For years John Stocco has taken the ball under center. He has thrown tens of thousands of passes and taken several punishing hits. But somehow he has gotten up to take another snap.
For years he has faced scrutiny for not being good enough, not being big enough.
Yet somehow, he has won at all levels.
After the phone call didn't come during last weekend's NFL Draft, or afterward when former teammates Mark Zalewski and Roderick Rogers were picked up, Stocco finally got the nod Tuesday when the Green Bay Packers extended the former Badger starter an invitation to their orientation camp this weekend.
The camp, which started Thursday, is dedicated to draft picks, free agents and other players invited to the workout.
There, Stocco will be treated as if he were drafted. But unlike the Packers' draft picks, if he fails to impress during what essentially amounts to a 72-hour tryout, the Richfield, Minn., native will remain unsigned.
Still, Stocco's agent John Drana believes the tryout is better than nothing.
"Teams just don't have an open tryout," Drana said in a phone interview. "You obviously have to be invited. They only extend those invitations to NFL-worthy players, thus it is a limited type arrangement.
"They're a busy organization and they wouldn't be wasting their time if they didn't have some interest in John."
Stocco finished his UW career with a 29-7 record, two bowl victories and 7,227 passing yards. Compared to his predecessors — Brooks Bollinger and Jim Sorgi — who were both drafted in the late sixth round of the 2003 and 2004 drafts, respectively, Drana said Stocco is just as good in terms of ability.
"I think he rates right up there with them," he said. "But at the end of the day, my opinion unfortunately doesn't carry the water. … Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and he needs NFL teams to think the same way. Many scouts have told me that. They say that they like him better than [Bollinger and Sorgi], so we'll have to see."
Drana — who also represents former NFL Pro Bowlers Ahman Green, Matt Hasselbeck and Marco Rivera — is confident Stocco can get the job done at the professional level.
"I'm excited for him," Drana said. "It's a great opportunity. The Packers are a great organization and I'm confident he will do well there."
Should Stocco perform well enough, he will likely be offered a free agent contract sometime next week.
Realistically, that will be difficult. Teams normally carry three quarterbacks on their roster, and the Packers seem content with their depth at the position. Stocco must also compete against quarterback Jerry Babb, who — like Stocco — is a rookie free agent.
"All I want is a shot," Stocco told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Tuesday night. "I think it's a good situation, and I'm going to try to make the most of it."
A contract is just the first step. Even if Stocco joined the Packers' 80-man roster next week, he'd still have to make it through training camp, and then make the team.
"He has his work cut out for him, but there are plenty of fellows who have gone undrafted and made a career in the NFL," Drana said. "I'm hopeful John will be one of them."
