Garrett Shrader will go down as the Syracuse football quarterback who left everything out on the field, a guy who played with his heart on his sleeve, fighting through injuries throughout his time in Orange. Injuries that also forced him to sit out of Syracuse’s Pro Day.

But as he now preps for the NFL, he wouldn’t change his Syracuse career for the world.

For the back half of the season, Shrader was dealing with an injury to his shoulder which severely limited his ability to throw. But that wasn’t the only ailment facing the former Orange quarterback.

“I had another one on my foot from a game during the season, so I had to sit out a couple of games and all that I was dealing with and getting over the hump," Shrader said. "It's been good for me, just rehabbing. First time in my life, it's been really weird, not on a team, not working towards anything, just trying to get healthy. So it's all been good, though. I've been very grateful.”

Time away from taking snaps on the field is not easy for Shrader, but he still finds ways to keep busy.

“I've been doing a lot of reading and doing some, you know, self-help things," Shrader said. "Whatever I can work on my end ... but it's been good. It's been refreshing to get some rest, but after about two weeks, I'm ready to be up doing something again. So it's been good.”

His collegiate career was filled with twists and turns, navigating coaching change after coaching change — something this year's Orange team is facing under first-year head coach Fran Brown.

But Shrader still finds a way to impact the team, even if he’s not on it.

“Even watching the guys now with the new staff and how they're turning things around, you know, bodies are changing," Shrader said. "There's a lot of energy in the locker room. So there's some, it's been good to see. But yeah, I wouldn't trade last year for anything.”

As Shrader continues his rehab, he says he should be full go by June, hopefully finding his way onto an NFL roster as well.

“A lot of guys are looking at me, obviously quarterback," Shrader said of what position some NFL teams are looking at him for. "With the rule change they have, they have a lot more guys looking for athletic quarterbacks. They can add value in other places, you know, like Taysom Hill was doing it for a while. Now, he's completely converted. And some guys see me as a pure quarterback. So it just depends on finding the right fit; wherever I can add value and then eventually grow into a larger role.”

Shrader says he's taking more of a cerebral approach, waiting for an opportunity to showcase his athleticism as he looks to make it in the NFL.

“I've already been talking to a bunch of teams and navigating that, and Zoom calls coming up next week," Shrader said. "That process for me, especially with not being able to do a whole lot for the combine and then not be able to do Pro Day. So it'll be interesting to see where I end up, but you know, I'm excited and looking forward to it. I know whenever I get an opportunity, to take advantage of it.”