Top Quarterback at Stanford Can’t Elude Comparisons : HE PAYES A PRICE

The last Stanford quarterback who majored in economics is doing quite well as a quarterback and economically. His name is John Elway, and he earns $1 million per year from the Denver Broncos.

John Paye is the latest economics major playing quarterback for Stanford. That’s where the comparisons with Elway begin.

That is where Paye wishes comparisons ended. He has heard more than enough about Elway since becoming Stanford’s quarterback four games into his freshman season of 1983.

Even now, Paye sidesteps comparisons as if they were 300-pound linemen bearing down on him. Paye merely said he has gained experience as a public figure at Stanford, kind of like Elway did.

Jack Elway, John Elway’s father and John Paye’s coach, isn’t much on comparisons, either. However, he, at least, attempted to answer how Paye compares with his son.

“He compares very favorably,” Jack Elway said. “I’ll make that comparison after his career at Stanford is over.”

Statistically, Paye compares favorably to Elway as a junior. Paye has averaged 193.8 passing yards in his first 20 games at Stanford. Elway averaged 171.6 yards through 20 games.

In three games this season, Paye has passed for 1,056 yards and seven touchdowns. Going into Saturday night’s game against San Diego State, he is third nationally in total offense with an average of 355 yards per game.

Paye was recruited to Stanford by Coach Paul Wiggin, who was fired after the 1983 season. After Jack Elway took over, he had a coach-to-quarterback talk with Paye concerning his son.

“When I came here, I thought (Paye) might get tired of questions comparing him to John (Elway),” Jack Elway said. “I told him ‘John has had his career, you’re starting yours. Concentrate on being yourself and doing what you do well.’ Based on the direction he’s going, he’ll rank high in the tradition of Stanford quarterbacks.”

Paye is fifth on Stanford’s all-time passing list with 3,884 yards. It’s doubtful he can catch leader Elway at 9,349 yards, but he may catch second-place Jim Plunkett, his childhood hero, at 7,544 yards. Paye and his father went to watch Plunkett lead Stanford past Ohio State in the 1971 Rose Bowl, 27-17.

“I have followed Jim Plunkett since he left Stanford,” Paye said. “I was excited when he was traded to the 49ers. I thought it would be pretty fun if I could play for Stanford and the 49ers. Playing for the 49ers would be beyond my control. You have more of an opportunity to choose your college team than your pro team.”

Coming out of high school, Paye could have picked virtually any college he desired. He passed for 7,647 yards and 80 touchdowns in three seasons at The Menlo School in Menlo Park, setting four state records and two national records.

Though recruiters sent him letters by the bundles, those who knew Paye best never doubted where he would go.

“As he was growing up, people always said he’d play at Stanford because his dad was a Stanford alumnus,” said San Diego State kicker Chris O’Brien, a Pop Warner teammate of Paye. “John always stood out in every sport, especially football. In other sports, he wasn’t in the limelight as much.”

Paye was drafted by the San Francisco Giants as a shortstop in the 33rd round in 1983, but he already was committed to Stanford. He also starts at point guard for the Cardinal basketball team. Two years ago, he was the second Division I player in NCAA history to start in football and basketball as a freshman. Quinn Buckner of the Boston Celtics started in both sports as an Indiana freshman in 1972-73.

“I wasn’t recruited by major college basketball programs,” Paye said. “When I was a senior, I had a junior on my high school team who was being recruited by Stanford. Stanford saw me and expressed an interest in having me try out for the basketball team.”

Paye averaged 3.3 points as a freshman and 6.9 points as a sophomore. He’s unable to join the basketball team for its first few games each season because of overlapping schedules with football.

When Paye began his athletic career at Stanford, he oftentimes wanted to find a place to hide from the attention. He came the year after Elway left and the Cardinal finished 1-10 his first season. Wiggin was fired after the season.

Stanford was 2-1 in football under Paye at the outset of 1984, then the worst began to unfold. Paye suffered two finger injuries, causing him to miss five complete games and portions of the other three.

“That was the first time in my career I couldn’t play because of injuries,” Paye said. “When I sat in the stands, I learned what you can’t learn standing on the sidelines. I was able to see why coaches call the plays they do. From an optimist’s standpoint, it helped me learn a lot about the game.”

Paye has applied those lessons well this season. He passed for 408 yards against Oregon and 365 yards against Texas in the last two weeks, resurfacing the comparisons with Stanford greats such as Plunkett, John Elway and John Brodie.

“I don’t see myself in the limelight yet,” Paye said. “If I’m lucky and if things work out for the team, maybe I can be compared to the other quarterbacks in the future.”

Any maybe then Paye will enjoy the same economic prosperity as Elway.

Aztec Notes The Aztec Athletic Foundation is sponsoring a luncheon at noon today at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, featuring Coach Doug Scovil and two players. The luncheon is open to the public and costs $10 . . . The first 35,000 fans at Saturday’s Stanford game will receive souvenir mugs commemorating the first SDSU-Stanford football game.