| These two coveted rookie quarterbacks will be | | | | A photo shoot and a couple pictures from a |
| forever linked as being the top two quarterbacks | | | | Nascar outing at Talladega have made all the |
| taken in the 2009 NFL Draft. Only time will tell | | | | difference in the image of these two youngsters. |
| who will end up being the best, however I believe | | | | While Sanchez is posing for GQ looking like a |
| one has a distinctive advantage already... | | | | Baywatch lifeguard, Stafford is keepin' it real with |
| One can only imagine the amount of pressure and | | | | a backwards hat, cut-off shirt and a keg over his |
| responsibility these two young men have on their | | | | head. Ironically, pictures that got him in trouble |
| shoulders. Once you get past the hype and the | | | | while he was in college at Georgia are helping his |
| big contracts there is a much bigger task at | | | | image in the eyes of his teammates in the NFL. |
| hand...Earning the respect of the locker room. | | | | I first heard about these pics of Stafford a while |
| There are many examples of young quarterbacks | | | | ago but Tom "The Killer" Kowalski wrote a good |
| not earning the respect of their teammates. A | | | | article for recently about how these pictures are |
| classic example is one Joey Harrington. Just never | | | | earning Stafford respect in the locker room that |
| fit in and established himself as one of the boys in | | | | opened my eyes to how they could be working |
| Detroit. His nickname was "champagne Joey" and | | | | to his benefit now. And Stafford's teammates are |
| his piano playing performance didn't help much | | | | not the only one's who are gaining his respect. His |
| either. I actually had the pleasure of sitting next to | | | | new head coach Jim Schwartz had some really |
| him at a Detroit Tigers vs. Boston Red Sox game | | | | good things to say about him recently, noting his |
| in 2005. He had his hat very low, talked with my | | | | textbook release. |
| friends and I a bit with a little cockiness but the | | | | At Jets camp things are a bit different. Jets |
| most surprising thing of the whole experience...He | | | | kicker Jay Feely wrote on his twitter page |
| came by HIMSELF. | | | | recently; "Should be another fun day for our boy |
| At the time I really respected him for it and still | | | | Sanchez today...GQ photo shoot came out and he |
| do knowing how much the Detroit fans hated him | | | | is taking heat!!!" Feely wrote earlier, "Sanchez was |
| at the time. However, it spoke volumes about his | | | | a common target from the moment he |
| relationships with his teammates in my opinion. I | | | | introduced himself." |
| mean the starting quarterback of an NFL team | | | | So, will these two be compared with Vince Young |
| couldn't get one other guy to go with him to the | | | | and Matt Leinart or more with Matt Ryan and Joe |
| baseball game? The funny thing is that he did say | | | | Flacco? My guess is somewhere in between, but |
| some of the other guys were on the way but | | | | Stafford has the early edge and the potential to |
| they never showed. Not a shocker that a guy like | | | | break out to a point where he will not even be |
| this wouldn't succeed at leading a professional | | | | linked with Sanchez very much anymore. |
| football team. He is now the third string | | | | Sanchez reminds me all to much of Harrington |
| quarterback in New Orleans and recently had this | | | | and they even played in the same weak |
| to say about Detroit when asked last year in the | | | | defensive conference, the Pac 10. I'm not saying |
| week 16 game against the Lions about their | | | | that Sanchez will be a complete bust like |
| performance in 2008: | | | | Harrington, but I'm not saying he's the next Joe |
| "Yeah, I guess I was here in their heyday" | | | | Namath either. Don't underestimate the value of |
| I guess he can laugh now, but the point is that | | | | fitting in with your teammates and the effect |
| Harrington's inability to win over the locker room | | | | that their image will have on the young |
| had a big effect on his performance. So now the | | | | quarterbacks performance. The fantasy value |
| question is; out of Stafford and Sanchez, who | | | | may not be there for either of these guys yet, |
| seems to be gaining the respect of their | | | | however their fates could be pre-determined by |
| teammates quicker? Without question the answer | | | | their teammates already. |
| is Matthew Stafford. | | | | |
