The family, tucked away in its corner of New York state, saw this, too. That's what stung most.
This incident wasn't neatly brushed underneath a rug at Penn State University. No, Andrew Quarless' name bled across the ticker on ESPN. Everybody in Uniondale could see this.
"Everybody sees my last name, and it goes straight to my family," Quarless said. "That really hit me. I needed to tighten up."
In 2007, as a freshman, Quarless was suspended two games by Penn State for underage drinking. After his sophomore year, he was caught driving under the influence through a red light at 3 a.m. In September 2008, marijuana was found in the apartment he shared with three teammates.
Ever since, Quarless has been trying to cleanse his reputation. This summer could go a long way. Now, in his second Green Bay Packers training camp, the tight end is fighting for a roster spot.
Off the field, Quarless said, his life is together. And on the field, that's where the 6-foot-4, 252-pounder plans to clear his name.
"I've learned from those things, grown from them and I'm still alive," Quarless said. "I'm still alive as a football player. A lot of guys get in trouble and fade away. Their football careers end. Mine is still going."
Nothing is guaranteed for Quarless. Last year, he was playing with the first team on a Super Bowl offense. Now, although Quarless is unofficially considered the No. 2 tight end, his position is a city subway station.
Jermichael Finley isn't going anywhere. The Packers probably didn't draft Arkansas' D.J. Williams and North Carolina's Ryan Taylor to release them. Unless general manager Ted Thompson decides to keep five tight ends, one roster spot could boil down to Quarless, Tom Crabtree and Spencer Havner.
If nothing else, Quarless swears he has perspective.
After the DUI arrest, he stopped drinking completely. It was a destructive force, one he realized could suffocate his football career. So after a talk with Penn State coach Joe Paterno, Quarless quit. The next alcoholic beverage Quarless had, he said, was a toast with his family when the Packers drafted him in the fifth round in 2010.
Now, the tight end said, he drinks responsibly, usually only in social settings.
Quarless insists that he needed to go through all of this, needed a numbing wake-up call. Other players in his top-five recruiting class got in trouble and bailed. They left for a fresh start at other schools. Quarless considered transferring but instead decided to navigate his way out of Paterno's doghouse.
It's not a fun residency.
"You don't want to be in there," Quarless said in a low rumble. "It's Joe Pa's doghouse, but it's with all the coaches. They expect more of you."
Eventually, Quarless worked his way to Green Bay, albeit three rounds lower than he expected. When Finley suffered a season-ending knee injury Oct. 10, Quarless was force-fed snaps he wasn't ready for. The Packers leaned on three- and four-wide receiver sets to compensate.
In time, Quarless improved as a blocker and finished with 21 receptions for 238 yards and one touchdown.
Time for Round 2.
After missing his first four practices with a hip flexor, Quarless has run fluid routes and made the occasional catch in game settings. His size and raw ability remain clear. Most likely, the fate of Quarless, Crabtree and Havner will come down to blocking. Finley is 15 pounds lighter than last year. The team needs a tight end capable of providing in-line support.
Quarless' overlying goal is to play in fifth gear. Too often as a rookie, he couldn't keep up with Green Bay's grip-it-and-rip-it offense.
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