Yes, he's mature. Sure, he played minor-league baseball for five seasons. It's also true that he is happily married and is the proud father of a 6-year-old girl. And he is, indeed, 26 years old.

Those things make quarterback Mark Farris an interesting story. But in terms of how he is perceived at Texas A&M, Farris would most like to called "a good quarterback." Period. End of description.

"The age thing came up so often last year it became pretty tiresome," Farris said.

"It's almost like your penalized. People say, 'Well, he ought to be good. He's 26.' I don't understand what that has to do with playing football.

"If anything, it makes it harder to get in shape and stay in shape. When I was 21, it was a lot easier to be in shape. It's just a different situation, but I wish people would just say that I was a good player or wasn't a good player based on the way I play instead of how old I am."

Based on last year, most A&M fans would say Farris was much better than just a good player. In his first year as a starter, Farris became the most prolific single-season passer in school history with 2,551 yards. He also finished No. 2 in A&M history in season completions, attempts and completion percentage.

Perhaps most important, he proved to be one of the most popular guys in the locker room and the field general on Saturdays.

Farris contends that what people saw last year was just the beginning.

"My emphasis is on getting better," Farris said.

"If you stay the same, you're going to get passed. And to be honest, I think I could have played a lot better last year. But I realize it was a start. While I'm 26, it was my first year as a starting quarterback in college football. Hopefully, I can build on last year, maybe throw for 3,000 yards this year and win more games. That's my objective."

Lindy's Football Annuals (National, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC, plus Pro) are available at newsstands regionally, or can be ordered as a set at www.lindyssports.com, or by calling 1-205-871-1182.