Last season, quarterback Rashard Casey walked out of Beaver Stadium for the last time.

He left State College a winner, completing 11 of 18 passes for 218 yards, leading Penn State to a 42-23 victory over Michigan State.

One year later, he is trying to revive his football career.

Casey will be aiming to bring his act to New Jersey's Meadowlands next season. But it won't be at Giants Stadium, and he won't be playing for the Giants or the Jets. Instead, he'll be across the parking lot at the Continental Airlines Arena.

On Saturday, Casey tried out for the New Jersey Gladiators of the Arena Football League. The Gladiators make their home in the same venue where the NHL's Devils play hockey, and the NBA's Nets play basketball.

The Gladiators held an open try-out, available to anyone who wanted a shot at professional football. Afterward, the team hosted an invitational try-out, in which Casey participated.

The Gladiators' management will use the try-outs to determine whom they will invite to training camp. President and general manager Chris Mara invited Casey to the trial.

"I followed his college career closely," Mara said. "But the real reason I went after him was because Bill Parcells recommended him, said he'd fit well here."

Bill Parcells?

The same Bill Parcells that led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl wins? The same Bill Parcells that most recently was the New York Jets director of football operations? The same Bill Parcells that single-handedly rescued three separate professional football franchises?

The Tuna?

Yep, that Bill Parcells.

Following his career at Penn State, Casey, a Hoboken, N.J., native, formed a relationship with the football guru, and looks toward Parcells for direction.

"Bill Parcells is like a mentor to me now," Casey said. "He's a great person to have in your corner. If he's willing to stick with me and speak for me, someone will see that, and good things will come of it."

Casey had a solid workout, according to Mara. He was evaluated in the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, broad jump and quarterback drills.

"We had some good quarterbacks at the try-out," Mara said. "Rashard did very well, especially considering he hasn't looked at live receivers in a while. But he had good velocity, picked up the receiver in motion (a pretty unusual rule difference), and generally performed very well. He's definitely on our radar."

Casey will be trying to succeed in a much different setting. For those only familiar with traditional football, the arena game is a unique experience.

The field is only fifty yards long. Most players are required to play both offense and defense. There is no punting, and 100-point games are commonplace.

Another difference is the number of players on the field. Only eight players compete at once for each team, and each club is only allowed to have 20 people on the active roster.

This difference from traditional football might affect Casey's chances of making the squad. Because of the small roster size, most teams don't carry three quarterbacks.

A distinct set of rules is just the beginning of the differences Casey could experience in arena football.

"On a regular sized field, a quarterback like Rashard has room to scramble," Mara said. "In arena-ball, because of the small size of the field, you have to react faster, stay in the pocket, look for your second receiver, and have a quick release."

Casey is aware of these differences, and feels that succeeding in arena football could help his chances of eventually catching on with an NFL team.

"I think I can adjust," Casey said. "You need to make quicker decisions, and better decisions. Hopefully, I'll be able to take what I learn and eventually bring it to a regular size field."

Since graduating from Penn State with a degree in recreation and parks management, Casey has been busy showcasing his skills at NFL combines. Though he went undrafted and was not picked up as a free agent by any team, Casey has maintained his workout regime, and is confident it will pay off.

In the offseason, Casey continued the conditioning drills he learned at Penn State. In addition, he traveled to Tampa to participate in a private quarterback camp run by longtime NFL quarterback Steve DeBerg.

Casey sees the Gladiators as a chance to further improve his skills, and to compete as a football player, something he has excelled at his entire life.

"This is another opportunity to be on the field," Casey said. "It's a chance for other people to see me play without a dark cloud over my head."

Casey is perhaps referring to his senior year at Penn State. In his only season as the Nittany Lions' everyday starter, Casey saw disappointment and faced controversy.

Last year, as the Lions went 5-7, Casey took most of the heat. Additionally, Casey played much of the season with the "dark cloud" of an aggravated assault charge over his head.

The charges were eventually dropped, but the team was unsuccessful and failed to reach a bowl game for the first time since 1988.

Still, Casey looks back at his time at Penn State and appreciates what he learned while he was here.

"Being a Penn State football player, you need to be disciplined," Casey said. "You need to learn to take your ups and downs, and make the right decisions."

Another huge influence in Casey's life, his mother, is very pleased with how his post-Penn State career is going.

"I'm happy that he's having a chance to do what he loves to do," Barbara Casey said. "So from there, he can go even further."

Whether Rashard Casey will even make the Gladiators or not is still up in the air. But despite controversy and multiple setbacks, he is not ready to give up on his dream of playing in the NFL just yet.