SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Scenes from the life of the Heisman favorite ...
Or rather scenes carefully scripted by Charlie Weis for a select group of national writers invited here this week. The purpose: to unveil the new, improved Brady Quinn for 2006.
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| Brady Quinn brings game and glamour back to Notre Dame's QB position. (Getty Images) |
We got a glimpse of the Notre Dame superstar athlete in full bloom. Things might never be this laid back again for him -- or us --- again.
The perfect storm of looks, arm and national program will draw increasingly pushy media hordes in the months to come.
The intent was to control the message. Weis is very, very good at that. Being a Heisman guy is different here. You'll have to take our word for it. Amazingly (or maybe not), a Notre Dame player hasn't won the award since 1987. An Irish quarterback hasn't won it since 1964 (John Huarte).
It's been so long between Stiff Arms that Notre Dame Nation, already lathered up by the Weis Resurrection, is going to need Bounty to sop up the drool over this kid.
Statistically, Quinn already is the best quarterback ever here. Better than Montana, Theismann, Hanratty, Clements, all of them. It's not even close.
Let the geeks recite the stats. This is why we came: Quinn is the embodiment of Notre Dame. Classy, crisp, cool -- with an NFL-ready arm. He even has his own commercial (see below).
Weis waved his wand in 2005, turning an uncertain, unaccomplished wannabe into his Next Brady. The Irish will open the season No. 1 in some preseason polls. That might be a little too optimistic, but the fact that it's being contemplated is the point.
| Heisman Week |
| Monday: The candidates |
| Tuesday: They wouldn't take it away, would they? |
| Thursday: The favorite |
| Friday: The challenger |
Quinn is the face of the program. The anti-Powlus who is actually delivering on his promise. It's a handsome face, full of a humble charisma. For reasons different from those of Charles Barkley, Quinn cringes when he hears "role model."
"I don't think of myself as that," he said. "I'm just a slappy, as coach would say."
Kids, please don't ask your parents what a slappy is. Just know that Quinn has an edge, too. He's 21 now and has admitted to having the occasional beer.
