Success stories of unheralded NFL quarterbacks

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Friday, August 15, 2008  |  Comments( 9 )

San Francisco 49ers
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When asked earlier this week who his starting quarterback will be, San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan indicated that he wasn't sure.

“We still have a three-man race for the starting quarterback position. J.T. O’Sullivan is going to start the game on Saturday, but Alex Smith and Shaun Hill will rotate in like they did last week. Just because J.T. is starting the game, it doesn’t mean that he has been named the starter. We’re just continuing to evaluate each player so we can see which one gives us the best chance to win.”

According to Nolan, then, the 49ers still don’t know who is going to be running the offense this season. However, it seems that the job is O'Sullivan's to lose. After all, O’Sullivan has continued to get most of the first-team snaps in practice this week in preparation for his second straight preseason start.

Some fans have been less than impressed with the thought of O’Sullivan leading the 49ers this season. But an NFL team going with an unheralded quarterback to lead it isn’t unprecedented. There have been a few examples in recent years where an inexperienced quarterback has been given the chance to make his mark in the league.

How have those examples turned out? Well, one recent instance occurred when Derek Anderson became Cleveland's starter during Week 1 last year. Anderson threw 29 touchdown passes and led Cleveland to its best record (10-6) since 1994 en route to a place on the AFC's Pro Bowl roster.

In 2006 the Dallas Cowboys replaced veteran Drew Bledsoe with backup Tony Romo, who went on to throw for 2,903 yards and 19 touchdowns that season. Romo then followed that up by passing for 4,211 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2007. Right now he's probably the third-most famous active QB in the world (trailing only Tom Brady and Peyton Manning). Not bad.

Last season in Jacksonville, the Jaguars named David Garrard, not Byron Leftwich, their starter. Garrard rewarded coach Jack Del Rio with a great campaign for the playoff-bound Jags, tossing 18 touchdowns against just three picks. After Garrard took his job, Leftwich was cut by the Jags; he spent last season with the Falcons and is currently vying for a reserve role in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Garrard is the Jaguars' unquestioned leader.

Whether O’Sullivan becomes the latest success story under center remains to be seen, of course. But at least fans can take comfort in knowing that previous acclaim doesn't guarantee pro success.

Just ask Alex Smith.
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About Jeff Dickinson

I have been writing and editing professionally for 18 years. I spent the first three years of my career as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper in Alabama and got to cover sports and get paid for it! It was great until I got married and then it wasn't too much fun being away from my wife every...
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