WPIAL's top passer is a Rebel at heart
One in a series on top high school football players in the WPIAL and City League.
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Maybe the best indication of Bill Stull's abilities as a quaterback is defined in this recruiting tidbit: One of the colleges courting Stull produced the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL draft.
The University of Mississippi turned out Eli Manning, and now the Rebels are actively recruiting Stull, a 6-foot-3 1/2, 190-pound senior at Seton-LaSalle High School. Mississippi has not offered a scholarship yet, but that likely will happen when he makes an official visit to the school at the end of September.
Mississippi's interest in Stull is unusual because the Rebels recruit Western Pennsylvania about as often as the Parkway has no construction.
But Stull and Seton-LaSalle's coaches sent highlight tapes to countless colleges after last season. Stull wanted one to go to Mississippi, and the Rebels liked what they saw.
Then in May, a Mississippi assistant coach showed up at Joe Butler's Metro Index Camp on the South Side. It was a Rebel rousing meeting. Seton-LaSalle's nickname also is Rebels.
"The coach was here at 6 o'clock, watched Bill for a little, left at 8 and said 'That's all I need to see,' " Seton-LaSalle coach Lou Cerro said. "They've been recruiting him ever since."
Stull said he is seriously considering Mississippi, but the Rebels aren't alone in their fondness of Stull. He is generally regarded as the No. 1 quarterback prospect in Western Pennsylvania and he has scholarship offers from nine Divison I colleges. Kentucky, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Miami (Ohio) are among the schools that have offered.
"I like Kentucky a lot," Stull said. "They were the first school to send me a letter and the first to offer me."
Stull plans to make an official visit to Kentucky in September. Wherever Stull goes to college, his parents plan to retire next year and move to that area.
The Stulls moved from Poland, Ohio, to Mt. Lebanon when Bill was in sixth grade. He attended Mt. Lebanon through his freshman year before transferring to Seton-LaSalle as a sophomore.
Mt. Lebanon's loss was Seton-LaSalle's gain as Stull is a perfect fit for Seton-LaSalle's pass-happy offense. The school always seems to have a quarterback with big statistics. One former Seton-LaSalle quarterback is Bruce Gradkowski, who will be in his second year as the University of Toledo's starter.
"[Offensive coordinator] Greg Perry deserves all the credit for the quarterbacks we've had," Cerro said. "He does everything with the quarterbacks and the offense. I never have to worry about offense."
Seton-LaSalle opponents should worry about Stull. He is big, has an excellent arm and appears better than last season when he completed 154 of 256 (60 percent) and led the WPIAL in passing yardage with 2,262. He had 22 touchdown passes.
He is 15 pounds heavier than he was last year and he is a Rebel with a cause.
"I need to prove I can be a leader and a captain this year," Stull said. "My main goal this year is to win -- and I don't care how we do it. I don't care if I pass for 350 yards or 0 yards, as long as we win. Winning is what drives me now."
Seton-LaSalle was 6-3 last season. Stull threw nine interceptions in losses to South Park and South Fayette.
"I'm not going to lie," Cerro said. "We throw the ball to set up the run here. We'll go as far this year as Billy can take us."
