Sicuro: He knows about UW's Fiercest QB Competition Ever

Think the Washington quarterback situation is complicated, with talk of a grad transfer coming in and pushing aside the two returning Husky signal callers and being handed the job.

Paul Sicuro can tell you about the most intense battle for this coveted job in Montlake.

In 1984, he was the heir apparent to become the Huskies starter after serving as Steve Pelluer's loyal back-up the season before.

He was a senior from Ashland, Oregon, who had turned down Stanford and UCLA to play for Don James' Huskies, and he had paid his dues.

However, Sicuro wasn't handed the job by the coaching staff. He was put into a rigorous three-way position sweepstakes with junior-college transfer Hugh Millen and highly regarded local recruit Chris Chandler. The other two were strong-armed guys. Sicuro was pinpoint and accurate.

"We had three guys who could play but only one would," Sicuro said. "It was tough."

Yet Millen came out of fall camp as the starter, with Sicuro the back-up and Chandler bringing up the rear.

The two odd men out weren't satisfied. They complained to Seattle Post-Intelligencer writer Art Thiel about their lack of playing time in a story -- and Sicuro and Chandler each were called to James' 'office and given an individual rebuke for speaking out to the press.

"I was a horrible practice player," Sicuro said. "That's what hurt me."

In the accompanying photo, Sicuro, now a Seattle radiologist at Virginia Mason Medical Center, stands in front of a Seattle Times story that chronicles the quarterback battle. The competition never really ended.

Millen lasted as the Huskies' No. 1 quarterback through seven games before he was replaced by Sicuro.

Sicuro threw three touchdown passes against California in his first start, won the Apple Cup and started the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma during his time behind center. Facing the Sooners, he threw a touchdown pass and had another dropped while building a 14-0 lead.

The game, however, shifted back to Oklahoma, which took a 17-14 lead, and Sicuro got lifted this time. Millen replaced him late in the game and sparked a rally that led to a 28-17 UW victory.

"You could get yanked at any time," Sicuro said. "You had to perform."

None of these guys ever got comfortable during the 1984 season as they collectively helped the Huskies finish 11-1 and rank No. 2 in the polls.

Millen and Chandler went on to play in the NFL, while Sicuro briefly took part in a pro training camp before heading to medical school.

Now with quarterback the hot topic again, Sicuro has some strong opinions on what the Huskies should do next in finding a starter. Check him out on the video.

We'll have second clip of Sicuro later in the week, discussing his post-football world.