Today on ESPN, members the NFL Live crew were given the task of constructing "The Perfect Backup Quarterback." There were five components (Mind, Heart, Arm, Footwork, and Legs) that needed to be decided on in order to create such a monster, and I'm having a hard time disagreeing with any of their choices. Tim Hasselbeck was immediately called a "homer" for picking his brother Matt for the "Mind" category, but any QB that has been in the league for 30 years (his words, not mine) must have a decent football IQ and was more than worthy of winning this category.
Using the knowledge I have accumulated in my years of watching football, I wanted to make up my ideal quarterback. I will not limit myself to just backups, but will be including starters, Pro Bowlers, Champions, and MVPs as well. Let's get this party going.
Mind - Jon Kitna
Kitna was the master of leading the huddle. Despite bouncing around 4 NFL and 1 NFL Europe teams in his career, Kitna never had a problem with gaining the respect of his teammates on the gridiron. Throughout his playing career of nearly 20 years, Kitna gained an unmatched amount of knowledge that other gunslingers would kill for. After hanging up the cleats, Kitna immediately got into the coaching game at the high school level. His Lincoln High School (Tacoma, WA) squad, which is the same school he attended, went 11-1 in 2014 with Kitna at the helm. He also messed around and taught some math at his alma mater. He resigned from his position prior to the 2015 season, and took his talents to the bright lights of Waxahachie High School in Texas.
Also considered: Peyton Manning and Drew Brees
Heart - Byron Leftwich
Super Bowl champion Byron Leftwich did whatever it took to get a win for his team. Whether that was by playing with a broken left tibia in college or slinging perfect spirals to Jimmy Smith in Jacksonville, Long Ball Leftwich was a warrior for his teams. In The Replacements, Coach Jimmy McGinty wanted his players to have "miles and miles of heart." If he didn't have the luxury of having Shane Falco at quarterback, there is no doubt McGinty would've looked for a guy like Leftwich.
Also considered: Tom Brady and Tim Tebow
Arm - Jake Plummer
Nobody could toss the pigskin with more muscle than Jake the Snake. That is a fact. When Plummer went in the shotgun, everyone in the building knew that sucker was going deep. If the common man were to get in the way of one of Plummer's spirals, there is a good chance the ball would've went right through them. After walking away from the game at the conclusion of the 2006 season, Plummer did not let his money maker go to waste. He put his arm to good use by getting into the professional four-wall handball game after his retirement and was a nightmare for fellow opponents. He is rumored to have knocked over at least 14 walls with his unmatched handball velocity.
Also considered: Brett Favre, Drew Bledsoe, and Daunte Culpepper
Footwork - Dan Orlovsky
Everybody is aiming to be the QB with the second-best pocket awareness because Orlovsky has held the #1 spot down for awhile. It is the main reason why he still has a job in this league. If he wanted to, Dynamite Dan could tear up dance club with his feet but he would rather tear up opposing secondaries. This was by far the easiest choice out of the five categories.
Also considered: Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers
Legs - Jeff Garcia
The career leader in broken ankles caused, Jeff Garcia could tear apart defenses with his legs and rocket arm. With 2,140 rushing yards to his name, the first name I thought of when thinking of mobile QBs from my childhood was Mr. Garcia. Jeff's cleats would leave smoke trails and defenders behind him during his days at Candlestick. Many opposing players still currently suffer from whiplash from trying to keep an eye on Garcia.
Also considered: Mike Vick and Steve McNair
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What if we were able to combine all of these traits into one person? What would the results be? What would he look like? Well, I got my best people on it and this is what they came up with...
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Turns out the perfect quarterback has been here all along.
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