It was impossible to miss him.

Graham Wilbert stood out from the crowd of football staffers who wore polos and dress shoes on the second floor of the Tom Oxley Center. The 6’6” giant quarterback was wearing a baggy gray FAU Football shirt, and tape covered both of his ankles, while he walked around both barefoot and carefree.

Two weeks before the season opened in Gainesville against the Gators, the Owls were still without a starting quarterback. After a long summer of competition between Wilbert and fellow junior, David Kooi, the coaching staff finally made a decision. Although Wilbert hadn’t started a game since his senior year in high school, the job was handed to him. The battle was long and intense, but it did little to waver his confidence.

“He was just the same person on and off the field,” said sophomore tight end Nexon Dorvilus.

That calm demeanor has stuck with him — even as FAU’s offense has found itself  the worst (statistically) in the country.

“Awesome,” said Wilbert, who chuckled when reminded of his offense’s shortcomings.

If Wilbert is able to laugh off two games in which FAU’s offense has averaged 66.5 passing yards per game (the worst in the nation), how hard can the rest of the schedule be?

The Future

As the quarterback and (implied) captain of the team, Wilbert gets to endure the majority of the mocking and ridicule awarded to FAU. He also gets slammed into the turf a great deal, as he is playing behind a small and inexperienced offensive line.

And, he mentioned, he does it all — knowing his career ends in Boca.

Even though Wilbert understands and accepts that his playing days are numbered, he doesn’t plan on leaving the football field if he can help it.

“It’s hard to get into,” said Wilbert, who has ambitions of coaching college football, but is resigned to the fact that it’s  unlikely as a professional playing career. “It’s all about who you know.”

He’s got football for this year and maybe the next. And after that? Maybe not.

But, football or not — you still won’t know what he’s feeling.

Stone-faced

There are a lot of times when Wilbert’s teammates can’t read their quarterback. They can’t tell if he’s up or down.

“He doesn’t really let too much of his feelings show,” said Dorvilus. “You don’t know if he’s having a good day or a bad day.”

Wilbert credits some of that attitude, or lack there of, to his mother and father.

“I am [close to them], but I guess as I’ve gotten older we’ve become more [like] friends,” said Wilbert. “They’re like friends that I can just talk to about anything. They don’t really parent me.”

Even though his parents live across the country in California, the family remains close. Wilbert’s parents even find time to be in Boca to watch their son.

“I’ve seen them down here,” said Dorvilus. “I’d say he’s a family oriented person.”