Bomb’s Away to Anchor’s Aweigh : Ex-Quarterback Pagnanelli Now Passes as a Sailor

As Marco Pagnanelli walks along the bow of the USS Lang docked in the Long Beach Naval Station, it’s easy to see how much he misses the attention, the fanfare and playing in the limelight.

There was a time when the former Huntington Beach High School quarterback was the toast of the Naval Academy. He led the Midshipmen to a 7-3-1 record in 1981 and a berth in the Liberty Bowl.

The same season, Pagnanelli came off the bench to lead a second-half comeback against No. 1-ranked Michigan that fell just short before 100,000 fans in Ann Arbor, 21-16. He played in front of capacity crowds against Notre Dame and national television audiences against Army during his two-year career.

He received letters from fans and alumni around the world who followed his exploits on the Navy Football Network, a world-wide radio system. Although his career ended prematurely when he suffered a broken leg in 1982, Pagnanelli emerged as the academy’s seventh-leading career passer with 2,143 yards and a 57.6% completion ratio.

But instead of looking forward to any chance of a career as a professional, Pagnanelli had a five-year commitment of service when he graduated from the academy in 1983.

Today, Ensign Pagnanelli is a main propulsion assistant aboard the USS Lang, a 4,255-ton frigate that serves as a training platform for active duty and reserve personnel based in Long Beach.

The tranquil waters of the massive harbor are a long way from the hostile crowds of Notre Dame. He admits he sometimes wishes he could return to the field.

But Pagnanelli says he doesn’t regret his career course. He’s quick to point out that the Naval Academy was the only institution that was interested in him after his senior year at Huntington Beach High, where the Oilers were 3-7.

Naval recruiters kept the offer open following two unsuccessful seasons at Golden West College, where Pagnanelli played a grand total of one game. It was time for a career decision, but Pagnanelli was nearly convinced that his playing days were over.

“I had redshirted at Golden West for a year and figured I would get my big chance to play my sophomore season,” Pagnanelli said. “I always wanted to play for USC or UCLA. But I tore ligaments in my right knee in the first game I played for Golden West and the season was over.

“I started wondering if playing football was worth all the work. Is football worth all the time and energy I had put into the sport?”

Finally, Pagnanelli decided to accept Navy’s offer. The academy promises “to prepare midshipmen morally, mentally and physically to be professional officers in the Naval service.”

Realistically, Pagnanelli said life as a midshipman was “pretty miserable” his first year at Annapolis.

Pagnanelli: “I was a Southern California kid on the East Coast. That in itself was a major adjustment. I was the eighth-string quarterback playing on the junior varsity team. I ran the scout team for the varsity and was fair game for our starting defense at every practice.

“Academically, the work load was tough, but I had a good background in math and science at Golden West. I could see where it would be very difficult for someone right out of high school.

“I was taking six or seven classes each term and then going to football practice. It made for a very long day.”

Then, Pagnanelli had to put up with the infamous academy hazing. He sang old Navy fight songs before every meal or recited plebe pledges before retiring to bed.

“The hazing goes on constantly for a year,” he said. “I asked myself, ‘Why am I doing this?’ It was a total cultural shock for me.”

Somehow, Pagnanelli survived whereas three of the quarterbacks listed ahead of him on the depth chart quit. A fourth quarterback graduated, allowing Pagnanelli to move to third-string in spring football.

He was elevated to second-string behind three-year starter Eddie Meyers entering the 1981 season. The Midshipmen opened the year with a 17-7 win over The Citadel and Pagnanelli was awarded the game ball for rushing for two touchdowns in the second half to lead a comeback.

Pagnanelli nearly engineered one of the major upsets of the season in his third game, against Michigan, with two touchdowns.

“After that game, I realized I could play major-college football against any team in the nation,” he said.

He became the starting quarterback following the Michigan game and led Navy to a 7-3-1 record and a postseason bowl berth. In his best collegiate game, Pagnanelli threw for two touchdowns and a two-point conversion during a 31-28 loss to Art Schlichter-led Ohio State in the Liberty Bowl.

The following season, Pagnanelli was touted by Navy press officers for Eastern regional honors and opened the season with a victory over Virginia on regional television. But five games later, his season ended when he broke his right leg against The Citadel.

Since Pagnanelli had played a season--albeit only one game at Golden West--he was ineligible for his senior year at Annapolis. Despite starting only 16 games, he left his mark in the Navy record book.

Pagnanelli owns the highest, single-game completion percentage (88.2%) with a 15-for-17 passing day against Duke in 1982. He is 10th in career total offense with 2,593 yards. He ranks seventh in career passing with 2,143 yards.

Yet, when his playing days were over, Pagnanelli had to make another adjustment. Life as a five-year enlistee had just begun.

“I had a lot more freedom and a little more money in my pocket (before), “ he said. “Sure, I missed the attention. I was getting letters from everywhere. I even had a woman write me to claim that I was her long-lost son.

“But I knew what was ahead of me the day I enlisted. It was just another adjustment.”

Pagnanelli chose surface line training and was assigned to warfare school in Newport, R.I., for seven months upon graduation. He’s stationed in Long Beach where he is allowed to go home three or four times a week when his ship is in port.

“It’s been a great opportunity for me,” Pagnanelli said of his career at the Naval Academy. “I’ve traveled to Europe, spent the Christmas holidays snorkeling in Florida. I look at my brothers, and they’ve hardly been out of Orange County.”

Marco Pagnanelli takes consolation in that. Through the Navy, he’s seeing the world--if not his name in bold headlines anymore.