Thursday, November 20, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Van Pelt showing his grit

Colorado State star displays toughness at quarterback position

By MARK ANDERSON
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Rams quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt has passed for 2,548 yards and 18 TDs this season. AP Photo

There is plenty of Brad Van Pelt in Bradlee Van Pelt.

Brad, the father of Colorado State quarterback Bradlee, was a longtime standout linebacker at Michigan State and for the New York Giants.

So there is little surprise the son plays quarterback with the same aggressive mind-set.

"He's a player a lot of our players have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for," Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick said. "If a quarterback's a tough guy and takes a hit and shakes it off and doesn't complain, that feeds the other guys. You see a lot of quarterbacks take a hit, and they're not back in for a while."

Van Pelt brings that toughness to Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday, when the Rams play UNLV at 4 p.m.

Van Pelt (6 feet 2 inches, 225 pounds) is a three-year starter who transferred from Michigan State because coaches there wanted him to play linebacker or safety. He has worked hard to develop from an athletic player who was an average passer to someone who beats opponents with his arm as well as his feet.

"What he was lacking on passing, I think he made that up," UNLV free safety Joe Miklos said. "Last year, I guess you would say we would rather have him throw the ball. But this year, it's tough to say what you would want to pick (as) the lesser of two evils."

Van Pelt, a senior, leads the Mountain West Conference with 302.4 yards of total offense a game, which ranks 10th nationally.

He has completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,548 yards and 18 touchdowns with eight interceptions. Last season, Van Pelt completed 52.3 percent for 2,073 yards and 10 TDs with seven interceptions.

The improvement of his passing game has complemented his running game. Van Pelt leads the Rams (6-5, 3-3 MWC) with 70.7 yards rushing a game, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and has scored eight touchdowns. He averaged 58.5 yards a game last season, with a 5.5-yard average per carry and 11 TDs.

This season, however, has not been without its share of low moments. Van Pelt committed costly fumbles in losses to Wyoming and New Mexico. Those mistakes also might have cost him conference Offensive Player of the Year because there are so many quality candidates.

"If I don't win it, I won't let it bother me," Van Pelt said. "I'm about the team, and I'll worry about individual stuff down the road."

He has made a strong case for the award that goes beyond mere numbers.

Van Pelt made some key plays to nearly rally the Rams to victories over Colorado and New Mexico. Against the Lobos, he brought the Rams back from a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter of New Mexico's 37-34 victory.

He also directed the winning drive in a 23-21 victory over California.

"Bradlee Van Pelt is one of the best quarterbacks I've seen," Rebels coach John Robinson said. "He's like Roger Staubach and Paul Hornung in how those guys played the game, and (Donovan) McNabb in recent times. He's got those wonderful qualities. To me, he's a Heisman Trophy candidate. He's that kind of player."

Van Pelt's teammates probably would testify to the quarterback's toughness.

In Saturday's 21-6 victory over San Diego State, Van Pelt was hit by linebacker Kirk Morrison in the ribs, which already were bruised. Though Van Pelt told coaches to remove him if they thought he was a liability, he played through the pain and said he is fine for this weekend.

"The way I look at it, my teammates' toughness has rubbed off on me," he said. "A lot of players on the team get hurt year after year, and they're back in there. How could I not go back on the field? It's my duty, my obligation to my team."