syracuse his sophomore year.

If Brohm were to call it quits now and pass along the torch to junior Hunter Cantwell, he could assure that he is a first round draft pick in May's draft, while remaining one of the greatest quarterbacks in U of L history who will someday have his #12 in the ring of honor at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

With the national championship out of the picture, the Cards can allow Cantwell, who was ranked the best back up in the nation by Rivals, to get fully acclimated to the offense. They will still be good enough to have a chance to win out and they will be more primed to make a championship run next year.

The Cardinals still have a lot to play for. They still have the opportunity to match what they accomplished last year when they had their best season in school history, winning the Big East championship and making it to Miami for the Orange Bowl.

Brohm already has a Big East championship, an Orange Bowl MVP, Big East passing records and school records under his belt. He has so little to gain and so much to lose by playing the rest of the year. It is like retaking a test you already got an A on.

While Brohm has little to prove, the rest of the team has so much. They must show they can comeback from a devastating loss, players like Harry Douglas and Malik Jackson have to prove they are worthy of an NFL team's high draft pick this upcoming draft and Coach Kragthorpe has to prove that he was the right choice for the job.

Brohm needs to go to class, get his degree, sign with an agent, hit the weight room and start interviewing with NFL teams immediately. The kid who was born to be a Cardinal has done so much for the University of Louisville that U of L needs to let him do what his best for him... follow his dream.

This article appeared on Yahoo Sports via CSTV and the Louisville Cardinal on Friday, September 21, 2007.

That has to be the dumbest article ever. Brohm would be branded a quitter and would PLUMMET in the draft and it would cost him millions of dollars.

exactly. What an idiotic idea. Giving up on your teammates like that? Please. It would seriously damage his career and be a black mark against him. Such a move would be unprecedented.

How does the editor let that out in print.

Its a student newspaper and it is called freedom of the press! Louisville has never censored the student newspaper!

Not so much meaning they shouldn't let them print what they want, but more of a courtesy call. Along the lines of "you sure you want to turn this in" or "this is the best you can come up with"

Ok, I agree with that but remember these student writers are geeks that never played sports.

i will agree with you on that one

CatsClaw Wrote:That has to be the dumbest article ever. Brohm would be branded a quitter and would PLUMMET in the draft and it would cost him millions of dollars.

AMEN!! Student newspaper or not, this article is an absolute mockery of sportsmanship in every aspect.

555 yards passing. I think not. Brohm will be fine. I just wished that UL would have better season this year because he came back for his senior year. Brohm is a class act, and he deserves better than this stupid article.