Former UW quarterback Johnny DuRocher to play at Central this fall

The athletic career of former Huskies quarterback Johnny DuRocher may take yet another turn, this one to Ellensburg.

DuRocher, whose UW career ended after he was found to have a benign brain tumor and who later spent a year in the Mariners' organization as a pitcher, has applied for enrollment at Central Washington with designs on playing quarterback for the Wildcats this fall.

A CWU spokesman confirmed that DuRocher has applied for enrollment but said he could not comment further until DuRocher is officially enrolled. DuRocher could not be reached for comment.

Eligibility rules are different at Division II schools like Central, and the 25-year-old DuRocher would apparently have one season remaining to play. He would not be eligible any longer to play at Washington.

A graduate of Bethel High School in Graham, he redshirted at Oregon in 2003 and sat out 2004 after deciding to transfer. He played at UW in 2005 and 2006 before the tumor was discovered when he suffered a concussion in a game against Stanford late in the 2006 season.

After surgery, he turned out for the UW baseball team and was later drafted by the Mariners. But his baseball career ended when he suffered an injury that would have required Tommy John surgery.

Due to the nature of the different throwing motions, DuRocher has said in the past that the injury doesn't impair his ability to throw a football.

He spent last fall at UW as a student assistant with the football team. In the spring, he participated at UW's Pro Day for NFL Scouts, hoping to attract the attention of a professional team, saying he had been cleared by doctors to return to football.

CWU was recently ranked 10th in the nation in the Sporting News' 2009 Division II preseason poll. But the Wildcats are looking for a new starting QB after the graduation of All-American Mike Reilly, now a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

At Central, DuRocher would be reunited with another former Husky, running back J.R. Hasty, who will be a senior this season.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com