MIAMI — It didn’t take long for the coaches at Eastern Illinois to be sold on Jimmy Garoppolo.
“I saw it the first time in our first spring practice,” said Syracuse coach Dino Babers, who became EIU’s head coach before Garoppolo’s junior season. “He threw five passes and I said, ‘This guy shouldn’t be here. He’s a godsend.’ ”
NFL teams aren’t so quick to warm up to FCS talent. He threw for 3,823 yards and 31 touchdowns as a junior, but there were still the predictable questions about how he’d fare against tougher competition.