Career Stats
* Ivy League Rookie of the Week (11/6/2006; 11/20/2006)
At Cornell
One of the team’s top athletes and most electrifying players in the open field, Liuzza will be one of the team’s go-to players on offense. A sure-handed quarterback turned wide receiver, he is also capable of lining up as a running back or returning kicks or punts. His versatility will again make his one of the most dangerous weapons in the Ancient Eight. Liuzza once again proved to a jack of all trades for the Big Red in 2008, ranking fourth on the team in total offense while filling a variety of roles. The multi-purpose threat had three games where he had at least one rush, one reception and one pass attempt. Against Brown, Liuzza rushed the ball a season-high eight times, caught a season-high four passes and completed two passes. He ranked third on the team with 159 rushing yards, caught 11 passes for 92 yards, and completed 4-of-6 passes for 67 yards through the air. As a sophomore in 2007, he opened the season as a wide receiver, catching 23 passes for 196 yards and ranking among the team leaders in both categories before moving to quarterback when Nathan Ford was injured in the game against Dartmouth. He responded by posting the third-highest total offense mark in school history, piling up 423 yards and accounting for three touchdowns against the Big Green in just three quarters. He tossed for 292 yards and ran for another 131 yards in the loss. For the season, Liuzza was 52-of-81 passing for 538 yards and a touchdown, while he ran for 347 yards and five touchdowns on a 4.3 yards per carry average. He then started his first game behind center against Columbia, running for 85 yards and two scores and completing 17-of-26 passes for 163 yards. In the season-opening win over Bucknell, Liuzza caught a team-best seven passes for 84 yards with a long catch of 28 yards. He posted 104 all-purpose yards, including 72 rushing yards on seven carries and a touchdown, in the win over Georgetown. Included was an electric 42-yard run where he broke several tackles. As a quarterback in two seasons, Liuzza has completed 64-of-104 passes (.615) for 677 yards and a touchdown with four interceptions, while running 106 times for 482 yards and seven scores. Liuzza was the Dick Schaap Award winner, which recognizes the Big Red freshman who contributed most to the varsity team. Liuzza set a freshman record for passing yards in a season (139) and a game (114 vs. Penn), earning Ivy League Rookie of the Week twice. The freshman was also fourth on the team in rushing, recording 135 yards on 25 carries and scoring two touchdowns. He broke off an 81-yard touchdown run in the win over Dartmouth, the longest run from scrimmage by a Big Red quarterback and the ninth-longest run in school history. Liuzza came off the bench to lead the Big Red against Penn, going 7-of-14 passing for 114 yards and also scoring a touchdown, while tallying 22 rushing yards. He is enrolled in the College of Engineering.
At Slidell
An all-state academic team member as a senior at Slidell HS, Liuzza passed for 3,874 yards and 33 touchdowns in two years as a starter. He was an honorable mention all-state pick as a senior captain and was a Times Picayune all-district selection in each of his final two seasons. Liuzza tossed for 2,488 yards and 20 touchdowns while completing 57 percent of his passes as a junior in leading his squad to the state semifinals. As a senior, Liuzza passed for 1,386 yards and 13 touchdowns and led his team to the state regionals in a season shortened to nine games due to Hurricane Katrina. He was named the most valuable offensive player in the Parish in 2005 after starting the year on the EA Sports Elite 11 Quarterbacks To Watch list. Liuzza was also a standout on the baseball diamond, claiming all-metro and all-district honors as a freshman and sophomore.
Personal
Stephen Dean Liuzza is the son of Artie and Denise Liuzza and has two older brothers and an older sister.
