Will Chris Weinke be penalized by Heisman voters for being older than all his competitors?(AP)

While the world was changing around him, something was also changing inside Bednarik. He wasn't your typical freshman lineman at age 21.

"All those kids were 17 and 18 years old, fresh out of high school that I played against," Bednarik told SportsLine.com. "I was more mature, in combat, in war. You had no fear, afraid of nothing, kind of reckless. To be a survivor you couldn't care less."

By the time 28-year old Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke lines up against Florida on Saturday night, he will have a different kind of fearlessness. He has faced six years of bus-riding in the minor leagues, potential career-ending surgery and sometimes outlandish criticism from a jealous public. "He is a professional-age player playing the kids-around-the-corner's game," stated an e-mail to SportsLine.com this week.

Bednarik and Weinke might have more in common than you think. One flew bombers and the other throws bombs, but they're both folded into this country's obsessions with age.

Movie stars who can afford it are spending $1,000 a month on Human Growth Hormone (HGH) to make them feel and appear younger. The supermodels of today are the infomercial queens of tomorrow because, gasp, they have turned 30.

Don't think recruiters haven't used Penn State coach Joe Paterno's age against him in recruiting before he signed an extension last year.

"Most people are polite enough not to bring it up that I'm getting up there," said the 73-year-old Paterno. "But this is America. When I was in college at Brown (1946-49) we had 32-year-old and 33-year-old guys who were married and had been in the service ... they just liked to play.

"Weinke is entitled to whatever NCAA rules allow. He's handled himself well."

Some don't see it that way to the point that there is a hint of Heisman Trophy backlash against Weinke because of his advanced age. Never mind that Weinke is the nation's leading passer and has been a model citizen. The criticism might be as simple as jealous Miami and Florida fans. Either way, Weinke will go down as one of the best players in Florida State, and perhaps, college football history. If he takes the Heisman, Weinke would be believed to be the oldest winner in history according to the Downtown Athletic Club.

"Evidently there is a lot of talk," Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said of the Weinke reaction. "Being too tall doesn't count. Being too short doesn't count."

So why should age? Bednarik was caught in the vagaries of war time. Weinke is taking advantage of a system that allowed him to pursue professional baseball before enrolling at Florida State in 1997. Ten years after he originally committed to the Seminoles, Weinke has won a national championship and might be playing for another in January.

Perhaps it's more than idle ripping from Miami and Florida fans. While Bednarik is a respected Hall of Famer, Weinke, in some minds, is simply not playing fair. Former Heisman winner Leon Hart was on the receiving end of guys like Bednarik. Hart enrolled at Notre Dame at age 17 in 1946 finding his competition was sometimes war-tested and much older.

"I learned a lot from those fellows," Hart said. "That's probably what assisted me as far as ability goes, because you grow up fast."

Maybe, but Weinke won't be getting Hart's Heisman Trophy vote when it is due in two weeks. Maybe Hart remembers the poundings he took from war veterans as a teen-ager. Maybe he sees the eight-year gap between Weinke and Florida redshirt freshman quarterback Rex Grossman this weekend.

Most of all, Hart thinks it's ridiculous that Weinke is still playing college football at the same age that he retired from pro football in 1957.

"I'm strictly of the opinion that I don't believe that a person that old should have men playing against boys," Hart said. "I don't think that's appropriate at all. Frankly, I think that when you reach 22 years old, you shouldn't be eligible for college football."

The NCAA has few standards that govern the maximum age of football players. Division III Centre College of Danville, Ken., played this season with David Cress, a 40-year-old reserve defensive lineman.

In a way, it is almost hypocritical to criticize Weinke for staying in school. Peyton Manning was glorified for staying for his senior year in 1997. Weinke has given many of Manning's same reasons -- he loves college life, college football and sees no rush to get to the NFL.

"I admire him if he is going to get himself a degree," Bednarik said. "That's important. That's more important than being in the NFL without a degree because maybe he won't make it or maybe he'll get hurt."

Weinke remains a strong Heisman candidate seemingly in a neck-and-neck race with Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel. Even Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops would like to see that Heisman race decided on the field.

"That (age) would be sort of discriminating wouldn't it?" Stoops said. "I don't think the Heisman race sees color or year in school and shouldn't see age. I don't know why any of that would matter."

But age always has been a Heisman factor. Until Virginia Tech's Michael Vick finished third last year as a redshirt freshman, freshmen and sophomores rarely had a chance of even being invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony.

"The fact remains that Chris didn't use his college eligibility in that sport," said Ohio State's Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman winner, "so he hasn't had any more years of football than those who are playing. From that standpoint it is equal. What he does have is the maturity."

The M-word keeps coming up as the difference between Weinke and the rest of the world. Not many college seniors have their own stock portfolio and real estate holdings like Weinke.

"But football-wise, some of these guys are further advanced than he is," said Brian Battle, Florida State's compliance director. "Any other school in the country would want this opportunity."

Some do. Georgia's Quincy Carter and LSU's Josh Booty both played minor-league baseball before taking up college football. Texas A&M quarterback Mark Farris is a 25-year old sophomore who originally signed a letter of intent with the Aggies in 1994. Then he decided to pursue pro baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Farris got married, had a child and decided for the more stable life of a student-athlete. By the time he is a senior, Farris will be 27, a year younger than Weinke is now.

"I've never known that there were restrictions that a guy had to be a certain age to win the Heisman," Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum said. "The fact that a guy was off doing something else shouldn't be held against him."

Battle spoke of a Weinke savvy enough to check out the NCAA legalities before endorsing a friend for county commissioner. Weinke eventually appeared in television commercial as "Chris Weinke, quarterback," while endorsing Tony Grippa for the Leon County commission. It is a tradeoff for Weinke: a shortened NFL career in exchange for perhaps two national championship rings. Forget the slings and arrows from outsiders, it's all about being the big (old) man on campus.

"You never have to worry about someone buying him drinks," Grippa said. "The poor guy has probably picked up every food tab and everything else."