School daze

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ask Tom Brady about the first time he faced off with Donovan McNabb, and he'll waste no time telling you it's one of the few football memories he has steadfastly tried to forget.

The encounter took place a little over six years ago. McNabb was piloting Syracuse and being touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate. Brady, on the other hand, was an eyelash from losing his short-lived starting job with Michigan after beginning a college career that would never see him fully embraced by Wolverines fans.

When the two met on a September day in 1998, both seemed destined to go in opposite directions.

"That was one of the low points (at Michigan)," Brady recalled. "I have never been in a game where a team just dismantled us. They were incredible and Donovan was great that day. I don't think we stopped them once.

"Every time they snapped the ball, it was like 10 yards and they just kept going down the field. And every time we got it, we couldn't move it. It's probably the worst defeat I ever had – that and probably (the 31-0 loss to) Buffalo last year."

That's not a melodramatic statement, either. Brady, who had taken over a team attempting to defend a split national championship, was already coming off a crushing season-opening loss to Notre Dame. By the time he walked into Michigan Stadium to face McNabb and the Orangemen, fans were already clamoring to have him benched in favor of freshman Drew Henson – who was lavished with every bit of the acclaim Brady seemed to lack.

Then came the Syracuse debacle, when Brady threw an interception on his second snap of the game. By the end of the third quarter, McNabb had thrown for three touchdowns and run for a fourth, and Brady was benched for Henson with Michigan trailing 38-7.

After the game, Michigan coach Lloyd Carr called McNabb, "As good a quarterback as we have seen."

As for Brady, that defeat – combined with the presence of Henson (who is now a backup for the Dallas Cowboys) – seemed to create a hurdle that he could never fully clear. Though he would be Michigan's starter through his senior season in 1999, Brady continued to split time with Henson. When the NFL draft rolled around in April 2000, some scouts slapped him with such a poor grade that there were doubts about whether he would be selected at all. Brady was drafted, but he was taken 197 spots behind McNabb, the second overall pick in 1999.

"There were definitely some high points and a couple of low points," Brady said of his college days. "The low points, I think, were responsible for me feeling good about those high points.

"Michigan is a tough place to play. The competition level amongst the players is high and I think coach Carr demands a lot of toughness and discipline from his players. School was tough and there was a time that I thought that it was too tough for me. Looking back, I'm glad I stuck it out. That toughness has made me much more mentally tough, much more battle-tested."

Then again, it's easy to be diplomatic now, as he and McNabb prepare to become the first Super Bowl quarterbacks to have faced each other in college. But since the day McNabb drubbed him in college and dropped him to 0-2 as a starter, the numbers have tilted – and Brady has gone 76-17.

Honoring Emmitt

As one might expect, players were respectful – but hardly shocked at the possible retirement of Arizona Cardinals running back Emmitt Smith. Most reacted to the news by simply paying homage to Smith, who was winning Super Bowls with Dallas when a handful of Eagles and Patriots players were in college or on the verge of entering the league.

"He's a tremendous running back," said the New England Patriots' Corey Dillon, who grew up emulating Smith. "He may go down as the best of all time. There are a lot of backs that have come through this league, but for a guy like that to accomplish what he has, it's unheard of.

"I have a lot of respect for him. In high school and in my junior-college years, I used to watch him. I've always admired him. … He'll be missed."

People are strange

As usual, there were plenty of bizarre happenings at Media Day, from a man interviewing players while speaking through his hand (which was wearing a Patriots helmet) to former players mugging for various networks.

The most bizarre question? It easily could have come from former Chicago Bears defensive tackle William "The Refrigerator" Perry, who went from player to player asking where they were when Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston broke up.

The most uncomfortable moment of the afternoon came when a man from the Nickelodeon Network – wearing tights, a cape and a mask – spent nearly 10 minutes attempting to ask Patriots coach Bill Belichick a question. Belichick was clearly not amused and refused to acknowledge the man, who eventually grew frustrated with being ignored and left.

All souped up

One of Super Bowl Week's most unlikely stars has been Wilma McNabb, the mother of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Sought out frequently this week for interviews, Wilma is known for her role as the notorious Chunky Soup pusher from the television ads, which actually began airing in 2001 with an actress playing McNabb's mother. Wilma eventually took over the role herself, leading to some unexpected fame, and a few questions for Donovan about his mother's culinary offerings.

"It all starts with the soup and ends with the soup," Donovan joked. "(And) in the middle is the soup. That is why my diet has really been intact. Eating the soup – savory beef pot roast, chunky chicken corn chowder, the list goes on. All those wonderful, wonderful soups."

Mirror images

For two organizations that are expected to be franchise models far into the foreseeable future, Eagles owner Jeff Lurie did a good job on Tuesday summing up the recipe that has brought so much success to New England and Philadelphia.

"Both invested well over $300 million in new stadiums," Lurie said. "We each hired coaches in an unorthodox fashion – us (hiring) a non-coordinator and (the Patriots) trading for Bill (Belichick). Both teams are built around franchise quarterbacks. Both are high-character teams.

"There are a lot of similar lines, similar value systems for each team. We each place a high value on the quality of people in our organizations. And it's just not high character, but high intelligence – people who like to think outside the box and people willing to make controversial and unpopular decisions. We both understand that decisions need to be made that sustain the long-term excellence of the franchise."

Charles Robinson is a national NFL writer for Yahoo! Sports. Send Charles a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

Updated on Wednesday, Feb 2, 2005 4:02 pm, EST

Email to a Friend | View Popular