Ten years after, remade Maddox makes another NFL start

PITTSBURGH -- Tommy Maddox figures if it worked for Kurt Warner, it can work for him.

Maddox's adventuresome path along the back roads of American football has covered more than a decade and countless miles, from Los Angeles to Denver to New York to Atlanta to New Jersey, back to Los Angeles and, now, to Pittsburgh.

Along the way was a three-year stop to sell insurance in probably the worst possible place to try to escape from football: Dallas.

Finally, at age 31, no longer young but convinced he's far from done, Maddox will start an NFL game for the first time in 10 years Sunday for the Pittsburgh Steelers against New Orleans.

"It's funny," Maddox said. "Everyone keeps trying to make me out to be an old man. I'm only 31. I've been around a long time because I started (in the NFL) when I was 20. I still feel I've got a lot of football ahead of me and probably my best football's ahead of me."

Maybe it's because his NFL career until now was mostly bad.

The Broncos' first-round pick from UCLA in 1992, Maddox was seen initially as John Elway's successor in Denver. Forced by an injury to Elway to start four games as a rookie, he became the NFL's youngest starting quarterback since 1946. But his record was 0-4, and he alternated snaps with Shawn Moore during the final two games.

With Elway not close to retirement, Denver was no place to stay, so he followed former Broncos coach Dan Reeves to New York and Atlanta without finding a starter's job or much playing time. In 1997, he packed it in and, at age 26, started his insurance business.

But when the urge to play didn't go away, Maddox sold the business and found work in 2000 for the New Jersey Red Dogs of the Arena Football League, the fast-paced indoor game where Warner polished his quick delivery before leading the St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl.

"I think some of the things I worked on in the Arena League and having to get rid of the ball so quickly -- I know my arm is a lot quicker now," Maddox said. "I always felt like I had a strong arm, but I probably had a slower delivery. But in being quicker, I think I'm more accurate, as well."

The following spring, the XFL beckoned and Maddox became its one and only MVP. The XFL experience led him to a contract with Pittsburgh, the only NFL team to respond to his letter seeking work.

The Steelers didn't give him a signing bonus. But they gave him a chance, one that might not have occurred if it not for Al Luginbill, the only man to coach Warner and Maddox.

Luginbill called director of football operations Kevin Colbert and lobbied for Maddox, getting his attention by comparing Maddox's arm to Warner's. Luginbill coached Warner in NFL Europe and Maddox in the XFL.

With Kordell Stewart enjoying a comeback season as the Steelers went 13-3, there was no playing time for Maddox, who threw only nine passes in 2001.

Maddox's chance finally came Sunday as the Steelers (1-2) appeared headed to a third straight loss. Down 13-6 to Cleveland late in the fourth quarter, coach Bill Cowher pulled the ineffective Stewart and inserted Maddox.

Running a four-receiver spread offense similar to what he ran in the XFL, he drove the Steelers to two quick scores and a 16-13 overtime victory -- and, by doing so, drove Stewart to the bench.

"It was like watching John Elway during his comeback days," wide receiver Hines Ward said of Maddox, who completed 11 of 13 passes in less than a quarter.

"He gave us a great lift," said Plaxico Burress, who caught the game-tying TD pass. "Tommy's just going to drop back and let it go."

Maddox just hopes this is the career turnaround he has long awaited.

"I think anyone in my profession learns more from the times they're down more than the times they're up," Maddox said. "I wouldn't want to go through it again, but the things I've gone through have helped me to become better."

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