Joe Cool will continue career in Baltimore

Joe Flacco, the University’s hard-throwing, cool-in-the-pocket quarterback, has made history by becoming the first Fightin’ Blue Hens player ever to be selected in the first round of the National Football League draft.
And Delaware fans will not have to travel far to watch him play because Flacco was drafted No. 18 overall by the Baltimore Ravens, whose M&T Bank Stadium is about an hour from Tubby Raymond Field at Delaware Stadium.
By contrast, Rich Gannon, whose All-Pro career with the Oakland Raiders has made him the silver standard for Blue Hen quarterbacks in the NFL, was selected in the fourth round of the 1987 draft by the New England Patriots.
Flacco was the second quarterback taken in the 2008 draft, behind only Matt Ryan of Boston College, who was selected by the Atlanta Falcons.

The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Flacco played two seasons at UD after transferring from the University of Pittsburgh. He had a stellar career for the Blue Hens, leading the 2007 team to a record of 11-4 and a berth in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision championship game.

Flacco, an honor student as an accounting major, set 20 school records during his career. He shared Colonial Athletic Association offensive player of the year honors and was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference player of the year. He completed 331 of 521 passes for 4,263 yards and 23 touchdowns with just five interceptions during the 2007 season

Virtually unknown to NFL teams a year ago, Flacco won praise for his unusually strong right arm and his ability to remain calm, cool and collected as he scanned the field for open receivers.

After the season, Flacco was invited to participate in the Senior Bowl, becoming just the third Blue Hen to do so, and received strong reviews from NFL scouts on hand for the weeklong training session leading up to the game. He later received an invitation to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, where potential professional players audition for scouts and coaches, and did extremely well. Interest continued to build after a workout session held on campus.
In addition, it became obvious that Flacco is a down-to-Earth sort. He was quoted in the March 17 “They Said It” feature in Sports Illustrated where he was asked a hypothetical question about which actor would portray him in a movie about his life. “Who cares?” Flacco said. “The important part is who plays my love interest.”

On draft day, April 26, Flacco was at home in Audubon, N.J., surrounded by friends and family, many wearing “Let’s go, Joe!” T-shirts in Delaware blue and gold.

“I was nervous all day because I didn’t want to miss a phone call,” he says. “When I did get a call and it was a 410 area code, I was surprised because I knew the Ravens were still eight picks away. But it was [general manager] Ozzie Newsome, and he asked me if I wanted to be a Baltimore Raven. I couldn’t have been more excited. Baltimore is a great place, and the Ravens are close to becoming a really good team.”

Flacco says he was “just anxious to get down there and prove to them that I can be a great quarterback in the NFL. This is what I have wanted to do all my life, and I’m excited to get started. It’s going to be a lot of fun, but a lot of hard work is ahead. Playing is what it is all about and I can’t wait to get to it.”

UD Head Coach K.C. Keeler says he had a hunch during the days leading up to the draft that the Ravens would pick Flacco.

“Joe is built to have a long career, and I think he’ll be as ready as any quarterback in the draft to play right away,” Keeler says. “Everyone knows of Joe’s strong arm and physical ability, but he brings so much more to the table. He’s a competitor, he is unflappable, and his intelligence, mental toughness and calm demeanor are what people will see in Baltimore.”

The coach, himself a Blue Hen, says, “Delaware was the right fit for Joe, and he was the right fit for us. We’re proud of him and excited to see him continue to the next level.”

Flacco is not the only NFL rookie among former Blue Hens. Record-setting running back Omar Cuff signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans, offensive lineman Mike Byrne signed with the Miami Dolphins, and offensive lineman Rich Beverley signed with the Washington Redskins.