University of Connecticut Athletics
Meet The Spring Game Honorary Coaches: Dan Orlovsky
4/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 12, 2010
When Dan Orlovsky began his career as the quarterback for the UConn football squad, the team was playing in NCAA Division I-AA and received virtually no national recognition for what they did. Four years later, the Huskies were a member of the BIG EAST Conference as a Division I-A team, had won their first bowl game, and Orlovsky, who had become the face of the program, was beginning his career with a new team -- this time in the NFL.
On Saturday, April 17, Orlovsky will serve as one of the honorary coaches for the 2010 Blue-White Spring Football Game. He will be joined by his fellow 2004 captains Alfred Fincher and Ryan Krug while the other "coaching staff" will be Donald Brown and Tyler Lorenzen. The game starts at noon and admission and parking are free.
Orlovsky became the MVP of the Motor City Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit after he threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns, capping an already excellent career in Connecticut. As Orlovsky moved onto the next level of play, he left behind a legacy at UConn that includes every major passing record and memories of a team that transcended everyone's expectations.
When he returns to the sidelines at Rentschler Field, Orlovsky will be able to soak in the changes that have occurred since he left.
"There were 500 people there at my first spring game," said Orlovsky. "The transformation has been tremendous, and it's great to know that I was a small part of it."
Most people would agree that Orlovsky was more than a small part of the Huskies' changes. "The whole honorary coach situation is a humbling experience, and it's an honor to be sharing the sideline with my fellow '04 captains," Orlovsky said. "They're as much of the foundation to the program as anyone."
Orlovsky has been part of an NFL organization since he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. Last year, he signed a three-year deal with the Houston Texans as a backup quarterback. Orlovsky's busiest season came in 2008 with the Lions as he played in 10 games and threw for eight touchdowns on 1,616 yards.
"(The NFL) has been quite a journey. It's fulfilled every dream I had and more," said Orlovsky. "There's been awesome moments and there are some not-so-awesome moments, but I've made some great relationships and I've been fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity."
Orlovsky says that his best advice to players considering a professional career is that it takes sacrifice, commitment, and dedication--all things he has demonstrated throughout his career.
"If you do it for the right reasons--because you love football--it will be worth every second you put into it," Orlovsky preached.
He is no stranger to commitment and dedication on or off the field. In July of 2009, Orlovsky married his wife, Tiffany. The couple met at Jeff Fox's (Orlovsky's teammate at UConn) wedding in 2006, as she had gone to high school with Fox. The Orlovsky's currently reside in Texas. However, Orlovsky is excited to travel from the heart of the south up into UConn Country to revisit his glory days at his alma mater.
"I've been back a few times and things are a lot different. Coach (Edsall) has done an amazing job and I'm looking forward to getting back, seeing the guys I played with, and seeing what the program looks like," Orlovsky said.
He'll get a chance to be part of the game again at UConn--and even though it is just for the spring game, everyone will surely be glad to see the player who led the Huskies through a difficult transition working with the current players. The fans and coaches will not soon forget what Orlovsky helped the program accomplish, nor vice versa. Orlovsky praised, "What I went through and learned playing at UConn has benefited me so much not only in my career, but in life."
--Sean Soltys
