With a weary sigh, Jeff Rowe plopped into a seat next to his cousin in the waiting area at the Boise Airport Monday morning.
Rowe didn't fly home with the Wolf Pack on Sunday night, electing to stay behind in Boise to be with his parents and brother plus other family members who flew up for the MPC Computers Bowl.
He obviously was bummed out over Nevada's 21-20 loss to Miami, which ended his college career. Rowe played well against the Hurricanes, completing 20 of 31 for 192 yards, including a 27-yard scoring pass to Marko Mitchell.
The game capped a successful career for Rowe, who was in the top 10 in the Nevada record books in several categories. Rowe led the Wolf Pack to 17 wins the past two seasons, and he was emotional as expected after Sunday's tough setback.
"The locker room, the jokes, the guys," Rowe said when asked what he would miss. "I couldn't have done it without them."
Now, the next part of Rowe's life is starting. It's a new adventure, and probably a bit scary and a bit exciting at the same time, because you never know how things are going to work out. It's also the first time Rowe has ever lived outside Northern Nevada for an extended period of time.
He's going to be living off and on in Los Angeles for the next couple of months working out with ex-Jets quarterback Ken O'Brien, preparing for the upcoming East-West Shrine Game in Houston on Jan. 20, the NFL Combine Feb. 21-27 in Indianapolis and the NFL Draft in April.
Rowe couldn't have picked a better mentor. O'Brien, who played at Jesuit High School in Carmichael and then at UC Davis, played for 11 years in the NFL and passed for more than 25,000 yards with the Jets (10 years) and Eagles (1 year). O'Brien was the NFL's most efficient passer in 1985. He also was selected to two Pro Bowls. The former NFL star also enjoyed a brief coaching stint at USC where he worked with Carson Palmer.
Rowe, Nebraska's Zac Taylor and BYU's John Beck will quarterback the West, and their counterparts on the East team are Florida's Chris Leak, Tulane's Ricard Lester and Iowa's Drew Tate.
Pro scouts will keep an eagle eye on Rowe throughout the week of practice. The scouts that visited Nevada practices this season figure him to be a fourth or fifth-round pick. However, a good week of workouts at the East-West game could elevate his draft status without question.
There is no question Rowe has the tools. He has the size (6-5 and 220), a good arm, nice agility and he has the smarts. Rowe is like a sponge, always absorbing knowledge. He improved tremendously the past two years. The room for growth is limitless.
In an era of cynicism on the part of journalists around the country, and I put myself in that category sometimes, I openly root for Rowe. He's a class act, and has already represented himself and the university well. Because of that, he'll be a success in whatever he chooses to do.