Bruce Eugene

Built more like a down lineman than a quarterback, Eugene is blessed with the arm strength needed to excel in the vertical, long ball passing attack that brought him considerable success as a senior for the Tigers. After missing most of the 2004 season due to a knee injury, Eugene went on to lead the NCAA Division 1-AA ranks in passing efficiency, total offense and points responsible for in 2005. Nicknamed the "Round Mound of Touchdown" by his teammates and coaching staff, he has earned considerable praise for his work ethic. "I think Bruce Eugene is one of the top quarterbacks in America," Grambling coach Melvin Spears said. "Not only is the fact that he puts up good numbers, but he has the cerebral aspect to go with his arm. The good Lord has blessed him. He is working on his graduate degree, and he is not only a good player, but he is the face of our conference." Eugene excelled in both football and basketball at Walter L. Cohen High School, earning All-Metro honors three times in each sport. He threw for 2,685 yards with 30 touchdowns to set the school single-season record as a senior, despite missing several late season games with a left ankle fracture. During his career, he amassed 5,643 yards with 56 touchdown passes. His best performance came vs. Carver High, completing 26-of-49 attempts for 375 yards and seven touchdown in that game as a 15-year-old. Eugene redshirted as a freshman in 2000 at Grambling State. He appeared in seven games in 2001, starting vs. Alabama State. Eugene finished his first collegiate season completing 51 of 101 passes for 693 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He then took over the starting quarterback chores as a sophomore, hitting on 269 of 543 passes (49.5 percent) for 4,455 yards, 43 touchdowns and 16 interceptions to earn consensus All-American honors. He also ranked second on the squad with 535 yards and nine scores on 137 carries (3.9 avg). Eugene again earned All-American honors in 2003. He was runner-up for Payton Award honors, given to the top Division 1-AA player, as he connected on 285 of 528 attempts (54.0 percent) for 3,805 yards, 34 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He ranked second on the squad in rushing with 412 yards and six scores on 94 carries (4.4 avg) and averaged 351.4 yards per game in total offense. Eugene was hoping to end his career on a high note in 2004, but a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee ended his year in the season opener vs. Alcorn state. He hit on 13 of 29 passes for 169 yards and an interception before getting hurt in the third quarter of that contest. Granted an additional year of eligibility in 2005, Eugene made the most of his second chance. He led the nation in total offense (380.4 ypg), passing efficiency (175.24) and points responsible for (29.83 ppg). He completed 256 of 456 passes (56.1 percent) for 4,408 yards, 56 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Eugene also gained 157 yards with three scores on 80 carries (2.0 avg), finishing with 4,565 yards in total offense. In 45 games at Grambling State, Eugene started 39 times. He shattered most of the school passing and total offense records in the process. Eugene connected on 874 of 1,657 passes (52.7 percent) for 13,530 yards, 140 touchdowns and 38 interceptions. His 140 scoring passes set an NCAA Division 1-AA career-record and his 13,530 yards rank second in Division 1-AA annals. Added 1,207 yards and 19 touchdowns on 341 carries (3.5 avg), 10 yards on a reception, and recorded three solo tackles with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. His 14,737 yards in total offense is the second-best career total in 1-AA history.

38 remaining proved to be the deciding factor in this game.

Savannah State...Completed 21 of 39 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns...Ran four times for 24 yards, but fumbled the ball on a 7-yard sack...At the 1

texas southern...bounced back with 47 yards on 10 carries and 332 yards on 25 of 41 throws with five touchdowns, including 8 & 33-yarders to moses harris in a 48-15 victory.

Alabama State...Was named to the I-AA.org's website national list of all-stars and chosen SWAC Player of the Week by completing 27 of 57 passes for 334 yards and two scores while rushing 16 times for 103 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown in 37-34 win...His 26-yard touchdown pass to Tim Abney with 3

loss vs. the top-ranked (division i-aa) team in the country...all three of his scoring strikes (16, 15, 15) were caught by receiver tramon douglas.

Prairie View A&M...Was named the SWAC Player of the Week for the third time in four games, as he hit on 20 of 30 passes for 346 yards, including five touchdowns in the

43 mark in the second quarter, his 8-yard pass to tim abney enabled him to surpass former head coach doug williams' school career passing record of 8,411 yards.

Southern University...The Tigers lost 44-41 in the Bayou Classic, but Eugene hit on 26 of 48 passes for 409 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions...Fumbled the ball on a sack, but gained 80 yards on 11 carries...Had season-long scoring strikes of 71 yards to

one thing that stands out is eugene's ability to fire into the throwing lanes. he has enough agility to avoid the rush, but while he can gain positive yardage in the short area, he won't win foot races going long distances. he has a good feel for the pass rush and the lateral agility to step up and slide out of the pocket.

In 2005, Eugene learned how to take something off his tosses, as he used to throw a ball that was hard to catch. He did a better job of anticipating when his receivers would get open, but still had times when he was late on his throws. He did make good improvement in locating his secondary targets, despite playing in a system that did not give him time to make multiple reads or recognize route progressions.

eugene has a very thick frame with marginal muscle tone, wide hips, large thighs and calves, big chest and a soft and large midsection. despite looking like a down lineman, he has decent quickness for a player of his size, showing some elusiveness rolling out of the pocket. he demonstrates adequate lateral movement, agility and balance needed to escape pressure.

Despite operating mostly out of shotgun formation, he works well within that system, as he has the short area quickness to elude and the bulk and power to run over defenders when he has to gain some yardage on the ground. He has the arm strength to attack the deep zone and most of his interceptions were the result of his desire to make the big play, but he can also play in control and just move the chains with dink-and-dunk tosses.

alabama a&m...followed with 27 of 55 tosses for 430 yards and three touchdowns, including a 48-yarder to moses harris...rushed eight times for 28 yards, with scores of 5 & 7 yards in a 45-14 triumph...fumbled once and was sacked twice for minus 18 yards, as eugene was again selected swac player of the week.

McNeese State...Set two school game-records in both passing attempts and completions by hitting on36 of 68 passes for 397 yards including three touchdowns in the team's 20-31

team's 65-7...both tim abney (18, 28) and chris day (22, 43) caught a pair of touchdowns from eugene.

Mississippi Valley...Completed 19 of 32 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns while rushing two times for 24 yards in GSU's 45-6 triumph...Hit Chris Day with a 17-yard scoring pass, adding touchdowns of 35 yards to Moses Harris and 47 yards Adrian Sezer.

arkansas-pine bluff...connected on 21 of 40 tosses for 297 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception, adding four carries for 19 yards and an 18-yard score in a 41-16 win...tramon douglas was the recipient of scoring strikes of 18 & 9 yards from eugene.

Jackson State...Turned the ball over twice on fumbles, was sacked once and threw two interceptions...Gained 189 yards on 18 of 35 tries and caught a pass for 10 yards...His only touchdown pass was caught by Tim Abney for 19 yards.

negatives

Has a soft, fleshy body with marginal muscle tone and has struggled to keep his weight in check (as high as 285 pounds in 2005 and was even higher earlier in his career)...Needs to time his passes better, as he fails to hit his receivers coming out of their breaks...Lacks touch, relying more on his arm strength to chuck the ball rather than vary his speed on his tosses (receivers adjust too much in their routes)...Showed good improvement in 2005, but has a history of locking on to his primary target and failing to go through progression to locate his secondary receivers...Effective scrambler, but his passes lose accuracy when he has to throw on the move...Looks hesitant and awkward with his feet, taking too much time to get to his pass set point on the rare occasions that he lined up under center...Plays mostly in the shotgun, lacking the footwork needed to play in a pro-set offense.

eugene also showed better patience as a senior, as he did not look to run at the first sign of pressure or when his primary target was not open (did that in the past). he is a decent scrambler, but needs to plant his feet before throwing, as his passes tended to sail some when throwing on the move.

Operating in a shotgun offense, he tends to force the ball into a crowd, struggles maintaining his weight and a lack of competition are all drawbacks that he needs to overcome. While his numbers in 2005 are very impressive, the system he played in was a key part in those totals. Patient coaching will be needed in order for Eugene to develop.

san jose state...began the year with 23 of 47 passes for 210 yards and an interception... was sacked three times for losses of 22 yards, turning the ball over twice on fumbles.

Alcorn State...Bounced back with 311 yards and three touchdowns on 22 of 36 attempts with an interception, adding 43 yards on nine carries with scores of 6 & 4 yards in the fourth quarter to spark a 17-point rally in a 40-28 victory...Earned SWAC Player of the Week honors for that performance.

positives

Has a very strong arm that allows him to air the ball out when needed...Shows confidence in the huddle and thrives when playing the deep game...Despite his size, he shows good mobility and the leg drive to break tackles in the short area...Has the lateral agility to step up and slide to avoid pocket pressure...Puts good velocity on his intermediate throws and demonstrates a quick release...Has a snappy over-the-top delivery and puts great power behind his throws, especially when throwing off his front foot.

eugene is a classic gunslinger who seems to rely too much on his arm strength to get the job done, taking too many chances by firing the ball into tight areas. the result has been 38 interceptions. he is cool under pressure, but needs to make better judgment decisions before squeezing the ball into a crowd. while he put up tremendous numbers over the years, he needs to show better consistency, especially in his decision-making process.

He is the unquestioned leader in the huddle and has a confident attitude with the ball in his hands. He has good accuracy on his short throws, but needs to vary his speed as he tends to fire through his receivers, making it tough to catch the ball in stride at times. He can air the ball out effectively, but lacks timing and accuracy when going long (late at times hitting the receivers coming out of their breaks). Eugene was more of a chucker earlier in his career, but the new coaching staff helped him develop better touch in 2005 and the result was 56 scoring strikes.

while he has good balance and valid feet, he is best served operating out of the shotgun, as he looks very awkward and hesitant when he has to line up under center and drive back to his pass set point. he needs to be more decisive and quicker in his setup in order to play at the next level. eugene can move out of the pocket effectively when pressured and has a quick release.

He seems to look off-balanced throwing the ball, especially when he fails to plant his feet properly, but he has the arm strength to get the ball out with good velocity. Eugene will need to refine his footwork and stop throwing off his back foot in the pros, but has a snappy overhead delivery that somehow allows him to compensate for questionable foot technique.

1999: Missed the end of his high school senior season after suffering a left ankle fracture in November (11/05). 2004: Sat out the rest of the year after he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the third quarter of the season opener vs. Alcorn State...Underwent surgery after the game.

Campus: 5.18 in the 40-yard dash (wind-aided)

5.35 in the 40-yard dash (wind-aided)

350-pound bench press

245-pound power clean

32 ½-inch arm length

9-inch hands

Right-handed

21/28 Wonderlic score. Combine: 5.14-second 40-yard dash.

27 1/2-inch vertical jump.

7'8"-inch broad jump.

Attended Walter L. Cohen (New Orleans, La.) High School, playing football for head coach James Warren

Excelled in both football and basketball, earning All-Metro honors three times in each sport

Threw for 2,685 yards with 30 touchdowns to set the school single-season record as a senior, despite missing several late season games with a left ankle fracture

During his career, he amassed 5,643 yards with 56 touchdown passes

His best performance came vs. Carver High, completing 26-of-49 attempts for 375 yards and seven scores in that game as a 15-year-old.

General Recreation major

Son of Zina Eugene and Bruce Alexander

Brother, Zory, is a member of Grambling State's basketball team

Born Bruce Anthony Eugene on 6/20/82 in New Orleans, Louisiana. BACK TO TOP PROFILE GAME ANALYSIS PLAYER NEWS PLAYER STATISTICS Expanded & Classic Player Profiles Are OFFICIAL NFL RECORDS by Scout Dave Te' Thomas, NFLScouting, NFLDraftScout.com © Copyright - The Sports Xchange , My Sports Daily . All Rights Reserved Home | Contact Us | About Us | Privacy Policy