Former Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Tino Sunseri may never get a shot at the NFL, but he is a professional athlete after all. Sunseri signed a free agent contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in late May, entering training camp as the fourth-string quarterback.
Since then, Sunseri has unseated incumbent third-stringer Levi Brown, who was promptly cut from the team’s roster on June 17th. A 9 for 12, 122 yard performance that also included the Roughriders’ only touchdown pass in a preseason win over the Edmonton Eskimos was the main reason for Sunseri’s promotion.
So far, Sunseri has impressed the Roughriders’ coaching staff. “He’s very poised, he’s very comfortable and I think he’s a very smart kid when it comes to learning the playbook,” said head coach Corey Chamblin.
Despite his exceptional performance in the team’s first preseason game, Sunseri saw very limited action in the final preseason matchup, on June 20th against Calgary. He threw just one pass the whole day, finishing 0 for 1.
Although Sunseri finished his collegiate career at third all-time on Pitt’s passing list, (8,590 yards) he was often criticized by fans for his poor decision making and lack of leadership skills on and off the field. He drew the most anger from his critics after a 26-23 loss to #2 Notre Dame last November, when he pointed his finger at kicker Kevin Harper for missing a crucial field goal late in the overtime period.
It will be a tough road for Sunseri if he wants to make a living in the CFL, and he may never get the chance to do it in Saskatchewan. Current starting quarterback Darian Durant (a UNC graduate), has been with the ‘Riders for the past eight years and is an emerging fan favorite in town. Sunseri isn’t likely to see much time on the field this season, barring significant injury problems.
