Josh LaRocca

Josh LaRocca (born March 9, 1973) is an American former football player. A quarterback, he played college football for the Rice Owls from 1991 to 1995, starting games in four of those seasons. In 1994, he helped Rice break a 28-game losing streak against the Texas Longhorns. After going unselected in the 1996 NFL draft, he was signed and released by the Denver Broncos in three straight offseasons from 1996 to 1998. LaRocca played two years in NFL Europe; in 1997 as a backup for the Rhein Fire and in 1998 as the starter for the England Monarchs. He spent the 1998 preseason with the Dallas Cowboys. LaRocca ended his football career by leading the Houston Outlaws of the Regional Football League (RFL) to the league title game. He worked in real estate after his football career.

Early life Josh LaRocca was born on March 9, 1973. LaRocca helped Clark High reach the regional semifinals as a junior in 1989 while throwing for 874 yards and ten touchdowns. He graduated from Clark High in 1991. LaRocca began the season as the backup to Greg Willing but started four games later in the year after Willing was benched. LaRocca appeared in nine games overall in 1991, completing 54 of 108 passes (50.0%) for 664 yards, four touchdowns, and nine interceptions while also rushing for 148 yards and five touchdowns.

LaRocca began the 1992 season as the starter but suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in the second game. LaRocca served as the backup to Emanuel in 1993. LaRocca played in nine games overall during the 1993 season, recording 35 completions on 56 passing attempts (62.5%) for 354 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. New head coach Ken Hatfield converted LaRocca from a pocket passer to an option quarterback. Rice's 28-year losing streak against Texas was the second-longest active streak in Division I college football at the time among teams that played each other every year; only Navy's 30-year losing streak to Notre Dame was longer. Overall in 1994, he completed 65 of 130 passes (50.0%) for 806 yards, 9 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while running for 323 yards and two touchdowns. LaRocca finished his college career with totals of 230 completions on 450 attempts (51.1%) for 2,876 yards, 23 touchdowns, 25 interceptions, 704 rushing yards, and nine rushing touchdowns. In February 1997, the Broncos allocated him to the World League of American Football (WLAF) to play for the Rhein Fire. LaRocca served as the backup to T. J. Rubley during the 1997 WLAF season. LaRocca was released by Denver on May 8, 1997, but stayed on as a member of the Fire. Overall in 1997, he completed 16 of 31 passes (51.6%) for 235 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions in 1997 as the Fire advanced to World Bowl '97. Afterward, LaRocca started working for a real estate company. England finished the year with a 3–7 record. LaRocca made less than $20,000 for his season with the Monarchs.

LaRocca signed with the Dallas Cowboys on July 27, 1998, after the team released quarterback Max Knake. Cowboys head coach Chan Gailey said, "Josh LaRocca is a guy that our scouts had followed very closely through the last few years. We felt good about him and he was available and we felt like he was a guy we wanted to take a look at this time. We felt like we needed to make a change and look at somebody else."

LaRocca was the starting quarterback for the Houston Outlaws of the Regional Football League (RFL) in 1999. The RFL folded after the season. He has worked as a managing director with Studley, Inc., a managing partner at Mohr Partners, and a principal with Avison Young. He also co-founded Blackstone Partners.