Conte Cuttino: Fuelling His NFL Dream

Conte Cuttino left school one semester shy of earning his business finance degree and moved back into his family home in Uniondale. This might seem like a setback to Stony Brook University’s all-time leading rusher. Quite the opposite.

It is all part of Cuttino’s master plan to land his dream job – a spot on an NFL roster. You only get one shot to be a pro athlete. The time is now for the ambitious 22-year-old, who was featured in the September issue of Long Island Pulse magazine. So he put aside his 2.9 GPA and the stigma of playing at the Division I-AA level to focus on getting faster, stronger – and noticed.

“I believe it is not a long shot,’’ Cuttino said. “A large percentage of players in the NFL come from small schools, even the great ones like Jerry Rice and recent players like Miles Austin. It will come down to my focus, drive, skill and dedication. I have all of those, so I know I have a great chance of making it to the NFL.”

After weeks of specialized combine training at the Parisi Speed School in Fairlawn, N.J., Cuttino took part in his first pro day March 9 at Fordham University. With scouts from the Bengals, Bills, Browns, Chargers, Colts, Eagles, Giants, Jets, Packers, Raiders, Saints and Vikings looking on, Cuttino went to work. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, the 20-yard shuttle drill in 4.21 seconds, the three-cone drill in 6.5 seconds, broad jumped 10 feet, 7 inches, vertical leaped 40.5 inches and benched 225 pounds 17 times.

He was one of 26 participants at Fordham, including three Stony Brook teammates: LB Tyler Santucci, CB Chris Richards and DE Christopher Perri. Hofstra, which disbanded its football program in December, was also represented.

So how did Cuttino fare? While he wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month, his numbers make him an intriguing player. His broad jump and three-cone drill time would have been tops among running backs and his vertical leap would have placed second.

He’ll get another chance to improve his stock at a pro day at Albany on March 23.

“For the most part, I was very pleased,’’ Cuttino said. “The 20-yard shuttle and the bench press should have been better. I ran faster and benched more during my training. Also, I ran a 4.53 for the 40. I wasn’t too disappointed with that, but I feel like I could have done a bit better. Everything else, I did great. If you were to compare my pro day results to the contenders at the Combine, I would be amongst the top five percent of running backs.”

The 5-foot, 9-inch Cuttino has bulked up to 200 pounds and added to his entourage, signing with William Appleton from Appleton Sports Management in Virginia. NFLDraftScout.com rated Cuttino as the 90th best running back in the April draft, but that should change.

Regardless, Cuttino realizes it’s not all about getting drafted. It’s about signing with the right team as an undrafted free agent in the hours and days after the draft. Former Hofstra star Wayne Chrebet is a prime example. He went undrafted and walked on with the Jets. He played 11 NFL seasons.

Cuttino will pay close attention to the draft. Whether he gets drafted or not, Cuttino will need to make an impression at training camp to stick.

“Conte Cuttino should play in the NFL because I am a ‘football player,’” the church-going Cuttino said. “It is in my blood; I live and breathe for this sport. I can walk the walk, not just talk the talk. I’ve worked extra hard to get to the NFL, and the chance to play for a team will never be taken advantage of. I will continue to always work hard to see success for any team that gives me a chance.”

After all, Cuttino did rack up 944 all-purpose yards and earn All-Big South honors as a senior. He finished with 3,607 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns while starting 31 games in his career.

He’s got the goods. He just needs an opportunity. If pro football doesn’t work out? Cuttino said getting his degree will be next.

“I wanted to pursue this dream of mine with 100 percent effort, so I decided to withdraw my last semester of school,” Cuttino said. “I made the Dean’s list twice while attending college. I have 15 credits to take to complete my degree. Education is important to me, and I know a career in football will not last forever, so I definitely plan on finishing my degree some time down the road.

“I will definitely go back to school and get my degree. Considering the economic state I would enter grad school to better my chances to work in the corporate world. I would consider a career as a financial advisor or sports agent, not too sure. My main focus is football right now. Anything outside of that is a distraction.”

You can follow Cuttino as he blogs leading up to the draft at www.contecuttino.com.

Blog originally posted at LI Pulse.com

LI Pulse: Stony Brook Football

Title: Run Hard, Sell Hard: Stony Brook football hopes to win games and fans behind a pair of dynamic runners
Publication: Long Island Pulse magazine
Author: Jason Molinet
Date: September 2009
Start Page: 51
Word Count: 1038

Conte Cuttino and Ed Gowins cut intimidating figures without ever strapping on a pair of shoulder pads. The running backs possess a stat sheet that should be the talk of the nation. Their presence in the same backfield is something to behold.

There is nothing subtle about Gowins, from the tattoos landscaping his massive arms to the oversized diamond earring, emitting a sparkle as blinding as any sunset. Just imagine how the former Bellport High School star plays. It’s in-your-face power running for four quarters.

“They feel [me],’’ said Gowins, who was named National Freshman of the Year by College Sporting News. “That’s one of the things I like to do. When I see someone in front of me, I run them over. The second time they’ll think twice about trying to tackle me.”

So why is this dynamic duo getting so little attention? The truth is the foundation of Stony Brook University football might as well have been built on swampland. Sales jobs don’t get much harder.

College football may reign supreme in Los Angeles and Omaha—and every burg south of the Mason Dixon. But in the tri-state area, and Long Island in particular, the sport garners about as much respect as soap box racing.

And that’s understandable. Stony Brook finished 2008 with a losing record. The Seawolves have never won a postseason game in 25 years of existence. They have never even beaten big brother Hofstra, another small fish in the sea that is New York sports.

It’s all part of a muddied past, one whose narrative arc has been on a steady ascent.

The expectations are starting to simmer. For the first time, Stony Brook is a fully-funded, 63-scholarship program—on par with the rest of the Football Championship Subdivision (the oversized and overly confusing name of what was formerly known as NCAA Division I-AA football).

Stony Brook enters its second year in the competitive Big South Conference. And with the most dangerous running back tandem in college football, the program has created some insider buzz. With Cuttino and Gowins plowing through opposing defenses this fall, Stony Brook could be on the verge of a breakthrough season.

“I just let them play,’’ third-year coach Chuck Priore said. “I tell them all the time, ‘Just go play. If you both do your role as football players, then good things will happen to you.’ They are both talented enough.”

The team started 2008 off 1-5 and scored all of 10 points over three consecutive games, the last a 33-0 domination by nationally-ranked Liberty. Then Priore unleashed Cuttino and Gowins in the second half of last season with record-breaking results.

It turned on October 19, a 20-19 home win over Charleston Southern. Cuttino racked up his biggest performance to date with 107 rushing yards and redshirt freshman quarterback Dayne Hoffman tossed a 23-yard touchdown pass with 1:06 left. Gowins broke big runs on the winning drive.

“It probably took a little time to get things going,’’ said Cuttino, a senior from Uniondale. “Eddie and I were able to get things done at the end in a big way.”

Stony Brook won four of its final five games to finish in a second-place tie in the Big South Conference. And the Seawolves transformed from a sputtering offense to an unstoppable ground attack.

“Once we were able to settle in on a plan and mature as an offense, Conte and Eddie’s performances helped catapult us to success,’’ Priore said. “We were able to put things together, and those two kids the second half of the year were very impressive.’’

On November 9, the Seawolves cranked out 635 yards on the ground in a steady downpour to pound host Iona, 68-9. Gowins ran for 278 yards and three touchdowns while Cuttino had 205 yards and three scores. The Football Championship Subdivision team record for rushing yards in a game is 681 by Missouri State in 1988.

It was a banner day for Stony Brook. Coincidental or not, Iona announced 12 days later it was dropping its 42-year-old football program altogether.

The Seawolves closed the season one week later with another rout, a 40-26 win over Virginia Military Institute. Stony Brook totalled 622 yards of offense, paced by Gowins (250 yards and three touchdowns) and Cuttino (234 yards).

Gowins amassed 713 yards and eight touchdowns over the final three games, an avalanche of offense. His 1,310 yards set the school’s single-season rushing record and earned Gowins national recognition. Cuttino, who became Stony Brook’s all-time rushing leader with 2,807 career yards, finished fourth in the conference in rushing (1,243 yards) and was named an All-Big South second-teamer.

“We complement each other in a big way,’’ the shifty Cuttino said. “Eddie has bulk but is deceiving because he has speed. As far as teams trying to game plan against us—it’s hard. We can do many of the same things. He has a bigger body, a bigger frame. But it doesn’t matter who is in the backfield. Coach doesn’t have a problem with Eddie going outside or with me running inside.”

Gowins spent a year in prep school before returning home to play at Stony Brook. His first collegiate carry went for a 22-yard touchdown. Paired with the equally electric Cuttino, who knows what the two can accomplish with another year of experience.

Priore must replace both receivers and two linemen. And Hoffman suffered through growing pains at quarterback a year ago. The Seawolves (5-6 overall, 3-2 Big South) are picked to finish second behind two-time champ Liberty in the Big South.

But the schedule is unforgiving, with September games against defending Patriot League champ Colgate and Ivy League winner Brown. The Seawolves open the season September 5 at Hofstra. Even though Stony Brook is 0-12 lifetime against its cross-Island rival, at least the game is local. Seven of the team’s first ten games are on the road.

“Execute our game plan and we have the potential to win the conference,’’ Cuttino said. “We need to stay focused and do our job.”

Stony Brook football is a tough sell. But Cuttino and Gowins offer a persuasive argument. Getting the players to believe is an important first step on the road to better days.