ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 9, 1997 TAG: 9701100049
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
SOURCE: Associated Press
THREE YEARS AGO, Mark Brunell was battling to be Brett Favre's backup in Green Bay. Now he's battling to take Jacksonville to the Super Bowl.
Ever wonder how Mark Brunell went from battling Ty Detmer for a backup role in Green Bay to one of the hottest young quarterbacks in the NFL? You're not alone.
Even the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't know what they were getting when they gave Green Bay a third- and fifth-round pick for Brunell on the eve of the 1995 draft.
``I knew we had a good athlete and a great young man,'' said offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. ``We saw everything, but it was all preseason. Who knows how a guy is going to perform under fire? He was very much a babe in the woods trying to learn how to be a quarterback.''
Now, the league is learning quickly about Brunell.
In his first year as a full-time starter, Brunell led the NFL in yards passing with 4,367. A good chunk of that came early in the season, when the Jaguars trailed in nearly every game and had to throw the ball to catch up.
But during their seven-game winning streak that put them in the AFC championship game at New England, Brunell developed into the quarterback the Jaguars thought they might be getting.
``The team is very poised because of the leadership here, and the leadership all starts with Mark Brunell on offense,'' said center Dave Widell, a nine-year veteran. ``I have seen it in his eyes. He is going to be one of the next great superstar quarterbacks in this league.''
Few would have imagined that earlier this season, when Brunell was leading the league in interceptions. In the Jaguars' most devastating loss of the year, 17-14 at St. Louis, he was picked off five times inside the Rams' 15-yard line.
``I think I'm more patient,'' Brunell said. ``The more game experience you get, the more confident you get and you become more patient. I can be more patient in the pocket. I don't have to make the throws that are tight.
``A lot can be said that when you believe in yourself and think you can get it done, you're probably going to get it done,'' he said. ``And that's what we have got going for us now.''
It all comes back to Brunell. He finished the season by going four games without an interception. He scrambled for a touchdown against Atlanta, a 2-point conversion that tied the game in an overtime victory at Baltimore and a 29-yard run that led to the clinching touchdown in a 30-27 victory at Denver.
On third-and-5 from the 16, Brunell told Jimmy Smith to run a fade into the end zone if there was single-safety coverage. The result was a touchdown pass and a 30-20 lead that was too much for Denver to overcome.
``You can sense it. You can feel he's in control,'' Gilbride said. ``Part of it is his individual skill, but the thing I always appreciate is his field generalship, the way he gets the best possible call so we've got a chance. It's just unbelievable how far he's come.''
Sunday's game features two of the best young quarterbacks in the league, whose careers both began in the Pacific Northwest: Brunell, who led Washington to the Rose Bowl three times, was once the host on a recruiting trip for Drew Bledsoe, who wound up going to Washington State.
``We're not real close, but I consider Drew a friend,'' Brunell said. ``I respect the way he handles himself on the field and off the field. His physical gifts are incredible. He's got it all.''
So does Brunell, even though he is just now showing it.
When receiver Keenan McCardell signed with the Jaguars as a free agent in February, all he knew was that Brunell was left-handed and could scramble. That was the take on Brunell, a Steve Young lookalike: left-handed, a threat to run, wore No. 8.
``I never equated it that way,'' coach Tom Coughlin said. ``There's a lot of resemblance because of the size and the speed and the number. But I think he's an outstanding player in his own right.''
The year before the Jaguars started playing, Coughlin spent part of training camp with the Packers. That's where he got his first good look at Brunell, who was competing against Detmer to see who would back up Brett Favre.
``I liked everything about him,'' Coughlin said. ``He was an athlete, he could move, he had courage, he had a strong arm, he could bring the ball over the perimeter - all the things I thought would be critical.''
Jacksonville made Steve Beuerlein the No. 1 pick in the expansion draft, then made the first trade in franchise history to get Brunell.
``I think the feeling was Beuerlein would be the starter for however long, and then somebody - either Mark or somebody else - would come along,'' Gilbride said.
The Jaguars' first priority in the off-season will be to negotiate a new contract for Brunell, whose current one has one year left. Brunell's top priority is to get the Jaguars to the Super Bowl, a destination unthinkable just two months ago.
``It's pretty incredible from where we were in the middle of the season,'' Brunell said.
Almost as incredible as how quickly Brunell has blossomed.
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Jacksonville's Mark Brunell, eluding the rush of Newby CNBEngland defender and former UVa standout Chris Slade during the
Jaguars' 28-25 overtime win Sept. 22, led the NFL in yards passing
with 4,367. color. KEYWORDS: FOOTBALL