Joe College? Too generic.
Joey Heisman? Glamorous, but not quite right (at least not yet).
Princess? A little harsh.
Mr. Clutch? Appropriate, yet not preferred.
“Just Joey,” said Oregon’s senior quarterback, Joey Harrington. “It makes me sound younger.”
Whatever you choose to call him, Joey Harrington will respond — well, maybe not when teammate and former roommate Justin Peelle calls him “Princess” — and almost always with positive results.
In two and a half years as Oregon’s starting quarterback, Harrington has proven to be one of the most effective signal callers in Pacific-10 Conference history. Harrington’s success, which includes nine fourth-quarter come-from-behind wins and a 23-3 record as a starter, may also earn him a trip to New York on Dec. 8, when the Heisman Trophy will be handed out to the nation’s top college football player.

“Generally, the Heisman goes to the player on a winning team,” said the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Portland native. “So if I end up in New York, we’re probably going to be 10-1, which would be absolutely terrific. But it’s not something I think of too much.
“I control what I can on the field.”
An Oregon player has ever won the Heisman, including quarterback greats Akili Smith (1997-98), Danny O’Neil (1991-94), Bill Musgrave (1987-90) and Chris Miller (1983-86).
According to ESPN.com, Harrington is third in the Heisman race behind Nebraska senior quarterback Eric Crouch and Miami junior quarterback Ken Dorsey. The top four vote-getters for the Heisman — selected by 175 members of the media — will be invited to New York for the annual presentation. A trip to the Big Apple would be Harrington’s second of the year, as he was on hand to unveil his 100-foot poster in May, a $250,000 marketing campaign paid for by donors.
“I assume we’ll all have a much better feel after the Civil War, but, yes, definitely, he should be (in New York),” head coach Mike Bellotti said. “If you look at his touchdown-to-interception ratio, his winning tradition over the course of his career — there’s very few people that have meant as much to their program as he has to ours.”
In comparison, Crouch has thrown for 1,310 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions this season for the top-ranked Huskers, but he has also rushed for 958 yards and 16 TDs. Dorsey is 139-for-228 passing for 2,006 yards with 15 TDs and eight interceptions.
Harrington is 175-of-300 for 2,310 yards, with 23 TDs and five interceptions. He has also rushed for seven TDs. In his career, Harrington has accounted for 74 touchdowns (55 passing, 17 rushing, one receiving), breaking O’Neil’s school-record 67.
One factor that will likely play into the final baloting, as Harrington said, is the team’s performance. Nebraska is undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the Bowl Championship Series. Miami, also undefeated, is No. 2. Both teams, though, still have three games left to play, while the No. 7 Ducks wait to play their final game Dec. 1 against Oregon State, a team that spoiled Oregon’s hopes of a Rose Bowl last year.
Despite a loss to Stanford on Oct. 20, Harrington said he has not given up hope of getting to the national championship game this year, which will be played at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 3.
“We did get knocked down, but we’re not out,” he said. “We know it’s a long shot, but if we win and teams lose, we’ll have a shot. That’s all we’re asking for.”
Harrington has made the most of his situation with the Ducks since earning the starting job midway through his sophomore year. Now, as a fifth-year senior who will earn a degree in sports marketing at the end of the term, Harrington has learned to take things in stride.
“His work ethic is unmatched by anyone else on the team,” Peelle said. “Off the field, he’s just relaxed. When he got here, he was so uptight and so tense. He’s just really relaxed now and has embraced college and is enjoying the life.”
Harrington will likely be enjoying life in the National Football League in the years to come. Many have projected that he may be a top-10 first-round selection in next year’s draft.
“He’s just a total team player,” Oregon offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford said. “He’s definitely good enough to take it to the next level.”
Just hope, for Joey’s sake, his future teammates don’t get wind of the nickname “Princess.”