Terrell goes 5 for 5 in NFL debut

Down 30-0, the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterbacks have been entirely ineffective. In their third preseason game, allegedly the truest indication of the quality of an NFL team, the New Orleans Saints have shut down any semblance of a Chiefs offense.

Neither second-year quarterback Brodie Croyle nor journeyman Damon Huard has made a successful case for the starting job. Fans are inclined to boo anyone wearing a red jersey, the mascot being the only exception.

Enter former Princeton quarterback Jeff Terrell '07, who jogs calmly onto the field with four minutes, 38 seconds left in the game to make his NFL preseason debut.

"I just wanted to have some fun," he said.

After a six-yard dash by running back Marcus O'Keith, Terrell, a lefty, rolls to his right and throws across his body to wide receiver Brad Ekwerekwu for a nine-yard gain and a first down. Suddenly, Terrell has completed two firsts: an NFL pass and an NFL first down.

"I was a little nervous at first, but once I completed my first pass, I felt comfortable and relaxed," Terrell said.

With the first one under his belt, Terrell continues to fire perfectly placed passes. Seven yards. Nineteen yards. The fans have found a reason to cheer tonight. Six yards. Thirteen yards.

The Chiefs, courtesy of a five-for-five, 54-yard performance by Terrell, are at the two yard-line and on the verge of putting some points on the scoreboard. Terrell hands off to O'Keith, who dives into the end zone for a touchdown.

The former Princeton quarterback still didn't know what it felt like to throw an incomplete NFL pass until the next and final preseason game, but in more than two-and-a-half quarters of playing time against the St. Louis Rams, Terrell had to look human at some point.

With both Huard and third-string Casey Printers injured, Terrell entered the game in the second quarter and finished 15-for-25 with 117 yards and one interception. Despite a 10-3 Chiefs loss, Terrell turned in yet another quality personal performance.

"It was a blessing to have some success," he said.

Considering that Terrell, an undrafted rookie, signed with the Chiefs as their fourth-string quarterback, "some" certainly seems like an understatement. Tiger fans, though, have become accustomed to this kind of success from last year's Ivy League Player of the Year.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

As a junior at Princeton, Terrell took over the starting role in 2005 on a team that finished second in the Ivy League with a 5-2 conference record and 7-3 overall.

With a 1,721-yard, 10-touchdown season under his belt, Terrell improved in his senior season, which caught the attention of scouts around the NFL.

On the way to an Ivy League Championship, Terrell aired it out for 2,445 yards — fifth in Princeton history — and 17 touchdowns.

His most impressive performance came on the road against Yale. Coming back from three 14-point deficits, Terrell led the Tigers to a 34-31 victory, which, along with a win against Harvard, clinched the first bonfire in 12 years, signifying a sweep of Princeton's two biggest rivals.

Facing Yale, Terrell posted a whopping 445 passing yards to go along with three touchdowns. A 57-yard bomb to wide receiver Brian Brigham with 7:36 remaining put the Tigers on top for good.

Multiple teams were reportedly interested in the standout quarterback, but Kansas City was the team able to grab Terrell after the draft, partly as a result of the Chiefs' volatile quarterback situation.

With a Trent Green trade pending, Terrell saw an opportunity to compete against second-year quarterback Casey Printers for the third-string spot behind Huard and Croyle.

On July 27, Terrell began his first NFL training camp.

"The whole training camp experience is a grind, but it's not a whole lot different from preseason at Princeton," he said. "Your waking hours are basically spent either on the practice field, in the meeting/film room or eating."

While the adjustments may not have been too difficult off the field, the on-the-field action served up a challenge.

"The biggest adjustments have been the speed of the game at this level," Terrell explained. "The defensive players react so quickly to the throws I make, so you have to be more accurate and more decisive. Also, the offensive schemes are a lot more complex, and there is more to memorize and digest as a quarterback."

Unfortunately for the former Tiger, Printers had the advantage of a year's worth of preseason and practice squad experience, which put him on track to be the third-string quarterback, limiting the number of snaps for Terrell. Still, Terrell made the most of his few opportunities.

Respected Kansas City Star columnist Joe Posnanski even took notice of Terrell during training camp.

"My favorite guy in camp, without a doubt, is lefty quarterback Jeff Terrell," Posnanski reported. "He is the guy who stays after practice every day to throw to [running back Priest] Holmes, [wide receiver Dwayne] Bowe and anyone else who wants a little extra work. He runs all the handoff drills. And he's got to be the only guy in an NFL camp who studied religion at Princeton."

Despite his diligent work ethic and solid preseason performances, Terrell was cut by the Chiefs before the regular season and did not land a spot on the practice squad. Surprisingly, Printers didn't make the 53-man roster either; instead, the third-string job went to rookie quarterback Tyler Thigpen, whom the Chiefs picked up on waivers after the Minnesota Vikings trimmed him from their own roster.

Even though Terrell fell short of making the Chiefs, his strong showing in the preseason will assuredly force NFL teams to take another look at him next year.