Browns welcome Brady Quinn home
By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

AP PHOTO/TONY DEJAK
Cleveland Browns' Brady Quinn , right, arrives along with his girlfriend, Lindy Slinger, at the Cleveland Browns facility, Sunday, April 29, 2007, in Berea, Ohio.
BEREA, Ohio — Brady Quinn stepped out from behind the black limousine's tinted windows into brilliant Sunday sunshine. He wore blue jeans, a zippered windbreaker and a Browns baseball cap. He was dressed casually, if not for the occasion.

"I think he was just worn out from wearing that suit all day yesterday," said tackle Joe Thomas, Quinn's new teammate.

One day after his stunning slide in the first round became the biggest story of the NFL draft, Quinn began a new chapter in his storied football career.

Passed over by 20 other teams, Quinn was introduced at a news conference by the Browns, the team he dreamed of playing for as a kid and the one who passed over him to take Thomas at No. 3 before trading up to select Notre Dame's golden-armed quarterback.

Quinn spent four agonizing hours Saturday waiting in the wings at Radio City Music Hall for his name to be called. With national TV cameras trained on him sitting backstage, he smiled and tried to make the best of an awkward situation as team after team chose other players.

Booed at first, the draftniks on hand in New York began to sympathize with Quinn as the clock painfully ticked on.

"It's the Notre Dame quarterback thing, love 'em or hate 'em," Quinn said.

The biggest day of his life quickly became a nightmare for the 22-year-old, who ran around his backyard as a boy pretending he was Browns iconic QB Bernie Kosar slinging touchdown passes in front of an imaginary Dawg Pound.

But just when it couldn't get bleaker, the Browns saved Quinn. They gave Dallas a second-round pick this year and first-round pick in 2008 to move up and take Quinn with the 22nd pick.

Now, it's Quinn's turn to save the Browns, who have been mostly luckless losers in the eight years since their expansion return.



He's ready for the challenge.
"I'm accustomed to coming into a new situation and changing the attitudes and the way people think," he said. "I want to change the way people feel in the fourth quarter when there are two minutes left and we have the ball at the 20. I think it's a big thing that people don't understand.

"You have to keep believing. It's never OK to lose."

Quinn's free fall through the first round may have damaged more than his reputation. It likely cost him more than $25 million in guaranteed money, a fact he dismissed as easily as sidestepping a blitzing linebacker.

"If you are successful in the NFL, you're going to make money," he said. "It's not a big deal. I'm not a guy who comes from a lot of money. I'm a blue-collar, hardworking kid and for me it's a dream to be drafted in the first round."

Quinn came to Sunday's affair not thinking he needed to dress up. But when he saw Thomas, who skipped a draft-day trip to New York to go fishing, in a pinstriped suit, Quinn broke out a sport coat, slacks and tie.

His decision to change delayed the news conference.

"We thought it would be his girlfriend getting ready," joked general manager Phil Savage. "We made you wait yesterday, and you made us wait today."

Quinn will be looked upon as a savior in Cleveland, expected to carry the Browns back to greatness.

He's used to the heavy lifting. As Notre Dame's starting QB for four years, every move he made was scrutinized by the school's worldwide fan base. There may be no tougher job in college football - other than coaching the Fighting Irish - than quarterbacking them.

Quinn feels his pressure-packed collegiate career will serve him well.

"Notre Dame prepared me as best as it could have," he said. "When you look at the aspects of playing nationally televised games and the competition week in and week out. I was dealing with the media from Day 1. Obviously, there were times in my career where we started losing and that's when you feel the heat.

"I've been through the fire and adversity, and that's a positive for me."

Another plus was playing under coach Charlie Weis, who before going to Notre Dame helped develop Tom Brady into a Pro Bowl quarterback and Super Bowl champion as New England's offensive coordinator.

Although the Browns are months away from possibly naming Quinn their starter, Weis believes it's a foregone conclusion.

"I don't think this guy has to go to a program and be groomed for a year," Weis said. "If there was ever a quarterback who was ready to go for the last two years, it's him. He's got hammered in the last two years by me so he can take it by anybody."

Not long after being picked by the Browns, Quinn was whisked to Cleveland in one of owner Randy Lerner's private jets. He arrived at the team's headquarters late Saturday night, weary from a long, emotional day.

But when he walked through the front doors for the first time as a Brown, all the anxiety and embarrassment he may have felt in New York were replaced by a soothing calm. Quinn knew he was home.

"It felt amazing," he said. "In the draft, after I got passed by the Browns, I didn't think they were going to come back and get me.

"Once I got here, it felt real."

As part of it's large set of NFL Draft-related events, the League held a photo shoot at Radio City Music Hall for the five players invited to attend the 2007 NFL Draft: JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn, Calvin Johnson, Gaines Adams, and Adrian Peterson.

This video's a great window into the personalities of the players, and also cheer spectacle that is NFL Draft week, and how even "seen-it-all" New Yorkers can get a little charged up about the event.

As you watch this video, note the mood of LSU and now Oakland Raiders Quaterback JaMarcus Russell -- he seems really pissed about something.

Brady Quinn, the new quarterback of the Cleveland Browns and formerly of Notre Dame, was the focus of a recent article in the humor newspaper "The Onion."

This is the text:

DUBLIN, OH—Top draft prospect Brady Quinn, a strong-armed quarterback out of Notre Dame who is expected to be taken with one of the first five picks in the draft, told scouts interviewing him at his family home Monday that he would in all likelihood be a huge NFL bust. "While it's true I have impressive arm strength, and that I'm willing to stand up in the pocket against the rush, the fact remains that my lack of downfield accuracy gets me in trouble on the deep throws and my field vision is suspect," Quinn told draft evaluators from the Raiders, Browns, and Cardinals."Combine that with the enormous starting bonus I'll receive and the tendency for teams to try and develop quarterbacks long after they should give up, and I really just have 'bust' written all over me." While Quinn recommended teams look to solid prospects such as quarterback Jamarcus Russell, tackle Joe Thomas, and running back Adrian Peterson, Raiders owner Al Davis is reportedly more interested than ever in signing Quinn."

So, I decided to ask Quinn what he thought of the Onion in this video.

Brady Quinn's interview comments were also captured on Mp3 by Bill Chackhes. You can hear what he said with a click here: Brady Quinn Audio Interview

Photo by Bill Chackhes - SBS and FieldPosition.com

I've just returned from the NFL's great luncheon at The Rainbow Room, where I had the accidental pleasure of sharing a table with people from Hummer, Players, Inc., and one gentleman who lives in Washington, DC and who works for Creative Artists Agency, or CAA.

CAA represents Brady Quinn.

As we were listening to Sterling Sharp entertain the audience, the CAA man who's name I am not going to drop was hurredly working his Blackburry. I asked what was going on and if it involved Brady Quinn. He confirmed that it did. "This is great, he said without directly spilling the beans, except that Mike Lynch of Visa may or may not like it. It harms our deal if he (Brady Quinn) were to go to the Browns." By this, he means CAA's endorsement deal with Cleveland and for Brady Quinn.

So, I asked. "Does this mean the Raiders are going to pick Brady Quinn first?" I asked.

"It looks that way," he said. But we'll see what happens. Then he got up from his chair and said "That's what I'm going to check on now."

So the bottom line is that CAA's trying to seal a deal with the Oakland Raiders, who are ready to sign Brady Quinn as their number one pick. It all adds up because:

1) Ja Marcus Russell said he'd not got a call from the Oakland Raiders.

2) Brady Quinn -- this is in the video -- mentioned that he and his agents had talked with the Raiders "but I can't talk about details," Quinn said.

3) Brady Quinn said that the Raiders new offense is very much like the Notre Dame system, meaning he could step right in. This is also in the video on this blog.

So, unless they can't work out the contract, Brady Quinn will become an Oakland Raider.

We'll know officially tommorrow, but will keep the updates coming.

This is good for CAA, because they lost Matt Leinart.

All photos by Bill Chackhes - SBS and FieldPosition.com Ja Marcus Russell's pictured above.

This is part one and two of our five part NFL Draft Video series. The National Football League has it's media lunch on the Thursday prior to the draft and that was true again for the 2007 NFL Draft.

This event, held at Chelsea Piers, had the five invited NFL Draft players -- Ja Marcus Russell, Brady Quinn, Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, and Gains Adams -- on hand for interviews and photo ops with the invited media, including us.

Some of the highlights were Ja Marcus Russell's admission that he'd not got a call from the Oakland Raiders -- though I believe he was coached to say that -- and Brady Quinn's comment that the offense the Oakland Raiders (who have the first pick) are installing is very much like the system he worked in at Notre Dame, which in turn is like the Patriots offense.

On that note, Quinn mentioned in the video below that he met New England Patriots signal caller Tom Brady the previous evening. He commented that Brady was a lot of help in assisting Quinn in how to think about what was happening to him.

Brady Quinn also went on quite a rant about how people make judgements about him without really watching film, saying "I mean, if I throw an incompletion, do they see why," or words to that effect. It was quite a show and demonstrates just how worked up he is over being over-analyzed by everyone.

Ja Marcus Russell presented himself as simply "smooth": very soft-spoken and warm in his approach.

Adrian Peterson seemed the most amused by it all. He comments that of all the players, he should go number one to the Raiders. Period.

Gaines Adams is the elder statesman of the group. He's not older, but he seems that way. Very grounded. Calvin Johnson is more like Ja Marcus Russell in the way he carries himself and talks.

I asked most of the players if they had experienced any change in the way their friends treated them, and all in different ways said they had not, which is good to report.

In all, the luncheon was quite fun and we've got a lot more video content and news, but I'm off to another NFL Draft event.

But what I could not figure out was why one Raiders representative spent part of his time photoging me from a distance! I'm serious. More on this later!

We ate with Adam Schafter of the NFL Network, Andrea Kramer of ESPN (who's down to just 97 pounds after biking!) and she dropped a news bomb about a certain LA Times sports writer -- Mike Penner -- who decided to become a woman names Christine Daniels!

Here's the video set...remember, it will be in complete five parts in about three hours or so. He're two of them now.

Video Part One:



Video Part Two:



Video Part Three:



Video Part Four:



Video Part Five:

Thanks to a nice woman at Murray's Bagel's, I spotted this article, which I'm going to show to Brady Quinn later today.

DUBLIN, OH—Top draft prospect Brady Quinn, a strong-armed quarterback out of Notre Dame who is expected to be taken with one of the first five picks in the draft, told scouts interviewing him at his family home Monday that he would in all likelihood be a huge NFL bust. "While it's true I have impressive arm strength, and that I'm willing to stand up in the pocket against the rush, the fact remains that my lack of downfield accuracy gets me in trouble on the deep throws and my field vision is suspect," Quinn told draft evaluators from the Raiders, Browns, and Cardinals."Combine that with the enormous starting bonus I'll receive and the tendency for teams to try and develop quarterbacks long after they should give up, and I really just have 'bust' written all over me."

While Quinn recommended teams look to solid prospects such as quarterback Jamarcus Russell, tackle Joe Thomas, and running back Adrian Peterson, Raiders owner Al Davis is reportedly more interested than ever in signing Quinn.

ESPN's Todd McShay reports that of this list, Brady Quinn is the most "overhyped" and that he would not draft Quinn in the Top-10.

Five prospects bound to be over-drafted

• QB Brady Quinn, Notre Dame: Quinn is a good prospect, but he's overhyped. His combination of size, intelligence, arm strength and mobility makes him a first-rounder, and he enters the league with tremendous experience and an ideal work ethic. However, his well-documented big-game struggles (2-8 combined in bowl games and contests versus USC and versus Michigan), and his below-average accuracy would be enough to scare me away from drafting Quinn in the top 10.
• RB Antonio Pittman, Ohio State: Pittman is a tough runner for his size, and he gets through the hole with impressive burst. However, his playing weight is barely 200 pounds, and he runs with a narrow base, which means he won't generate as many yards after contact as a good starting running back in the NFL should. In addition, Pittman has marginal experience in the passing game and wanted nothing to do with special teams at Ohio State. His stock soared after running the 40-yard dash in the 4.4-second range at the combine, but I wouldn't be willing to sign off on Pittman any earlier than Round 3.
• RB Chris Henry, Arizona: No player's stock has elevated post-combine as much as Henry's. The 5-foot-11, 230-pound back wowed scouts with his speed and agility during workouts. Since then, it seems everyone is making excuses for his marginal collegiate production. If he's drafted as high as I'm hearing (possibly Round 2), a team will be taking an awfully big risk on a player who lost his job after being suspended for a game in 2006 and finished his final season averaging just 3.5 yards on 165 carries.
• DT Tank Tyler, N.C. State: Tyler projects as a second-round pick, but I would be scared to touch him at any point on Day 1. He has enough size, upper-body strength and quickness to make some noise as a one-gap defensive tackle when he's fresh and motivated to play. However, he's not a wide-base defender who can eat blockers in a two-gap scheme, and he's a limited athlete who won't provide consistent interior pass-rush pressure in the NFL. Furthermore, Tyler comes with some concerning baggage in regards to character and mental capacity.
• PK Mason Crosby, Colorado: Crosby's enormous range on field goals will land him a spot on Day 1, perhaps as high as the second round. The team that pulls the trigger will be assuming a massive risk at that point. Crosby missed 16 of 56 attempts (71 percent accuracy) during his final two seasons at Colorado, and for some reason his explosive leg strength does not always translate to kickoffs.

This is undoubtedly the longest highlight video I've ever seen for any one NFL Draft candidate. It's on Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, and contains many of his best throws in his best games. In this video, we see that Quinn can run, rollout, scramble, and throw on the run and while rolling out. We see him running play action, quaterback sneaks, and running to pick up a first down. It is long, but it's a very good assembly of Brady's talent.

Here's the video:

Quinn Says He Could Fix NFL Franchise
By TOM COYNE
AP Sports Writer

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Brady Quinn already has taken a down-and-out football team and turned it around. He figures he can do it again.

That's why the Notre Dame quarterback believes he is highly qualified to immediately help a troubled NFL franchise -- and why he should be the first Fighting Irish player taken with the opening pick in the NFL draft in 35 years.


"I've been through the adversity. I've gone through losing seasons. I know what it feels like to lose, but I know what it feels like to win," he said. "I know what it's like to go through that transition."

Quinn didn't say it, but he also knows what it's like to try to win when not all the pieces are in place. Quinn played on an Irish team that didn't have overpowering offensive lines and its defense was average at best.

Critics say Quinn couldn't win big games, but it's hard to beat Michigan, Southern Cal or LSU when the three scored an average of 44 points against the Irish last season.

"When Peyton Manning came out, people said he couldn't win the big one, he couldn't beat Florida," said Gil Brandt, an analyst for NFL.com, who was vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960-89. "People say the same thing about Brady Quinn. I disagree with all that. I think if it wasn't for Brady and his production, Notre Dame never would have been there playing LSU and they wouldn't have been playing in a game as big as the USC game was."

So the question facing NFL teams looking to use an early first-round draft pick on a quarterback is: Do you prefer Quinn or LSU's JaMarcus Russell?

Quinn was a four-year starter who passed for 11,762 yards and led his team to a 29-18 record, including 19-6 over his final two seasons. Russell was a two-year starter who threw for 6,525 yards and led his team to a 25-4 record.

Many drafts observers believe Quinn is more polished, but Russell might have more potential. Quinn states flatly that he is the better choice.

"JaMarcus obviously is a big kid with a strong arm. But I'm a big kid with a strong arm and much more," he said. "I'm not as big as him. I'm a little leaner. But I've played four years, started the past four years and been through a lot."

The stakes are high. NFL draft history is littered with failed college quarterbacks, such as Ryan Leaf, Heath Shuler, Todd Marinovich, Rick Mirer, Joey Harrington and others. But Brandt believes Quinn will succeed.

"I think the guy is a polished, mature individual that knows where he's going and knows how he's going to get there," he said.

Irish coach Charlie Weis, who concedes he is biased, said if he were an NFL head coach he would want Quinn on his team, saying he has that special "it" leaders have.

"I think that everything about him points to him being a successful quarterback in the NFL. The way he carries himself on and off the field, his athletic ability, his moxie, his leadership. That 'it' that certain people have, well he has it," he said. "I'm a big Brady Quinn fan."

Notre Dame hasn't produced a standout NFL quarterback since Joe Montana was taken by San Francisco in the third round of the 1979 draft. Steve Beuerlein, taken by the Raiders in the fourth round in 1987, had one Pro Bowl season with Carolina 12 years later. Mirer was the second pick overall in 1993 by Seattle and had a good rookie year, but he eventually became a journeyman.

Brandt said part of the problem is Notre Dame's quarterbacks tend to have inflated value because of the media spotlight on the school.

"Beano Cook created Ron Powlus because when he played there as a freshman he was going to be the Heisman Trophy winner for two years and so forth," he said. "I think that probably some of the quarterbacks they've had there were probably overrated. They probably weren't as good as people thought."

Another problem, he said, is that for years the Irish ran an option-oriented offense that didn't prepare players as well for the NFL.

Powlus, who is now the Irish quarterbacks coach after two years as director of personnel development, agrees, crediting the pro-style offense Weis brought to Notre Dame from New England.

"Every guy on our football team is more prepared for the NFL than a lot of other places because of coach Weis," he said.

Quinn, who also ran the West Coast offense for two years under Tyrone Willingham, says playing for Weis was an "internship" that taught him how to prepare for a game, how to deal with a head coach and what an NFL coach will expect from him.

"Every step of the way, Notre Dame has prepared me better than I think I would have been prepared at any other university," he said.

Quinn, who got a degree in December in finance and political science, has expressed frustration about reports of his draft status moving up or down. But more frustrating is not knowing where he will end up.

"I'll sit down and think, 'I don't have a clue where I'm going to live.' I'm one of those guys who like to plan ahead, so it's kind of hard," he said.

Weis doesn't know either, but he's confident Quinn will go early in the draft because he's ready to play early.

"I think that's significant. This is the day of free agency. You no longer have the luxury of taking someone that high in the draft and sitting there for a few years while you're waiting for them to get ready to play," he said. "You'd better be able to put them in there and play them."

Jamie Dukes is a former NFL player and now annoucer with NFL Network. What follows is his Mock Draft, where he has Notre Dame Quarterback Brady Quinn falling all the way to The Carolina Panthers at #14. But with the Panthers trading for David Carr, this is less likely to happen.


1.

QB – LSU
JaMarcus
Russell
2.

OT – WISCONSIN
Joe
Thomas
3.

RB -
OKLAHOMA
Adrian
Peterson
4.

WR – GEORGIA TECH
Calvin
Johnson
5.

DE – CLEMSON
GAINES
ADAMS
6.

DT – MICHIGAN
ALAN
BRANCH
7. CB – MICHIGAN
Leon
Hall

8.

OT – PENN STATE
Levi
Brown
9.

DT – LOUISVILLE
Amobi
Okoye
10.

S –
LSU
LaRon
Landry
11.


WR – OHIO STATE
Tedd
Ginn Jr.
12.

CB – ARKANSAS
Chris
Houston
13.

Dl – LOUISVILLE
Adam
carriker
14.

QB – NOTRE DAME
Brady
Quinn
15.

CB –
TEXAS
Aaron
Ross
16.

TE –
MIAMI
Greg
Olsen
17.

LB –
OLE MISS
Patrick
Willis
18.

LB – PENN STATE
Paul
Posluszny
19.

LB –
FLORIDA STATE
Lawrence
Timmons
20.

RB – CALIFORNIA
Marshawn
lynch
21.

OT – CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Joe
Staley
22.

S –
MIAMI
Brandon
Meriwhether
23.

WR –LSU
Dwayne
Bowe
24.

LB –
MIAMI
Jon
Beason
25.

CB –
PITTSBURGH
Derrelle
Revis
26.

WR –
USC
Dwayne
Jarrett
27.

TE – ARIZONA STATE
Zack
Miller
28.

WR –
TENNESSEE
Robert
Meecham
29.

OT –
ARKANSAS
Tony
Ugoh
30.

WR –
SOUTH CAROLINA
Sidney
Rice
31.

OG –
AUBURN
Ben
Grubb
32.

DE –
FLORIDA
Jarvis
Moss

BRAYDEN “Brady” QUINN
Quarterback
University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish
#10
6:03.6-232
Dublin, Ohio
Coffman High School

OVERVIEW
With the arrival of head coach Charlie Weis from the New England Patriots at Notre Dame, the
former NFL offensive coordinator quickly bonded with Brady and the results were immediately
evident in 2005. Having been compared to Weis’ former pupil, Tom Brady, Quinn averaged more
than 110 yards passing per game than he had as a sophomore while nearly doubling his
touchdown passes (32 from 17).

During his four seasons with the Fighting Irish, Quinn shattered 36 school records (10 career, 12
single-season, 4 single-game, 10 miscellaneous) including career pass attempts (1,602)
completions (929), yards (11,742), yards per game (239.6), touchdown passes (95) and lowest
INT percentage (2.43).

He won 29 games as a starting quarterback at Notre Dame, tied for most in school history. Quinn
ranks in the top ten in NCAA Division I history in career pass attempts (seventh), passing yards
(tenth) and touchdown passes (ninth).

The Coffman High School product was ranked sixth on the Detroit Free Press "Best of the
Midwest" team and listed 20th on ESPN's list of the nation's top 100 players. He was named
Columbus Dispatch and Ohio Capital Conference Offensive Player of the Year and was an All-
State choice as a senior. The two-time All-Conference selection served as team captain twice.

As a senior in 2002, Quinn completed 143 of 258 passes for 2,149 yards, 25 touchdowns and
only four interceptions while rushing for 108 yards and six touchdowns. He helped his team post
an 8-3 mark in 2002 and played in the U.S. Army All-America game in San Antonio. The two-year
starter threw for 2,200 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior in 2001, a 9-4 season that saw
Coffman reach the Division I state semifinals. Quinn also lettered three times in baseball. He was
named All-Conference in baseball as a junior and was a member of Young Life, the Rock Solid
Club and Who's Who Among America High School Students.

As a true freshman at Notre Dame, Quinn appeared in 12 games, starting the final nine contests
of the 2003 campaign. He connected on 157 of 332 passes (47.3%) for 1,831 yards, nine
touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He added 25 yards on 48 carries, but also fumbled six times,
with the opposition recovering two of those miscues.

In 2004, Quinn was successful on 191 of 253 throws (54.1%) for 2,586 yards and 17 touch-
downs. He was intercepted 10 times and fumbled four times, but added three more scores on the
ground. Brady earned All-American third-team honors as a junior, ranking third in the nation in
passing yardage (3,919) while establishing school season records with 292 completions of 450
attempts with 32 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.

Quinn continued to rewrite the school record book as a senior in 2006. The All-American hit on
289 of 467 attempts (61.9%) for 3.426 yards (tenth best in the nation), 37 touchdowns and only
seven interceptions. He finished eleventh nationally with an average of 269.0 yards per game in
total offense and placed fifth in points scored per game with an 18.0 average. His average of
22.23 pass completions per game was good for eighth in the nation.

In 49 games at Notre Dame, Quinn started 46 times. He set school career-records with 929 of
1,602 passes (58.0%) for 11,762 yards, 95 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. He carried 254
times for 182 yards (0.7 avg) and six scores. His 1,602 pass attempts rank first among active
NCAA Division 1-A quarterbacks.

CAREER NOTES
Completed 929 of 1,602 passes (58.0%) for 11,762 yards and 95 touchdowns, breaking the
previous school career-records set by Ron Powlus (558 of 969 attempts for 7,602 yards and 52
touchdowns, 1994-97)...His pass completion percentage of 58.0 ranks second in school annals
behind Kevin McDougal (62.2%, 1990-93)...His 11,944 yards in total offense broke the old school
career-record of 7,479 yards by Powlus and his 1,856 plays topped the previous Fighting Irish all-
time record of 1,201 by Powlus...Has a string of 16 consecutive games with at least one
touchdown pass (2004-05), snapping the previous mark of ten by Heisman Trophy winner, John
Huarte, in 1964...Set school season-records with 549 plays in 2006 and 4,009 yards in total
offense in 2005, topping the old marks of 456 plays for 3,217 yards by Jarious Jackson in
1999...His average of 334.1 yards per game in total offense in 2005 shattered the previous
school season-record of 281.3 yards by Joe Theismann in 1970...Gained over 200 yards in total
offense 33 times during his career, topping the old Irish career-record of 15 by Jackson(1996-99)
and Powlus...Gained over 200 yards in total offense 11 times in 2005 and 12 times in 2006,
breaking the old school season-record of nine by Jackson in 1999...His 467 pass attempts in
2006 topped his previous school season-record of 450 in 2005...Along with his 332 pass
attempts in 2003 and 353 tosses in 2004, Quinn owns the top three spots on Notre Dame’s
season-record pass attempt list...Also owns the top three pass completion seasons in school
annals, hitting on 292 throws in 2005, 289 in 2006 and 191 in 2004...His pass completion
percentage of 64.9% in 2005 broke the old Irish season-record of 61.6% by Kevin McDougal in
1993...His 32 touchdown passes in 2005 shattered the old Notre Dame record of 19 by Ron
Powlus in 1994, followed by Quinn topping his own record with 37 scoring strikes in
2006...Quinn’s average of 1.94 touchdown passes per game topped Powlus’ old school career-
record of 1.18 (1994-97)...His seven interceptions in 2005 and repeated in 2006, rank as the
fourth-lowest season totals by a Notre Dame starting quarter-back (minimum 125
attempts)...Threw 39 interceptions during his career, topped only by Steve Beuerlein (44, 1983-
86) in school annals...Responsible for 198 points in 2005 (32 touchdowns passing, one rushing),
breaking the old school season-record of 162 points by Rick Mirer in 1991 (18 touchdowns
passing, nine rushing). Quinn then broke his own school record by totaling 234 points (37 scores
passing, two rushing) in 2006...During his career, Quinn was responsible for 606 points scored
during his career (95 TDs passing, six rushing), surpassing Mirer’s previous Notre Dame career-
record of 350 points (41 TDs passing, 17 rushing, one two-point conversion)...His 158.4 passing
efficiency rating in 2005 broke the previous school season-record (155.1 by John Huarte, 1964).

2006 SEASON
All-American Dream Team selection by the NFL Draft report, earning second-team honors from
the Football Writers Association...Received the 2006 Notre Dame Most Valuable Player Award at
the football banquet for the second-consecutive year after sharing it with receiver Jeff Samardzija
in 2005...Became Notre Dame’s sixth winner of the Maxwell Award, presented to college
football’s most outstanding player...Winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, presented
annually to top senior quarterback in the nation...Voted by fans as the winner of the Cingular
Player of the Year...Selected as a finalist for numerous awards including the Walter Camp Player
of the Year Award, the Davey O’Brien Award and the Manning Award...Graduated this past
December in 3.5 years with dual degrees in Political Science and Finance...Voted a team captain
(along with linebacker Travis Thomas and safety Tom Zbikowski) for second consecutive year as
determined in a vote by his teammates...Member of the football team’s leadership committee for
the second-straight season...Started all 13 games, ranking 11th nationally in total offense (269.0
ypg), 10th in passing yardage (3,426), eighth in pass completions per game (22.23), 18th in
passing efficiency with a 146.66 rating and fifth in points responsible for (18.0 ppg)...Connected
on 289 of 467 passes (61.9%) for 3,426 yards, a school season-record 37 touchdowns and only
seven interceptions...Set a school record as he did not throw an interception in 226 consecutive
passes – also the season high for NCAA Division I in 2006...Threw at least two touchdown
passes in his first 12 games...Added 71 yards and two scores on 82 carries (0.9 avg)...Amassed
3,497 yards in total offense on 549 plays...Turned the ball over once on four fumbles.

2005 SEASON
Second-team All-American selection by The NFL Draft Report, adding third-team honors from the
Associated Press...Finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award and the winner of the Sammy Baugh
Award as the nation’s top quarterback by the Columbus (Oh.) Touchdown Club...Shared the 2005
Notre Dame Most Valuable Player Award with receiver Jeff Samardzija... One of two team
captains (along with linebacker Brandon Hoyte) as determined by a vote of his teammates...
Shattered school season-records, as he hit on 292 of 450 passes (64.9%) for 3,919 yards, 32
touchdowns and only seven interceptions...Ranked third in the nation in passing yards and yards
passing per game (326.58), was fifth nationally in total offense (334.1 ypg), sixth in pass
completions (24.33 pg) and seventh in points responsible for (16.5 pg)...Ranked fourth on the
squad with 70 carries for 90 yards (1.3 avg) and a score...Gained a school season-record 4,009
yards in total offense on 520 plays and set a school season-record with 11 games gaining at least
200 yards in total offense...Threw at least one touchdown in all twelve games he started...
Fumbled three times, as the Irish recovered all three miscues...Sacked 20 times for losses
totaling 133 yards...Accounted for 167 first downs among his 292 pass completions, adding 14
more first downs rushing...Had 35 of his 450 pass attempts deflected by the opposition and
fumbled three times...Converted 90-of-184 third-down plays (48.9%) that he was involved
in...Had 54 pass completions for 20 yards or longer.

2004 SEASON
Produced the finest statistical sophomore season of any quarterback in Notre Dame
history...Started all 12 games, completing 191 of 353 passes (54.1%) for 2,586 yards with 17
touchdown passes and 10 interceptions...Had 11 completions of at least 40 yards or
more...Finished third on the Notre Dame single-season passing yards list, trailing only Jarious
Jackson's 2,753 in 1999 and Quinn’s 3,919 in 2005)...Carried 54 times for losses totaling 4 yards,
adding three scores on the ground...Fumbled four times, with the opposition recovering one of
those miscues...Sacked 25 times for minus 147 yards...Also recorded a pair of solo tackles (one
each vs. Pittsburgh and Oregon State).

2003 SEASON
Played in 12 games as a true freshman, starting the final nine contests when he replaced Carlyle
Holiday in the lineup vs. Purdue...Gained 1,831 yards with nine touchdowns and 15 interceptions
on 157 of 332 passes (47.3%)...His 332 pass attempts set a school season-record (since
broken), topping the ol;d mark of 316 by Jarious Jackson in 1999...Carried 48 times for 25 yards
(0.5 avg) and amassed 1,856 yards in total offense... Also recorded an assisted tackle vs.
Syracuse...Fumbled six times, turning the ball over twice... Was sacked 13 times for losses
totaling 85 yards.

CAMPUS AGILITY TESTS
4.73 in the 40-yard dash...345-pound bench press...Bench presses 225 pounds 21 times...
475-pound squat...36-inch vertical jump...9’7” broad jump...4.22 20-yard shuttle...6.79 three-
cone drill...31 3⁄4-inch arm length...9 5/8-inch hands...Right-handed...29/47 Wonderlic score.

COMBINE AGILITY TESTS
Bench pressed 225 pounds 24 times.

HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Coffman (Dublin, Oh.) High School...Ranked sixth on the Detroit Free Press "Best of
the Midwest" team and listed 20th on ESPN's list of the nation's top 100 players as a
prep...Named Columbus Dispatch and Ohio Capital Conference Offensive Player of the Year and
was an All-State choice as a senior...The two-time All-Conference selection served as team
captain twice...As a senior in 2002, Quinn completed 143 of 258 passes for 2,149 yards, 25
touchdowns and only four interceptions while rushing for 108 yards and six touchdowns...Helped
his team post an 8-3 mark in 2002 and played in the U.S. Army All-America game in San
Antonio...The two-year starter threw for 2,200 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior in 2001, a 9-
4 season that saw Coffman reach the Division I state semifinals...Also lettered three times in
baseball. He was named All-Conference in base-ball as a junior...Member of Young Life, the
Rock Solid Club and Who's Who Among America High School Students.

PERSONAL
Enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business with a major in Finance and second major in
Political Science...Sister, Laura, is the girlfriend of Ohio State All-American and Green Bay
Packers 2006 NFL Draft first round linebacker A.J. Hawk, Brady’s opponent in the 2006 Fiesta
Bowl...Uncle, David Slates, played football at Brown while another uncle, Steve Slates, played
football at Kentucky...One of three children of Robin and Ty Quinn...Born Brayden Tyler Quinn on
10/27/84 in Columbus, Ohio...Resides in Dublin, Ohio.

Irish QB the latest to visit Browns
By JEFF SCHUDEL
Special to The Inde
http://www.indeonline.com

Window shopping for the NFL draft can be a dizzying experience for a team as lowly as the Browns.

Former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn visited Berea Thursday at the invitation of the Browns, one day after running back Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma and former LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell were in town.

Any of the three could make the Browns better instantly, and since the Browns have the third choice in the draft April 28 they are guaranteed at least one of them will be available when they make their pick.

None of the players were made available to the media during their visit. All three spoke at the NFL Combine in February and all three had positive things to say about the possibility of continuing their football career with the Browns.

Quinn in fact, has had to explain over and over that while he would love to play for the Browns, he would be happy playing for any team. Quinn made it sound like he was pushing the Browns to draft him when the Dublin, Ohio, product said on national television he would like to play for the Browns.

“I basically said I was a fan when I was younger and I definitely do have a desire based on where I live because of where they are in the draft,” Quinn said. “I think economically that would be a good situation right now with them drafting in the third spot. But that’s where it stops.

“I’m not biased toward any team based on where I live. Whatever team I go to play for I’m going to be happy to play for.”

Quinn was one of the top-rated players in the country until the Fighting Irish played LSU in the Sugar Bowl. Russell was the better quarterback that night because the Tigers were the better team.

“I don’t think one game necessarily makes a career for someone,” Quinn said. “It doesn’t take away from the fact that we lost. We played terrible in the second half – not only myself but as a team. We didn’t do enough to get a win.

“Any time that’s how you end your career, that’s how you end your last game going into the NFL, of course people are going to harp on that. That’s what everyone can think about and write about. That’s their last memory.”

Quinn had a strong Pro Day March 4 and with it improved his standing in mock drafts around the country.

Browns general manager Phil Savage says NFL draft boards do not fluctuate like those of analysts who make a living writing draft guides. The interviews of Peterson, Russell and Quinn this week were more for the purpose of making sure they are sound physically and to reaffirm the opinion the Browns already have of the respective players.

Russell and Savage are from Mobile, Ala. When Russell was 14 he attended a football camp run by Savage, who worked for the Ravens at the time. When Savage returned to Baltimore, he told Ravens G.M. Ozzie Newsome that Russell had a stronger arm than any quarterback on the Ravens’ roster.

Savage saw Peterson twice in less than two months before Peterson visited Wednesday – once at the scouting combine and once at the Oklahoma Pro Day. He was impressed both times and said Peterson’s injury history – a shoulder, ankle and collarbone – would not disqualify the Browns from taking him.

Savage has said the Browns will take an offensive player with their first pick. The Browns were 31st in the league offensively last season and 30th in scoring.