CSU QB Todd Centeio has second chance to make first impressions in FoCo. He vows to make it count.

FORT COLLINS — Every tattoo tells a story. But let’s commencement with the newest one, the 1 that pops close aft you shingle Todd Centeio’s hand:

That elephantine B-plus.

The 1 inked successful red, tucked betwixt the thumb and the scale finger.

“A batch of radical are like, ‘Why bash you person a people connected your hand?’” the CSU Rams’ elder backmost explained. “And it’s not.

“One of my coaches astatine Temple (was) Adam DiMichele … helium would ever speech to maine and he’d beryllium like, ‘Be positive, beryllium positive.’

“And astatine practice, helium would constitute a ‘B’ and a ‘plus’ motion connected his hands. And I’m like, ‘One day, I’m going to get that tattooed connected myself due to the fact that it’s a large reminder to beryllium affirmative astatine each times.”

For a feline who’s ne'er passed for much than 141 yards successful a assemblage game, astir each satellite successful Centeio’s orbit exudes positivity. Good throw, atrocious throw, No. 7 flashes the aforesaid smile. Same hope. Be positive.

New CSU violative coordinator Jon Budmayr, who spent the erstwhile six seasons arsenic an adjunct astatine Wisconsin, earlier this twelvemonth likened Centeio to ex-Badgers large Russell Wilson. Rams manager Steve Addazio, who tin beryllium arsenic blunt arsenic a sledgehammer, has compared the Florida native’s traits to those of Tim Tebow and Donovan McNabb, 2 NFL quarterbacks helium helped tutor astatine Florida and Syracuse, respectively.

And erstwhile a newsman past period asked The Daz astir Centeio’s violative numbers — 14-for-36 passing, 207 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 prime — during the 2020 season, the second-year Rams manager got borderline, well, defensive.

“You tin archer that it benignant of bothers maine from the standpoint of, ‘What are we talking astir here?’” Addazio countered. “He started (the 2020 opener) due to the fact that helium was the champion person and the champion rival and helium had done the things indispensable to beryllium successful that game. There’s a batch of things that spell into playing quarterback. You know, everybody looks astatine 1 thing, a passing stat. Well, that’s portion of it. But what’s the remainder of the communicative connected the passing stat?

“Toddy got wounded (at Fresno State) and truly wasn’t capable to play the adjacent 2 games. That wounded lingered. It was connected his throwing hand. Then helium had an ankle injury. We played 4 games …

“I’m truthful impressed with him close present successful grooming campy … he’s highly accurate. He’s throwing the (crud) retired of the shot close now. Never caput the information that helium tin bushed you with his feet. I deliberation Jon Budmayr has done a fabulous occupation with Toddy Centeio. I spot tremendous maturation with him close present successful a precise abbreviated play of time.”

“Painful to throw”

In the moments erstwhile Centeio cracks a joke, oregon gets animated astir a peculiar point, helium brings his arms up from his lap. That’s erstwhile you spot the matching ink crossed his little thighs.

Another message. Another mantra.

Right thigh: GOD

Left thigh: SPEED

“That’s the clip that I’m on,” Centeio explained. “Just immoderate velocity God wants maine to spell about.”

We cognize astir the legs. Coming retired of Dwyer High School successful West Palm Beach, Fla., the Rams’ backmost clocked astatine 4.6 successful the 40-yard dash portion signaling a 33-inch vertical leap. At Temple, Centeio scooted 21 yards connected 1 play during a rout of ECU successful 2018 and racked up 45 yards successful 1 jaunt against UConn a twelvemonth later. The legs, that speed, was ne'er the question.

Now he’s connected a ngo to beryllium that the wounded to his scale digit past autumn — “It was achy to throw, but, you know, I tried to propulsion done it,” Centeio recalled — was the basal origin of those subpar passing numbers.

“I conscionable consciousness similar I tin marque a play (at) anytime successful the game,” the Rams backmost said. “I consciousness similar I person a large narration with a batch of people. I bent retired with the linemen. I bent retired with adjacent the antiaircraft (guys) … truthful I consciousness similar we conscionable built that narration with everybody. Everybody trusts maine and I spot them. Respect, it goes some ways.”

After falling abbreviated connected his mentation — by his ain admission — successful 2020, Centeio doubled down connected the schoolroom broadside heading into this year. And that cramming hasn’t gone without announcement by his teammates.

“(Centeio) mightiness spot thing that I don’t see, and helium switches the protection, helium mightiness marque an audible,” violative tackle Barry Wesley said. “He’s a precise astute guy, he’s precise intelligent, he’s capable to marque those decisions astatine a precise accelerated rate.”

“The sky’s the bounds for us”

The near limb is devoted to faith. Across the forearm, you tin conscionable marque retired Isaiah 41:10: Do not fear, for I americium with you.

Left bicep: A ineffable heart.

“You’ve got the tone wisdom,” Centeio continued. “And up here, it (reads): ‘The satellite is yours.’”

FoCo could beryllium his, too, starting Friday nighttime against South Dakota State. A crippled that comes with the rarest of gifts: a 2nd accidental to marque a archetypal impression.

“I’ll randomly locomotion by (teammates) and say, ‘Yo, what’s this?’ And spot if they cognize (the play),” Centeio said. “And (I’ll) go, ‘Hey, bully job, you cognize it, you’re truly successful the P.B., you’re truly successful the playbook, getting it done.’

“So that’s my focus. It feels similar everybody, crossed the board, is conscionable being prepared and playing relentless. The sky’s the bounds for us.”