Rob Oller commentary: Advertisers have already made Quinn No. 1 pick
Brady Quinn might not be the first quarterback selected in the NFL draft, but the Dublin Coffman graduate already is performing better in the pocket than projected No. 1 pick JaMarcus Russell.
Wads of cash keep spilling from Brady Quinn's pants compartments as the Notre Dame senior keeps signing endorsement deals that make him the highest-paid NFL rookie, even before the league has its annual player auction today in New York's Radio City Music Hall.
JaMarcus Russell might have the stronger arm, but Brady Quinn has shown a stronger hand at making money off the field. He already has signed sponsorship deals with Nike, Hummer and EAS, which makes dietary supplements. He is blogging for Xbox, has agreed to help market Subway and has a promotional deal with Sprint that has him hyping the draft.
Draft analysts might prefer JaMarcus Russell, but corporate America loves Brady Quinn. Given a choice, better to be adored by General Motors than touted by Mel Kiper Jr.
Nike spokesman Dean Stoyer said Brady Quinn is the whole package, meaning he has the looks, smarts and combination of marketing and athletic talent to turn himself into a popular brand name.
"Whoever takes Brady is going to get a combination of Tommy (Brady) and Peyton (Manning)," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis told Sirius Satellite Radio. "I've heard from at least 20 teams that this was the closest (combine interview) they've had to Peyton's (in 1998)."
Inspiring interviews aren't touchdowns, but any team wanting an articulate leader who understands what it takes to be a franchise spokesman could do worse than select the Golden Domer.
"From a marketing standpoint, Brady is a big plus," draft analyst Jerry Jones said. "The NFL loves to put their quarterbacks out there and flash them to the world. A marketing person who thinks Brady Quinn gets tremendously high grades in that area is going to say, 'This is your Peyton Manning. Go for it.' "
Cynics will say it's good Brady Quinn is pocketing money now, because it's doubtful he'll become a hit in the NFL. But I suspect the 22-year-old is going to be a star, not just because he excels at reading advertising lines but because he effectively throws over the top of defensive lines.
I say good for him. We want our athletes to be model citizens who willingly sign autographs, talk to children, get good grades and serve their communities. Brady Quinn does all those things, yet he is underappreciated even in his hometown. Maybe it's familiarity breeding contempt, or maybe it's anti-Notre Dame bias or simply the distorted pleasure of poking holes in a person who is about as perfect as you'll find.
It also has become fashionable to fault Brady Quinn for his failure to win big games, but the same knock applied to Manning when he left Tennessee, and at Indianapolis, he has become one of the best quarterbacks in history.
In reality, the problem is not what Brady Quinn has failed to do but what NFL talent evaluators have succeeded in doing. In general, scouts are pessimists who initially delight in finding a diamond before quickly trying to turn it into cubic zirconia. In September, most insiders thought Brady Quinn not only would be the top quarterback but the top pick in the draft. Then the nitpicking began and by December he had suffered the surprised embarrassment of finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting, behind Troy Smith and Arkansas sophomore running back Darren McFadden. Almost five months later and it's Brady Quinn's turn to become bigger than life in the Big Apple, where his image will soon appear on a towering Manhattan billboard.
During the billboard photo shoot, a photographer asked Brady Quinn to extend an arm and raise a knee. He reluctantly struck the Heisman pose. Struck it rich, too.
