Falcons' Green gains from experience

RALEIGH -- Everyone else heard what Joaquin Green felt as he hit the ground.

The St. Augustine's freshman had been tackled in his first collegiate football game last season against Catawba. The force of the blow reverberated like surround sound, yet the 6-foot-2, 185-pound quarterback picked himself up and continued playing with a smile.

"That kind of brought me into it," he said. "It relaxed me a little bit. It was different from high school, but I saw I could take it."

That tackle removed all jitters and thrust Green into a comfortable rhythm as the St. Aug's first-year quarterback. As the season unfolded, he grew even more comfortable, passing for 1,318 yards and 12 touchdowns and earning the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association's offensive rookie of the year award.

With the start of the 2010 season, Green has returned, offering the Falcons the most stability at quarterback since Darrell Nesbitt manned the pocket from 2003-05.

St. Aug's coach Michael Costa said sophomore Green is the quarterback of the future.

"That's our plan," he said. "Someone who will be here for a while. Someone who understands the program and knows what it takes to win."

That became clear for Costa during the Falcons' triple-overtime loss to Charleston (W.Va.) last Sept. 5.

His team trailing by 21 points, Green helped lift the Falcons into overtime, completing 20 of 33 passes for six touchdowns and 228 yards in just his second start. He exhibited Jay-Z cool under pressure.

"Real cool," Costa said. "Everyone rallied around him. He showed a lot of poise. That was important."

By the end of the season, Green had passed his way into the school's record books. He now sits third behind Nesbitt's 1,751 yards in 2005 and 1,407 yards in 2003 for the most passing yards in a season.

Nesbitt and Green are the only quarterbacks to have thrown for more than 1,000 yards in a season since football returned to Shaw in 2002.

Green attended Northwood High in Pittsboro and sat out a redshirt season at St. Aug's. He worked with quarterbacks coach Matthew Montgomery, the former Hampton quarterback who led the Pirates to three CIAA championships.

Montgomery, in his ninth year with the Falcons, said Green is a smart quarterback who lives up to his engineering major and 3.6 grade point average.

"He understands the passing game a whole lot better than some of our previous guys," Montgomery said. "He knows protections and hot reads. That plays a big role in him being a pretty good quarterback."

Green joined the Falcons after his brother, Jabari, played tight end from 2005-08. His brother earned All-CIAA first-team honors as a freshman and works in the school's admissions department.

With his brother's example, Green earned conference offensive rookie of the year. "I had to let him know I was here, too," Green said.

After focusing on the position through the spring and sweltering summer, Green said he's returned with a better understanding of the Falcons' Pro-I spread offense. With an experienced offensive line in front of him, he's eager to find senior tight end Jone' Harris and sophomore wideout Tyron Laughinghouse.