Former Case Western star enters when Kurt Rocco is injured and leads team to fourth win.
View full sizeFormer Case Western Reserve QB Dan Whalen came through in the clutch Friday night for the Gladiators.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The last time Dan Whalen took snaps with the Gladiators' first-team offense, it was training camp. Whalen was the third-string quarterback, a 2010 Case Western graduate, and unlikely to see much playing time at all this season. He didn't need the reps.
That was until starting quarterback John Dutton tore his Achilles' tendon in the first game and was done for the season. Then newly minted starter Kurt Rocco suffered a lacerated finger on his non-throwing left hand late in the third quarter Friday and needed stitches to close the gash.
Suddenly Whalen was trotting out on the turf at The Q, his Gladiators down, and no experience with directing these teammates.
No matter. Whalen led the Gladiators to two fourth-quarter touchdowns, the defense came up big in the end, and the Gladiators held on to a 34-30 victory over the Tulsa Talons in front of a crowd of 5,109. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the Gladiators, and pushes them to 4-2.
"That's a tough spot to step into," Gladiators coach Steve Thonn said. "Dan did a great job."
Especially considering Whalen was handed the football for the final play of the third quarter, second-and-goal from the Tulsa 8, trailing, 30-21. Whalen said he entered the huddle, cracked a few one-liners, and on his second snap in the AFL, tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Robert Redd.
"You've just got to go out and exude confidence," Whalen said of his strategy upon entering the game.
He had little else to rely on but that confidence as the Case all-time leader in completions and touchdowns, and plenty of time studying practice tapes. Whalen said he approached Thonn earlier this week to remind him that he was ready if ever needed. Still, until Rocco was hurt on a near-interception, Whalen had been staring as the action unfolded on the scoreboard.
"I'd much rather be playing than tilting my head up and watching it on the Jumbotron," Whalen said.
After he tossed his touchdown pass to close the Tulsa lead to 30-28, the Gladiators still had to rely on a unit that ranks third in the AFL in scoring defense to stop the Talons. The defense complied as defensive back Levy Brown unloaded a mighty hit on Tulsa receiver Tony McBroom on fourth-and-4 that stopped the Talons.
One drive later, with Tulsa closing in on the end zone, Thyron Lewis snagged an interception at the Cleveland 2 with 5:02 left, setting up the final drive for the Gladiators.
Whalen's inexperience with the first team resulted in three penalties on the final drive, and a first-and-20 hole from the Tulsa 24 with 48 seconds remaining. That was when Whalen unleashed something from his own playbook, scrambling for 19 yards to set up the Russell Monk 4-yard touchdown run three plays later.
"He's a good scrambler," Thonn said. "We told him, 'If you're not sure, don't force it. Run with it.'"
With few other options, Whalen did just that. The Gladiators defense held Tulsa to 27 yards gained before the clock ran out.
Rocco said he expects to be ready to play next week, but was happy for the win Friday.
"With two rough losses in a row, we needed this to get back on track," Rocco said.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/gladiators/index.ssf/2011/04/backup_qb_dan_whalen_rallies_c.html
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