Hammock Parties
09-08-2007, 11:11 PM
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/266930.html
Huard takes the helm as Chiefs QB in opener, seeking to dispel doubts
By BILL REITER
Some fans are jittery about Damon Huard being the Chiefs’ No. 1 quarterback. “I don’t worry about it,” he says. “I can’t. I have too much else to worry about.”
The second-highest-rated quarterback in the NFL rolled up to Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday in his black Escalade — a reminder that he doesn’t drive a minivan to practice anymore.
This was the week Damon Huard had waited for his entire career. In just a few days, the 34-year-old journeyman would open the season as a starter for the first time.
This was supposed to be a coronation. In last January’s playoff game, Chiefs fans had bruised their lungs and banged their TV sets screaming for Huard, the savior of 2006, to be inserted in the second half.
Now, on the doorstep of a new season, Kansas City had its man. Except that, well, no one other than Huard seemed all that excited anymore.
“I’m great,” Huard said as he boarded a stadium elevator. “I’m just great.”
Elsewhere, confidence was not high, and the qualifiers were already coming out. Was Huard really going to open as the Chiefs’ No. 1 quarterback? Could anyone picture him finishing there?
“You can look at how he got the starting job a lot of ways — did he win it, did he get it by default?” said Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson. “This veteran quarterback earned his chance to start in 2007 … with what he did for us (in 2006).”
“He’s going to be in a position where they’ll have to win some games early,” said commentator, friend and former quarterback Dan Marino, “or he may not be able to keep that job.”
“Most seem to view Damon Huard as a stopgap quarterback at best,” said Chris Thorman, who runs the Chiefs blog www.arrowheadpride.com. “Brodie Croyle is the quarterback of the future. That cancels Damon Huard out of the equation.”
Even the ultimate judge of a player’s individual talent — the fantasy football draft — seemed to be disrespecting Huard’s skills. Mock drafts and cheat sheets showed him near the bottom for quarterback rankings and picks.
All of this had to be eating him up, right?
“I-I-I-I’m f-i-i-i-ne,” Huard said, his voice quaking and body shaking as the elevator ticked up two floors. “I’m a lit-t-t-t-t-t-le nervous. There’s a g-g-g-g-game a-g-g-g-ainst Hou-s-s-ton this weekend.”
Suddenly, the tremors stopped. Huard laughed and got off.
He was joking.
Sort of.
Huard takes the helm as Chiefs QB in opener, seeking to dispel doubts
By BILL REITER
Some fans are jittery about Damon Huard being the Chiefs’ No. 1 quarterback. “I don’t worry about it,” he says. “I can’t. I have too much else to worry about.”
The second-highest-rated quarterback in the NFL rolled up to Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday in his black Escalade — a reminder that he doesn’t drive a minivan to practice anymore.
This was the week Damon Huard had waited for his entire career. In just a few days, the 34-year-old journeyman would open the season as a starter for the first time.
This was supposed to be a coronation. In last January’s playoff game, Chiefs fans had bruised their lungs and banged their TV sets screaming for Huard, the savior of 2006, to be inserted in the second half.
Now, on the doorstep of a new season, Kansas City had its man. Except that, well, no one other than Huard seemed all that excited anymore.
“I’m great,” Huard said as he boarded a stadium elevator. “I’m just great.”
Elsewhere, confidence was not high, and the qualifiers were already coming out. Was Huard really going to open as the Chiefs’ No. 1 quarterback? Could anyone picture him finishing there?
“You can look at how he got the starting job a lot of ways — did he win it, did he get it by default?” said Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson. “This veteran quarterback earned his chance to start in 2007 … with what he did for us (in 2006).”
“He’s going to be in a position where they’ll have to win some games early,” said commentator, friend and former quarterback Dan Marino, “or he may not be able to keep that job.”
“Most seem to view Damon Huard as a stopgap quarterback at best,” said Chris Thorman, who runs the Chiefs blog www.arrowheadpride.com. “Brodie Croyle is the quarterback of the future. That cancels Damon Huard out of the equation.”
Even the ultimate judge of a player’s individual talent — the fantasy football draft — seemed to be disrespecting Huard’s skills. Mock drafts and cheat sheets showed him near the bottom for quarterback rankings and picks.
All of this had to be eating him up, right?
“I-I-I-I’m f-i-i-i-ne,” Huard said, his voice quaking and body shaking as the elevator ticked up two floors. “I’m a lit-t-t-t-t-t-le nervous. There’s a g-g-g-g-game a-g-g-g-ainst Hou-s-s-ton this weekend.”
Suddenly, the tremors stopped. Huard laughed and got off.
He was joking.
Sort of.