If deciding whether to run for New York State Senate were like football, Tim Green, a former defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons, would be at fourth-and-goal. But the clock is ticking, and Green may be running out of time. 

Green, now a Syracuse-based attorney, television commentator and novelist, is said to be considering a run against incumbent State Sen. John DeFrancisco (R-Onondaga).

But Green has been mulling the decision for over six months now. And with the November elections fast approaching, Democratic recruiters are getting antsy.

“It’s getting pretty close, but we still have time,” said Sen. Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester), who heads the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee’s fundraising arm. “Anyone who wants to run, we’re asking them to raise some money and raise their profiles in their respective districts.”

With the Republican majority in the Senate hanging in the balance and only a handful of seats up for grabs, Democratic strategists are weighing their best chances at unseating incumbent Republicans. For many in the party, Green, a Republican-turned-Democrat with the star power of a professional athlete, could be the right man to oust DeFrancisco.

While Klein would not comment on whether Green plans to enter the race, he did say Green’s profile in and around the Syracuse area would be an obvious advantage.

The race will be highly competitive, Klein said, “if he is the candidate.”

Klein offered no names of other potential Democrats in the district.

Green has had discussions with Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) and Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D), and is very close to making a decision, said a political strategist from the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee who asked not to be named because talks are still ongoing.

“He’s not 100 percent there yet,” the strategist said, indicating the campaign committee’s interest in getting a candidate set. He confirmed that there are no other candidates being considered.

“We would prefer a decision sooner than later,” the strategist added.

Diane Dwire, chair of the Onondaga County Democratic Committee, said her group would begin looking at potential candidates sometime after the first of March. She would not discuss whether Green was on the list, or her group’s view on the former defensive end.

Green, a graduate of Syracuse University, played seven seasons with the Falcons from 1986 to 1993. After graduating from Syracuse Law School in 1994, he took a job at Hiscock & Barclay, LLP. That work, along with his sports and children’s writing, helped earn him the title of the “renaissance man of sports” by both Sports Illustrated and the Los Angeles Times.

A secretary at Green’s law office said the potential candidate was declining comment on the race, and that she had amassed a list of reporters to call back when he made a decision.

Although the incumbent advantage is powerful in New York, the state has been trending Democratic. Rudolph Giuliani’s (R) exit from the presidential race have some speculating that Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno (R), who was banking on Giuliani’s presence on the ballot to stimulate the party’s base, may now find staving off a Democratic coup more difficult.

In any case, though, DeFrancisco is unlikely to be an easy target. An eight-term incumbent, he is well-liked in the district and the chair of the Judiciary Committee in Albany. Party enrollment is in his favor as well, with Republicans edging out Democrats in the district by 10,000 registered voters.

Plus, as of the January campaign finance filing deadline, DeFrancisco has raised over $260,000 in donations. Green, by contrast, is not registered with the State Board of Elections and has not raised any money.

“DeFrancisco is some ways in very good shape,” said Jeffrey Stonecash, a political science professor at Syracuse University, noting the senator’s efforts spearheading a plan to stimulate upstate tourism and against unpopular development projects.

With Green in the race, though, Stonecash said the dynamics could change very quickly.

“But Tim Green’s got charisma, he’s well known, he could get some money,” he added. “I’ve been doing polls for 27 years and I’ve seen lots of cases where you thought someone was secure, and then wham!”

Democrats are hoping he is right, and that Green will come off the bench to give their team a shot at winning.

“He’s got a great résumé and he’s good looking,” said the Democratic campaign insider. “If you have someone like Tim Green in the race, I can see that as winnable.”