SoCon Report

Solving the Riddle: Elon’s Young QB Turning Heads
By David Droschak (Posted 9-17-08)

For every Tony Romo, who played at I-AA Eastern Illinois, there’s 100 Dan Marinos or John Elways, quarterbacks with superior size and arm strength who have climbed the ladder of success at major universities, then went on to impress NFL scouts en route to first-round draft picks.

Could Elon quarterback Scott Riddle be the next Tony Romo?

Sure, there are major obstacles, some Riddle has already faced. He’s listed at 6-foot-1, but when measured he’s closer to 72 inches -- and his competition level will be questioned as he continues to throw up ridiculous numbers in the passing game.

Riddle was a Shrine Bowl selection out of Eastern Randolph High School in central North Carolina, but was passed over by all BCS schools despite faring well in numerous camps. Too small, they said two years ago.

“There are plenty of players in the Southern Conference that would fall into Scott’s category,” explained Elon coach Pete Lembo. “Recruiting is so subjective. We often joke when we sign our class every year that we should put a list together from the top guy to the bottom, seal it in an envelope and open it up four years later and see where they’re at then. We’re dealing with human beings and all those intangibles come into play. I’ve had some great players play for me who were 5-foot-4.”

Riddle will have plenty of opportunities to impress in his next three seasons at pass-happy Elon, a school of 5,456 students located off Interstate 40 between Chapel Hill and Winston-Salem.

In just 14 career games, the sophomore has already completed 418-of-622 passes for 4,657 yards and 38 TDs. Riddle has passed for at least 200 yards in every one of his college starts (nine 300-yard games) and at current pace he should shatter every Southern Conference passing record worth mentioning – or ones he doesn’t already own.

Riddle’s 346 completions as a true freshman broke the league’s single-season mark by 49, and he passed for a conference-record 534 yards last season in a 52-49 loss at Furman.

The Southern Conference hasn’t exactly been a breeding ground for NFL quarterbacks the last half century. Only David Whitehurst (Furman, 1977) and Ingle Martin (Furman, 2006) were selected as QBs out of the league since 1960.

So, the odds are once again stacked against Riddle.

Lembo’s interest in Riddle was twofold when he began recruiting him in the winter of 2006. Lembo had just arrived at Elon and was looking for a QB to lead his club. He also wanted character players, and knew Riddle’s father had starred at Elon.

“Right after we wrapped up that first class and we evaluated Scott in his junior film we felt like he was the right fit for our offense, and we really felt like at 6-feet he would get overlooked by some of the bigger schools. We kind of promised ourselves as a staff that we would do everything we possibly could, that if he was going to end up at the I-AA level that it would be here at Elon. We did everything we possibly could legally to recruit him.”

Elon offered Riddle early, but he still pursued his major college dream at BCS school summer camps, only to be passed over time and time again.

Now, Lembo appears to have a gem on his hands, a competitive QB who wants to prove the recruiting critics wrong.

“He’s just one of those guys who loves the game, loves everything about it,” Lembo said. “He loves to practice. He’s got a little gym rat in him. He does well in school because he knows he has to, but if you told him he could work on football 24-7 he would do it. He’s a perfectionist at heart. He’s a good guy to be around and he’s a fun guy to coach every day.”

Riddle is coming off a 386-yard passing day against Presbyterian heading to Georgia Southern this weekend, the first league game for Elon in what is shaping up to be another record-setting season for the 2007 National Freshman of the Year.

“No. 1, he’s got a great stroke – beautiful mechanics and delivery,” said Citadel coach Kevin Higgins. “You can also tell he has great leadership skills. The way he handles himself on the field is truly incredible, especially to think that last year that kid was a true freshman. Pete and his staff have done a great job of putting him into a system and situations where he can be successful. He’s going to make everyone around him that much better. He is a very accurate passer, he throws on time and he makes good decisions.”

A good decision this football season might be to take an October trip to Elon, N.C., to see if the opposition can solve the Riddle. The Phoenix host Furman on Oct. 4 and Wofford on Oct. 25.