The University of Central Florida is going high-tech with Heisman Trophy promotion.
The independent school that began playing Division I-A football in 1996 features one of the nation’s most exciting players and a Heisman Trophy candidate, quarterback Daunte Culpepper.
Unlike other more well-known football teams that promote Heisman hopefuls with postcards and brochures sent via U.S. mail, the Orlando school operating on a limited budget is using the Internet and satellite time to publicize Culpepper.
“We’re bringing a new technology approach to the Heisman,” said John Marini, Central Florida’s sports information director. “It’s a great way to get the word out on Daunte, and it doesn’t cost us very much.”
Out of a $10,000 budget for Heisman promotion that Central Florida said is funded by a booster, the school has made Culpepper one of at least four Heisman candidates with his own Web site. At Internet address www.daunte.ucf.edu, an enlarged photo of Culpepper features him towering over the school’s football stadium and statistics.
While most other schools with Heisman candidates play several games on national television, Central Florida’s game Saturday against Purdue on ESPN was the only time Culpepper was scheduled to appear on a national telecast this season. The slight has prompted Central Florida to pay for satellite time to feed Culpepper’s highlights to ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and other sports outlets.
Some larger schools have spent more than $25,000 on Heisman campaigns, some sports information directors said. Last year Tennessee sent out at least 1,000 full-color 16-page notebooks promoting Peyton Manning. He finished second.
Central Florida’s novel and cost-cutting approach is coming at an inopportune time. Most Heisman favorites at more popular schools have flourished early, including quarterbacks Cade McNown of UCLA, Donovan McNabb of Syracuse, Tim Couch of Kentucky and Brock Huard of Washington.
“Central Florida doesn’t have anywhere near the exposure or the resources to get Daunte the Heisman Trophy,” said former UCLA Coach Terry Donahue, a college football analyst for CBS. “I just don’t see a lot of guys going to the Internet and that convincing them to vote for him.”
Culpepper must play well against Purdue to have a chance to win the Heisman, Central Florida Athletic Director Steve Sloan said. Culpepper has completed 52 of 70 passes for 776 yards and eight touchdowns in Central Florida’s season-opening victories against Eastern Illinois and Louisiana Tech. He also has rushed 23 times for 142 yards and five scores.
“He’s got to have a big game this week,” Sloan said. “This is on national television against a team that everyone knows.”
Culpepper is 6 feet 5 inches and 235 pounds, and some NFL scouts said the senior could be one of the first 10 players chosen in April’s draft. He can throw the ball 80 yards and is an excellent runner.
Culpepper was one of the nation’s top high school prospects as a senior at Ocala (Fla.) Vanguard High School, and was recruited by Florida, Florida State and other major schools. He signed with Central Florida because he said they continued to keep in touch with him even though he might not qualify academically.
Central Florida coach Mike Kruczek has said he’ll leave Culpepper in games no matter what the score, so the quarterback can pad his statistics.
“We’re going to keep him out there and I’m not worrying about him getting hurt,” Kruczek said. “He’s resilient. Daunte and I have talked. We have a specific plan for yards, touchdowns, completion percentage and interceptions.”
Even if Culpepper puts up record numbers, he won’t win college football’s most prestigious individual award, said ESPN analyst Lee Corso.
“There’s no way he can do it,” Corso said. “There are too many guys coming out like gangbusters this year. It’s not a good thing for the little guy.”
