Adel Shoya Barthelemy's profile is as atypical as his career. Initially, he was a basketball player who played football from time to time. He was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but spent most of his life in Fargo, North Dakota.
He wasn't a fantastic basketball player; he had more of a defensive profile than anything else but was always among the smartest in his school career. So much so that he initially prioritized his academic career over his athletic career.
He committed to playing basketball at North Dakota State when he was at the level required to study in the Ivy League, but he preferred to stay with his family.
Initially a basketball player, he took up football, even playing basketball for the Bisons, but tragedy struck before his first game as a starting quarterback. As a result, he decided to convert to Islam. This was the beginning of Shoya's incredible journey.
As a true freshman, he started a game as early as Week 7 and didn't leave the job for three seasons due to quarterback injuries. To say that he is a legendary player at North Dakota State University would not be a lie, given his accomplishments.
Three-time FCS champion (2024, 2025, 2026), they have lost only five games out of a possible 42 without forgetting the playoffs.
North Dakota State is the hegemony of the FCS, and Shoya has helped them maintain dominance. We're talking about a team that has lost only one out of 10 games in the finals. It was a heavy burden, but he held his own.
He is the only one to have been the Most Outstanding Player three times, while his predecessors Carson Wentz (twice) and Trey Lance did not do as well as him. And two times FCS All-American.
He is also the only one to have been able to beat a team in the top #25, Oregon, in 2025. He was victorious until the end, but how could he have fallen until the fifth round?
There are several reasons for this. His career path is atypical as his profile, which is to his disadvantage, and circumstances have not helped.
First, he's very tall, and quarterbacks like him have mostly been disappointments, like Ryan Mallett, Mike Glennon, Brock Osweiler, and Paxton Lynch. There are no strict screening rules against hiring incredibly tall quarterbacks.
Most experience difficulty with movement, poor hip mobility, and tight hamstrings. You don't expect him to be that mobile and athletic because he's tall. That's all. Most people won't find an honest answer to this question.
Brock Osweiler was closest to Shoya as they have an almost identical background, height, and weight. Lynch, Osweiler, and Shoya were all accomplished high school basketball players and impressive athletes.
Still, each was held back by other overwhelming shortcomings for an NFL QB.
The downside of an outstanding QB is that they are stiff in a long movement, which is not the case with Shoya, but no one has been able to see it. What for? He was injured during a practice before the NFL Combine.
Without the athletic ratings and despite a 50 rating at the Wonderlic, playing in the FCS, and being a victim of prejudice, his rating plummeted from a potential third-round pick to a pitiful fifth-round pick with the No. 157 pick. The Washington Commanders seized the opportunity.
They thought they already had an established quarterback and time to develop raw talent like Shoya. Just three years of experience wouldn't have been a problem, only if it wasn't the quarterback position.
Considering the gains and risks, it's natural that NFL franchises would only spend a little money on him because they believe the shortcomings are too significant to ignore.
This is how the cycle continues. Few unbelievably tall quarterbacks have made it in the NFL because few have tried. And the cycle continued until Justin Herbert succeeded, but few were willing to take that risk.
A risk that Shoya takes.
His major asset is the accuracy of his throw, and even though his arm strength is not elite, it is pretty good. He's a good leader and seems to be in control of the group and on the pitch. He has a good pocket presence, and he's good at extending plays with his feet.
According to the scouts, he would have been better off staying an extra year to develop his overall feel for the game. Before his draft, he struggled to decipher defenses due to his inexperience: more than three years in FCS is needed, especially in a dominant team.
That's why Johnson had asked Shoya to learn a year despite the talent of fighting for a starting job. It looks more like a later development choice.
Looking at Shoya's profile in front of him, the coaching team has already decided.
"Are you really going to let Shoya play against the Saints?" asked assistant coach Mike Summers.
Faced with Rogers' suspicions and the assistant coach, Johnson replied without hesitation: "You have to! Since we have a weapon in our hands, why not use it? Gardner isn't performing as well as he does in practice, and the Saints are coming at the right time. It's easier than starting against the Cowboys. »
The offense is the best defense, and the defense is the best offense. Football is one of the most representative sports of this truth; look at the Commanders right now.
Relying on a solid defense when the offensive team is behind in all skill positions does not improve will cause the defensive players to lose confidence and thus affect the defensive state, which will be fatal to the team as a whole.
Everyone has said that the intensity of the NFL game is so great that there is no comparison in the college league. It's a consensus that the intensity of play in college is too low, and beginners need time to get used to it, especially the quarterback position.
The tactical requirements are stricter, and apart from a fragile quarterback or a promising rookie, few coaches are willing to push a rookie straight to the starting position. The Washington Commanders had no choice to push the stop to Shoya.
Johnson chose desperation, and the general manager and management decided to support the head coach after deliberation.
The NFL official has officially confirmed that Shoya Barthelemy will be the starter for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.
"Gardner Minshew is no longer the starter, which is good news for all Commanders fans." ESPN's lead professional commentator commented on the show, "But now you have to know what you want. Look at his 6'7 and 240 lbs (2.01 and 109 kg) height, he looks like a damn NBA player. He will take a helmet to dunk on the opponent's head, not score touchdowns. It's too big! »
With sharp comments, even when faced with a newbie, he has no mercy.
"The quarterbacks in this draft aren't good. Whether it's Solker with the Jets, Mitchell with the Lions, and Moses with the Raiders, all say a lot about this vintage. I don't think he's an exception. I'm talking with you, and he will cry and go home to find his mother. »