Grothe Expects Senior Day to be a ‘Little Depressing’

Posted Nov 25, 2009 by Scott Carter

Updated Nov 25, 2009 at 03:21 PM

USF senior QB Matt Grothe has been a key part of the Bulls’ progress over the past four years, setting nearly all the school’s passing records.

On Saturday against Miami on Senior Day, Grothe won’t take a snap. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third game and has passed the torch to freshman B.J. Daniels.

Grothe will take part in Senior Day festivities, but obviously not the way he imagined.

“I guess it will be a little depressing, my last time out there,’’ he said Tuesday. “It will be the last time I’ll be on the field for a game.’‘

Grothe continues to rehab from major knee surgery and recently started jogging in a pool. He hopes to be able to start jogging outside in a couple of weeks, and running in six weeks.

Meanwhile, he remains around the team helping mentor Daniels and watching games from the press box, which has provided a unique view of the game he has played for years.

“I tell you what, it’s a lot different being up there in the press box,’’ he said. “It makes you rethink being a coach one day. It’s nerve-wracking up there, mostly because you can see everything. You really have a better respect for the game when you’re up there. It just sucks. I understand why I get chewed out sometimes on the headset after a play, because you can see everything up there.’‘

As for his pupil, Grothe expects Daniels to challenge some of his school records if the young QB continues to evolve the way he has in his first seven starts.

“I think he is doing a good job,’’ Grothe said. “He is slowly progressing; he’s learning from his mistakes and he’s done a good job of taking care of the ball, and he’s winning games. He is doing as well as you can ask for from a freshman. He is going to be really good in the future. I have a good feeling about that.”

When he walks onto the field at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday, the atmosphere is expected to be similar to his most memorable moment at USF. Grothe says the 2007 victory over West Virginia before the first sellout crowd in school history is his favorite memory.

“That was awesome, walking out and seeing the stadium just greened-out and completely full. That was something special,’’ he said.

What’s next for Grothe? He expects to participate in USF’s Pro Day in March and after that, begin preparations to resume his playing career at some level.

“It’s actually exciting,’’ he said. “I’m going to play, somewhere. I don’t care where, and I don’t care when. I’m going to play somewhere.’’