Paulus prepares to display skills for NFL scouts

SyracuseE, N.Y.

After playing point guard at Duke and quarterback at Syracuse, Greg Paulus is ready for a new frontier - the NFL.

"You dream of these things. To have this opportunity, I wanted to take advantage of it," said Paulus, 23, as he prepared for today's pro day before at least a dozen NFL teams at Syracuse. "In the back of my mind this was definitely something I wanted. Hopefully, we're going to get some positive feedback. I'll do the best I can."

Paulus ended his one-year career with the Orange with two school records - most completions and highest completion rate. He started all 12 games of a 4-8 season, completing 193 of 285 passes (67.7 percent) with 14 interceptions and 13 touchdowns for 2,024 yards.

Paulus' unique college athletics career entered a new stage just days after the Duke basketball season ended last spring. He worked out for the Green Bay Packers and had contact with more than 20 college programs before deciding Syracuse was the best fit.

Paulus was a record-setting quarterback at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse. As a senior running a spread offense, Paulus passed for 3,700 yards and 43 touchdowns in a 13-0 season. He finished his prep career with 11,763 yards and 152 touchdowns passing and was named 2004 Gatorade High School National Football Player of the Year.

Heavily recruited, Paulus opted for basketball and became an Academic All-American and two-year team captain at Duke.

Because he graduated from Duke in four years and didn't redshirt, Paulus was able to obtain a waiver from the NCAA, allowing him to play one season of football at a different school without sitting a year.

Football

?? The Panthers have placed the highest possible tenders on linebacker Thomas Davis and quarterback Matt Moore yesterday, meaning teams wanting to sign them will have to surrender first- and third-round draft picks to Carolina.

The Panthers used the second-round tender on starting cornerback Richard Marshall, tight end Jeff King and defensive tackle Louis Leonard on Tuesday.

Kickoff specialist Rhys Lloyd and safety Quinton Teal were among the restricted free agents not offered deals.

Davis' one-year tender is worth $3.268 million, while Moore will collect $3.043 million if they don't get long-term contracts.

Marshall will be due $1.759 million.

Reserve linebacker James Anderson received a third-round tender of $1.176 million.

Carolina also gave an original, seventh-rounder tender of $1.101 million to cornerback C.J. Wilson, and offered deals to exclusive rights free agents Nick Hayden, Kenny Moore, Charly Martin and Jordan Senn.

?? Quarterback Peyton Manning, a four-time NFL MVP, has had neck surgery to relieve pain caused by a pinched nerve, the Indianapolis Colts announced yesterday. The team said the injury caused Manning intermittent neck pain the past four years but never affected his training, practice or playing.

Manning has never missed a start in his 12-year NFL career. His streak of 210 consecutive starts, including the playoffs, is second all-time among quarterbacks to Brett Favre. The surgery is not expected to keep him out of offseason workouts.

?? The Denver Broncos have put first- and third-round tenders on Pro Bowl pass rusher Elvis Dumervil, who led the league in sacks last season. Other teams would have to surrender those two levels of picks in next month's draft if they signed Dumervil, a restricted free agent who stands to make $3.168 million next season with the Broncos.

Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, who began and ended last season in coach Josh McDaniels' dog house, received a first-round qualifying offer - which would make it easier to trade him.

?? A person familiar with the decision said the Washington Redskins have put a first-round tender on Jason Campbell, a restricted free-agent quarterback.

The tender is worth about $3.1 million.

The move means other teams would have to give up a first-round pick to sign Campbell.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan had said he would tender Campbell but hasn't committed to him as his starter.

Campbell has started 52 games in his five seasons with the Redskins. He has his best statistical season last year, but the team struggled and finished 4-12.

?? Campus police said a college coach in Texas is backing players who removed every campus newspaper because the paper contained an article about teammates getting arrested on drug charges.

The incident happened at Texas A&M-Commerce, a Division II school in Commerce. The coach is Guy Morriss, who also coached at Kentucky and Baylor.

No one has been arrested over the removal of 2,000 copies of The East Texan on Feb. 25. Police said the newspapers, which are distributed free, were worth about $1,000.

An incident report filed by university police said Morriss told officers he was proud of his players. He also said taking the newspapers was "the best team building exercise we have ever done."

Baseball

?? Justin Upton has signed a $51.25 million, six-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the second-largest deal in franchise history.

General Manager Josh Byrnes said Upton, a 22-year outfielder, "is the kind of guy you want to build around."

He gets a $1.25 million signing bonus, half on April 15 and the rest on July 15.

He receives salaries of $500,000 this year, $4.25 million in 2011, $6.75 million in 2012, $9.75 million in 2013, $14.25 million in 2014 and $14.5 million in 2015.

?? The Chicago Cubs have agreed to terms with Cuban defector Juan Yasser Serrano, a right-handed pitcher.

Serrano, 21, must pass a physical exam and complete all necessary paperwork before yesterday's deal becomes official. The Cubs hope the process will be finished well before the end of spring training.

Serrano, 6-1, who defected last year, would start the season at Class A Daytona after going through extended spring training in Arizona.

Miscellaneous

?? David Nalbandian is expected to play for Argentina against Sweden in this weekend's Davis Cup after a quicker than expected recovery from a leg injury. His manager, Bernardo Ballero, told reporters yesterday that Nalbandian had practiced earlier in the day without any problem.

He was forced to withdraw last month from the Copa Telemex tournament in Buenos Aires with a right-leg injury.

The tournament was Nalbandian's first since hip surgery just more than nine months ago.

?? USF1 will not be racing in Formula One this year and its place on the grid will not be given to another team.

The American team, one of four planned newcomers for 2010, had previously said it was planning to skip just the first four races of the season.

The decision dashes the hopes of Serbian team Stefan GP of taking USF1's place, having waited in the wings with the cars from the defunct Toyota team.

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