Chris Pizzotti

Blessed with an athletic frame, the 6-foot-5 Pizzotti left his mark in the Harvard and Ivy League record books, as he was one of only a handful of players to take part in three Ivy League Championships. The 2008 Walter Payton Award finalist has great patience and poise in the pocket, as he ranked among the nation's leaders for fewest interceptions thrown over the past two years (eight). He would close out his Crimson career with a 20-2 record as the team's starting quarterback. Playing football is something that seems to be hereditary in the Pizzotti household. The 2008 All-American can now share that honor with his grandfather. Francis Dancewicz, played football at Notre Dame (1943-45), where he earned All-American second-team honors from the Associated Press, United Press International, Football News, The Sporting News and Football Writers Association as a senior quarterback. Dancewicz holds the dubious school record when he was intercepted seven times vs. Army in 1944, but his punt return average of 13.3 yards in 1945 still ranks seventh on Notre Dame's single-season record list. He went on to play in the East-West Shrine Game and College All-Star Classic before spending the 1946-48 seasons with the Boston Yanks, who had selected him in the first round. Chris' father, Steve, played football at Northeastern. His brother, Dave, was the starting quarterback at Boston University before the school disbanded football. He transferred to Harvard, but did not play there after suffering a shoulder injury. Both Dave and another brother, Steve, played quarterback at Reading High before Chris arrived there. Pizzotti attended Reading Memorial High School. The football captain started his final two seasons, twice earning All-Scholastic honors from both the Boston Globe and Boston Herald. He was named to the 2003 Massachusetts Super 26 squad and was chosen to play in the 2004 Massachusetts Shriners All-Star Classic. The class president set school records for most touchdowns in a game (five), season (20) and career (40), as his 3,300 yards passing as a senior set another team mark. A two-time All-League selection as a center for the basketball team, Pizzotti served as Reading Memorial's squad captain during his final season. Academically, he was a two-time National Honor Society member and was chosen to the Athletes for a Healthy Lifestyle team three times. Pizzotti enrolled at Harvard University, but originally had his heart on attending Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish failed to recruit him, despite his legacy at the school. He would appear just briefly in the 2004 Holy Cross game, but did not record any statistics. A herniated disc in his back would force him to the sidelines for the entire 2005 campaign. Intensive therapy kept Pizzotti out of the operating room and he returned to claim the starting quarterback position in 2006. Unfortunately, a knee sprain during the first series of the second quarter of the season opener would put the passer on the shelf for one game and limit him to five starting assignments in nine contests. He still managed to lead the team with 1,051 yards, completing 70 of 142 passes (49.3 percent) with six touchdowns and five interceptions. With senior Liam O'Hagan back on the roster in 2007, Pizzotti was forced to open the season as a reserve, sitting out the season opener. The coaches turned the starting job over to the junior for seven of the nine games he appeared in. He garnered first-team All-Ivy League honors, in addition to being named the team's MVP. He connected on 164 of 260 passes (63.1 percent) for 2,134 yards and 14 touchdowns and only four interceptions, the second-lowest interception total in the Championship Subdivision ranks. As a senior, he was named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, was again selected All-Ivy League first-team and named the Asa Bushnell Cup Player of the Year. He added first-team All-American honors from The NFL Draft Report, which recognized his success on the playing field. He threw for a career-high 2,490 yards on 193 of 308 attempts (62.7 percent), coming up with 17 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

positives

Shows good kinesthetic awareness thanks to above average balance and has an athletic throwing motion with good instincts and field vision. ... The thing you see on film is his ability to adjust well to the game situations, taking what the defense has to offer to move the chains rather than try to go for the big play. ... He can throw the flags and seams with good velocity and is very capable of hitting the 15-yard hitch on the sidelines from the outside hash. ... Good ability to duck, step up and elude pressure, especially for a player of his size.

compares to

KEVIN O'CONNELL, New England -- Like O'Connell, Pizzotti's athletic skills and intelligence are his best assets. He has good arm strength, but lacks ideal tutoring, but with his grasp of the playbook he will be a nice surprise for a patient coach. Because of his frame, some teams might look at him to switch positions (linebacker), but late in the draft or as a priority free agent, he is a much better athletic option to fill the third string QB job than some high-priced, aging veteran.

negatives

He needs to do a better job of firing the ball out instantly, as he shows some inconsistency in his follow-through and timing on his passes. ... He will throw the ball away rather than try to thread the needle by attacking the zone's tight areas and will take a sack rather than force the throw. ... He throws a tight spiral when he keeps the ball chest high, but he is prone to dropping the ball below his hip and this prevents the pass from coming out with good timing, even with a compact delivery. ... Pizzotti has decent arm strength, but his while he can flash some nice ropes from the outside hash, his long tosses will flutter when he does not step into his throws properly. ... He needs better touch on his underneath tosses. ... Pizzotti needs to develop better touch on his underneath throws. ... He needs to show that he can drop the ball over the top and understand when he has to let up, as sometimes he fires too hard, forcing the receiver to adjust in their routes.

2005: Sat out the season with a herniated disc in his back...Underwent intensive therapy and did not require surgery. 2006: Suffered a knee sprain in the second quarter of the season opener vs. Holy Cross (9/16), sitting out the following week vs. Brown.

Campus: 4.79 in the 40-yard dash

1.62 10-yard dash

2.71 20-yard dash

315-pound bench press

30.5-inch vertical jump

9'5" broad jump

4.27 20-yard shuttle

7.22 three-cone drill

32 1/4-inch arm length

9 1/2-hands. Combine: Did not receive an invitation.

Attended Reading Memorial (Mass.) High School, serving as team captain as a senior

Started his final two seasons, twice earning All-Scholastic honors from both the Boston Globe and Boston Herald

Named to the 2003 Massachusetts Super 26 squad and was chosen to play in the 2004 Massachusetts Shriners All-Star Classic

The class president set school records for most touchdowns in a game (five), season (20) and career (40), as his 3,300 yards passing as a senior set another team mark

Two-time All-League selection as a center for the basketball team, serving as squad captain during his final season

Two-time National Honor Society member

Was chosen to the Athletes for a Healthy Lifestyle team three times.

Economics major, earning league and ESPN All-District academic honors with a 3.4 grade point average

Grandfather, Francis Dancewicz, played football at Notre Dame (1943-45), where he earned All-American second-team honors from the Associated Press, United Press International, Football News, The Sporting News and Football Writers Association as a senior quarterback. Dancewicz holds the dubious school record when he was intercepted seven times vs. Army in 1944, but his punt return average of 13.3 yards in 1945 still ranks seventh on Notre Dame's single-season record list. He went on to play in the East-West Shrine Game and College All-Star Classic before spending the 1946-48 seasons with the Boston Yanks

Father, Steve, played football at Northeastern

Brother, Dave, was the starting quarterback at Boston University before the school disbanded football. He transferred to Harvard, but did not play there after suffering a shoulder injury

Resides in Reading, Massachusetts.