By Brian Pivonka

The first score of the 2004 Northeastern Huskies football team wasn’t a touchdown, field goal or safety. It wasn’t even in an actual game, it was in the recruiting battle. The Huskies scored blue chip quarterback prospect Brett Weyman from the grasp of numerous Division I schools including Nebraska, Alabama and Boston College.

Recruiting guru Max Emfinger has gone on record as saying that Weyman, a 6-3 225-pound transfer, could be the next John Elway.

While this is a big victory for the Huskies, coach Rocky Hager cautioned that no recruit, even one of Weyman’s magnitude, is more important than any other.

“It’s good that we were able to land a good player, but one player does not make a football team,” Hager said. “We need 22 starters and 22 back ups.”

Weyman, the former prep star at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut and Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, had been on the Louisiana Tech football team before deciding to transfer.

He grew up in Charleston, S.C., but went to private schools in both New Hampshire and Connecticut. He made his name at Avon Old Farms where, in his first season as a quarterback, he threw for 1,520 yards and 13 touchdowns.

However, since that was his first year playing quarterback, not many college coaches knew who Weyman was. Instead of going to play in college, Weyman took a risk and enrolled at the Fork Union Military Academy, a well-known football factory that has put out NFL players such as Eddie George and Plaxico Burress. But, before Weyman could star there, he had to make the team. He did, and even won the starting job.

Playing in a run-oriented offense, and attempting just 73 passes all season led to his unsuccessful bid for a college scholarship.

Instead, Weyman made a stop at the University of Tennessee, walking on for the Volunteers instead of accepting a scholarship at a smaller school. However, financial problems led to him leaving the team and accepting a scholarship with Louisiana Tech. Tech had been recruiting him since he was at Fork Union.

When the Huskies found out that Weyman was back on the open market, assistant coach J.J. Fadden wasted no time contacting him. But why would Northeastern go after him when they already have Shawn Brady, a holder of many Northeastern passing records?

“Brett has a great arm and you can’t have too many arms in camp,” Hager said.

While most recruiting experts thought the Huskies were wasting their time going after such a hot prospect, Fadden kept going after him. Eventually it worked and now the Huskies have one of the best quarterback recruits from last year’s class.

“(Weyman) actually had an interest in NU,” Hager said. “J.J. Fadden did a great job preparing things (to get Weyman to come).”

What did Fadden and Hager see in Weyman that caused the all out blitz to sign him?

“He shows good mobility and speed on tape,” Hager said. “He has a strong arm, accuracy is something we were able to identify in the medium passing game, as well as the long ball.”

Because he was red-shirted while at La Tech, Weyman will still have four years of eligibility when he gets to Northeastern. To make the most of that time, he’ll have to win the starting job now. That might be an uphill battle with Brady, a senior, already firmly entrenched as the team’s starter.

That doesn’t mean that Weyman won’t get a shot, however.

“Everyone on the team has the chance to compete (for a starting position),” Hager said. “It depends on how well they do at practice and during drills, whoever plays the best will get the job. He has some very good talents, but he has to learn a system. Where he learns it will determine when he plays.”

It’s very rare that a legit blue chip prospect, especially at quarterback, decides to play at a Division I-AA school rather than a bigger name Division I school. This is especially true if the player has professional aspirations. The Huskies, however, found a way to land one.

Still, Hager doesn’t want to put too much pressure on the young quarterback before he’s ready.

“Brett has an opportunity to be in one of those (starting) roles, but we don’t want to put too much pressure on him, where he’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t (start).”

Members of the football staff said Weyman will be enrolled in classes starting on Monday.