Brown on sideline for spring practice
BC NOTEBOOK
Boston College’s quarterback of the future is not part of the team’s immediate plans.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Anthony Brown will be on the sideline when BC opens its spring football practices on Tuesday morning under the bubble at Alumni Stadium.
The Eagles coaching staff will conduct 14 practices and conclude with the Jay McGillis Memorial Spring Game on April 14 at Alumni Stadium.
Brown is recovering from right knee surgery and won’t see the practice field until training camp begins in the first week of August. He is a prototypical ACC dual-threat quarterback. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second quarter of a 17-14 loss to North Carolina State on Nov. 11 at Alumni Stadium.
“Anthony had surgery and is doing great and looking great,” BC coach Steve Addazio said yesterday at Conte Forum.
“He is right on schedule and probably ahead of schedule. He will be fine and ready to roll obviously when we head into the summer. He will still be rehabbing through the spring but each week he’s able to do more and more things. He’s doing fantastic.”
Brown was the second BC freshman quarterback to start a season opener in school history. He started 10 games and completed 134-of-258 passes for 1,367 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
He had a breakout game in the Eagles’ 41-10 victory at Virginia on Oct.21. Brown completed 19-of-24 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns and was named the ACC Rookie of the Week.
Young guns
Brown’s absence from the practice field creates competitive opportunities for the other quarterbacks on the squad, primarily E.J. Perry of Andover and John Fadule of Wellesley. Redshirt freshman Matt McDonald and Dennis Grosel will also share in the practice reps.
Perry spent his redshirt year in the second half of the penultimate game of the season, a 39-16 victory over UConn at Fenway Park on Nov. 18. He has the inside track to be the starter if Brown is unavailable for the season opener.
“We are very excited about E.J., he has a bright future,” said Addazio. “I think he’s going to be an extremely exciting player to watch throughout spring ball.
“He can throw it, he can run it and he’s an unbelievable competitor. I think E.J. is ready to take this opportunity here.”
Wade departs
Graduate student Darius Wade assumed control of the BC offense when Brown went down and closed out the season with wins over UConn and Syracuse.
The UConn win made BC bowl eligible and beating Syracuse in the Carrier Dome secured an invitation to play Iowa in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27 at Yankee Stadium. Wade completed 16-of-27 passes for 208 yards with a touchdown and two picks in BC’s 27-20 loss to the Hawkeyes.
Wade probably would have been the starter if Brown was unavailable to open the season, but transferred to Delaware. Wade has one year of eligibility.
Staff changes
Addazio made two additions to the coaching staff for spring practice. Bill Sheridan was hired to coach the linebackers while Antonio Smith will work with the defensive tackles. Both units have experienced players back for the 2018 season.