Cody Catalina Signs to Syracuse

By Mike Scandura, NFLHS.com

Cody Catalina, one half of the one-two punch from Greenburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic High School that's signed to play football for Syracuse University, makes one point perfectly clear.

The last thing he'll do is back off from a challenge.

Catalina, a 6-4, 215-pounder, certainly faces a challenge for playing time next season because sophomore-to-be Andrew Robinson is the projected starter at quarterback with the graduation of Perry Patterson. SU also recruited another quarterback, David Legree (Brooklyn, N.Y.).

"There might have been a little bit of apprehension but it's always best to have competition," said Catalina, who'll suit up with his close friend and fellow Crusader Max Suter, a running back/linebacker who'll be converted to safety. "If you're there by yourself or don't have competition, you tend to slack off, and that doesn't help anything.

"Competition definitely is a factor with everything I do, whether it's with school work or lifting in the offseason with friends. It always helps to have someone there to push you so you don't slack off."

Catalina doesn't "slack off" in the weight room, where he benches 370 pounds, or the field.

He set Greenburgh career records for pass completions (193) and passing yards (2,984). That's noteworthy considering his coach, Muzzy Colosimo, describes his passing game as something out of the three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust playbook.

"I'm a running back coach," admitted Colosimo. "Cody would have been better off for passing stats if he went elsewhere, but here he was a winner."

During his three-year career at quarterback, the Crusaders were a combined 33-4 and consistently were ranked at, or near, the top in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette WPIAL and PIAA Class AA rankings.

As a senior he completed 61-of-103 passes for 893 yards and seven touchdowns and ran 60 times for 253 yards and 10 scores.

"He's a physical runner," said Colosimo. "We run a power I, with quarterback draws and waggle keeps ... a bunch of running plays because he punished people when they tackled him.

"When people played us, they had to respect his running ability and had to plan on how to stop him because he was a force."

Catalina felt he always was in condition to give more than receive.

"I definitely was in good shape throughout the year," he said. "A lot of times I would drop back to pass and protection would break down and I had to run. Throughout the year I kept in good condition and worked out."

Colosimo has every confidence that Catalina will "work out" as a passer in coach Greg Robinson's West Coast offense.

"He has a very quick release and his arm is very strong," said Colosimo. "He has quick feet and because of his height he has great depth. Over his career, I doubt if he ever had a pass knocked down at the line of scrimmage.

"He's also one of the best leaders we've ever had. One reason why we've been so good is he's been able to control everybody's personalities in the huddle. He had a knack for coming to the sideline and saying 'This would work.' I would tell him 'Call it.' He has good knowledge of offenses and defenses (Catalina also played cornerback)."

Coaches from 15 schools had "good knowledge" about what Catalina could do for their programs. After narrowing his list to Syracuse and Vanderbilt, Catalina opted for the Orangemen.

"I gave up playing basketball and baseball (after his junior year) so I could concentrate on football and weight lifting," said Catalina. "And like I said, I'll compete with anybody. (Competing with Andrew Robinson) is a challenge but I won't hold anything back."

The proverbial team of wild horses couldn't hold back Suter, a 5-10, 185-pounder who benches 400 pounds. In fact, even his mom (Carol) couldn't hold him back.

Literally.

"After we finished our three-a-days around 3:30, Max would put his mother on a sled and run sprints," related Colosimo. "He's the kind of kid whose worth ethic in the weight room is unbelievable."

"My dad got me a harness and I'd run 40-yard sprints with my mom on the sled," said Suter. "It helped me with my speed and strength. My parents are great. They do whatever I need."

Colosimo would have needed a bank of computers to compile Suter's stats if he played anywhere close to the full 48 minutes in a high school game.

Because the Crusaders led by so much so often at halftime, Suter invariably spent the second half on the bench as Colosimo emptied his bench.

"Not only did he play only a half, but last year he rotated every other down with a tailback and the year before we had three tailbacks and he only got the ball every third down," explained Colosimo.

Suter still finished his career eighth on the WPIAL all-time rushing list with 5,177 yards. And last season he found the end zone 36 times, including 28 rushing touchdowns and the rest on punt and kickoff returns and plays at linebacker.

"Over the years he played here not too many plays were run to his side for positive yards," said Colosimo. "If you tried to run away from him he had the speed to track you down."

That's one reason why Syracuse is converting him to safety.

"They didn't have the speed in the (defensive) backfield at safety that I have ... the speed to track down people," said Suter.

As the saying goes, it isn't bragging if you can back it up.

At the Elite Combine in New Jersey during May 2006, Suter clocked 4.39 in the 40.

"That's when everybody first saw him," said Colosimo. "He had 13 offers out of the combine."

But Suter didn't take forever and a day to opt for SU, since he committed before the end of his junior year.

"I was sold on Syracuse as soon as I talked to coach (Scott) Spencer," Suter said of the coach who recruited not only himself but also Catalina. "The coaches were great people and they wanted me in early so I could help the team. By committing early, I didn't have any worries except to play football."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.