50ish Names in 50 Days: Thomas DeMarco

Old Dominion had gridiron success as a junior college during the Great Depression, but like so many other facets of America then succumbed to monetary struggles. Nearly 70 years after the program went defunct, it returned in 2009 as strong as it went out. The Monarchs are 17-5 in the two seasons since reinstating football and in 2011 join the powerful Colonial Athletic Association. Quarerback Thomas DeMarco has been at the forefront of the Monarchs’ return, and fittingly leads them into the CAA.

DeMarco began 2010 on the Walter Payton Award watch list after a 2009 of 21 passing and 17 rushing touchdowns and over 2800 cumulative yards. DeMarco established himself as more of a passing threat in 2010, eclipsing the previous season’s yardage total by over 800 yards while also improving his accuracy by 4.6 percent.

ODU’s move into the CAA is an important step for the program, and for DeMarco. The quarterback from California has flown under the radar regularly through his career. He was the leading passer and rusher for a Palm Desert High program that always competes in the CIF Southern Section, and earned All-CIF honors. However, PDHS is in a smaller division that typically doesn’t produce Division I talent. And as an under-6-foot quarterback, DeMarco didn’t garner much in the way of Division I attention.

No sweat. DeMarco just needed to prove himself in the JUCO ranks, which he did at nearby College of the Desert throwing 14 touchdowns in 2008. That earned him a spot at the upstart Old Dominion program across the continental U.S. He had to prove himself again to earn the starting quarterback job. He did just that, and hasn’t relinquished it since. DeMarco’s first year saw him account for more offense than any other player in FCS.

In his final campaign, he’ll have to prove himself once more. The CAA is home to some of the top defenses in FCS: William & Mary, James Madison, Richmond. He’ll face a weekly Murderer’s Row of the top FCS defenders. This isn’t the North Carolina Centrals and Monmouths and Fordhams that have dotted the Monarchs’ schedule the last two years he’ll be facing. But given DeMarco’s track record, he’ll surely accept the opportunity to have to prove himself.