NCAA: Epitome of a champion: Mauer verbally commits to FSU

There are a select few who stand head-and-shoulders above the rest, not only in academics or in sports, but life in general as well. One finds the accomplishments of these people mesmerizing, and their presence captivating.

When I first saw him, I thought, That’s Joe all right, Joe Montana. However, the 2000 Gatorade player of the year was not Montana, but rather, another #16, Joe Mauer.

Joe Mauer has recently made a verbal commitment to play at Florida State University. This exceptional athlete will now likely take the skills that he has shown in the Great Northland, to a much warmer, but equally football savvy location.

As I have documented in previous works, Joe Montana is a favorite of mine. His quarterbacking heroics and his leading some of what I consider the best teams ever deserve never-ending praise.

Although Mauer may not have the greatness, or the experience of Montana, few do. What Joe Mauer accomplished was merely to throw for 3,030 yards and 41 touchdowns in his senior year. Couple these numbers with a 12-2 record for his Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minnesota) Raiders, and you have the makings of a great player.

Mauer was, just that, simply amazing. This great player led his team to the state title game in both his junior and senior years. The Raiders were victorious in 1999, winning their first state championship ever, however, in the 2000 season; they received second place honors, after losing to the Eden Prairie Eagles. The Eagles, also nationally renowned, featured one of the country’s best defenses. A defense which allowed, according to Varsity Online, (www.varsityonline.com) a mere 9.15 points per game on average.

It was this suffocating defense that limited the Gatorade Player of the Year to a mere 160 passing yards. His 43.8% completion percentage in this contest (14-32) was also Mauer’s lowest of the season. Those numbers show the strength of Eden Prairie’s defense, but when compared what Mauer did offensively the rest of the season, they also show just how strong he really was.

Mauer had 5 games in which he passed for 300+ yards. He helped his team average an astounding 45.86 Points per game. (Varsity Online)

Praise is Mauer is wide-spread, and I feel, well-deserved, the following words were found on the Gatorade website:

"While Gatorade athletes are the best in their sports, being a winner also means having character, being a leader and caring as much about your test scores as your games scores. Joe Mauer is a shining example of the positive role that sports can play in a teenager's life." said Tom Fox, Gatorade’s VP of Sports Marketing.

As this quote suggests, Mauer is a star on and off the field, maintaining fear in the hearts of opposing defenses, as well as a 3.26 GPA. Mauer’s Player of the Year status puts him in great company. Past winners of this prestigious award include Peyton Manning, Tim Couch, and Minnesota Viking Robert Smith.

If he does indeed attend FSU, Mauer will follow in the footsteps of another great QB, Chris Weinke. Ironically, Weinke also attended St. Paul’s Cretin-Derham Hall. Minnesota football has been truly blessed to have such great talent in recent years, and Mauer is a perfect example of just how good prep athletes in this state can be.

There is a slim chance that despite his amazing ability on the gridiron, Mauer will head to another calling, baseball. Mauer is also highly coveted by college scouts for his ability on the diamond.

Well, it is the opinion of the author that Mauer’s doing so would essentially waste what is an astounding amount of talent on the football field. In my opinion, it is possible that in 50 years people will sit around and talk about those who were football’s finest; they will speak of Sayers and Payton and Unitas and Montana and Marino, but they may very well save a sentence for someone else, and that someone might be Joe Mauer.

Although, it seems to me that Mauer will succeed in whichever path he chooses for he has something better than athletic success going for him. Through all of his accomplishments, Joe Mauer is succeeding in the most important game of all, the game of life.

This article first appeared @ Varsity Online (www.varsityonline.com)