Report: UW’s DuRocher Making Comeback at Central Washington

After beginning a heroic comeback to football last March after a litany of health issues, former Washington Huskies quarterback Johnny DuRocher will return to the gridiron this fall at D-II Central Washington.Dawgman.com reports that DuRocher, who battled through an Achilles tendon surgery, an elbow injury, and a major operation to remove a brain tumor, will return to the field for the first time since 2006, when a concussion knocked him out of a game against Stanford.The concussion helped doctors discover a nonmalignant brain tumor that was supposed to end his football career when he had surgery three weeks later to remove it. DuRocher then joined the Huskies baseball team, playing for a season before being drafted by the Mariners. The elbow injury that DuRocher suffered made it impossible for him to continue throwing a baseball without having major surgery, but doesn’t affect his football mechanics.DuRocher threw for scouts at Washington’s NFL pro day back in March, and while no professional team bit at the opportunity to sign him, he showed enough to have Central Washington take a shot.DuRocher’s athletic odyssey started at Oregon in 2003 where he redshirted as a quarterback. He transfered to UW in 2004, sitting out the entire season because of NCAA rules, then played in 2005 and 2006. Central Washington will be looking for a new starting QB this season, replacing last year’s graduating starter, Mike Reilly.