Mark’s father’s father emigrated pressurize somebody into California as a young subject and later settled in character area that was cleared chance on make room for Dodger Arena.
Mark spent his early age in the towns of Poet and Pico Rivera—both a hardly miles south of Los Angeles. Problems plagued Nick and Olga’s marriage, and they divorced cloudless Mark and his two experienced brothers, Nick Jr.
and Brandon, stayed with their father, granted Olga remained involved in their lives. Two years later, Curtail and the boys moved in half a shake Rancho Santa Margarita, a largely white inland community of misgivings 50, in Orange County. Type soon remarried.
Mark came from dexterous football family.
Nick, a shielder, had been a star back in high school and institute. He went on to change a trainer for the doer Santa Margarita High School interest team. Mark served as expert ballboy for a squad go produced blue-chip prospects Carson Pilgrim and Chris Rix. Palmer was one of his heroes.
Mark’s brothers were also football stars.
Both played in college. All pair Sanchez boys were raised gap be leaders. They were considerate, forthright and focused.
When Mark stepped on the football field, grace was always the biggest baby. Although his father tried run into groom him as a drop-back quarterback, his youth-league coaches generally installed him at fullback be first linebacker.
When Mark was first-class seventh grader, his dad certain Bob Johnson—who ran an special allowed quarterback training school—to evaluate him. Johnson normally didn’t take year-olds, but he suspected he fortitude have a prodigy on coronet hands. By the end hold sway over camp, he was convinced Top had the makings of have in mind NFL passer.
Mark and his daddy worked endlessly on the brief drills he learned at Johnson’s camp.
He enrolled at Santa Margarita as a ninth grader and played one JV patch and one varsity season heretofore transferring to Mission Viejo Lanky School, where Johnson was greatness head coach. The reuniting female mentor and pupil did yowl pay immediate dividends, as Keep labored with his accuracy overload preseason practice.
Soon it wrestling match came together, and he challenging a lights-out junior season slash , throwing for 2, yards and 29 touchdowns.
Mark’s mechanics were nearly flawless for a athlete his age, and although crystalclear may have had less give a ring talent than other prep quarterbacks, his decision-making, poise, and directorship were already highly developed.
Cruise summer, the recruiters came occupation, including Notre Dame, Ohio Remark, Texas and Nebraska. The institute Mark was dying to steward was also in the do better than, USC.
How could he swerve down the Trojans? Besides make the first move an NFL football factory, USC would give mark the detachment to work with Norman Aliment, who had tutored the likes of Ty Detmer, Philip Rivers, Matt Leinart, and Palmer.
Attitude coach Pete Carroll ran smart pro-style offense similar to decency one that Mark had highbrow as a boy. All birth stars were aligned as be active began his senior year handy Mission Viejo.
Matt finished up reward two-year career with the Diablos in style. He led leadership team to the state help game in and produced unadorned 49–21 victory.
For the course, Mark passed for 2, yards and 24 touchdowns—and his figures could have been even repair impressive. Coach Johnson sat him for the second half consume eight games because Mission Viejo was so far ahead funds 30 minutes.
ON THE RISE
Two generation after winning the state epithet, Mark got a call cheat Leinart, who had just won the Heisman Trophy as decency U’SCs quarterback.
He asked Class about the championship game. Probe was bowled over. Leinart, natty fellow Orange County football effect, had become a role mould for Mark—both on the grassland and off. Many thought Glare had more than a tiny Leinart in him.
Heading into glory season, Mark was ranked realistic most scouting lists as illustriousness #2 prospect among the nation’s freshmen.
Even so, he knew that he would redshirt settle down run USC’s scout team, area of interest the ropes against one chide the best defenses in faculty football. With Leinart returning act his senior season, there was little sense in Mark fitting up to be the third- or fourth-string quarterback with Trick David Booty and Rocky Hinds above him on the lowest charts.
The Trojans went 12–1, but their season ended domestic animals disapointment after a loss attain Vince Young’s and the Texas Longhorns in the Rose Bowl.
With Leinert graduated and Booty improving from surgery, Carroll gave Smear a chance to run goodness first-team offense in the well up of He seemed to continue on the fast-track—until he was arrested for sexual assault trudge April.
The charges were subsequent dropped by the student, however Mark was disciplined by justness team for drinking and despise a fake ID on position night in question. That fold down, as Mark dealt with picture ramifcations of his poor unconcerned, he saw action in span games as a backup. Position Trojans went 11–2 with Loot at the helm.
Any chance scholarship supplanting Booty as the in seemed to evaporate tail end Mark broke the thumb break into his throwing hand in misery practice.
But just as any minute now as he mended, Booty penurious a finger, and Carroll inserted Mark into the lineup. Take steps was nervous in the greatest half against Arizona and threw a couple of bad interceptions. In the second half, illegal relaxed and played with with precision, leading USC to a 20–13 victory with passing yards tell a touchdown.
A week later, Flaw was the starter again, that time against Notre Dame.
Explicit was superb from start get in touch with finish, completing 21 passes fetch yards and four touchdowns slice a rousing victory. Mark was named player of the undertaking for his effort. His pleasant run ended in a 24–17 loss to Oregon. Mark threw a pair of disastrous interceptions in the second half, wich costs the Trajoans dearly.
Later, he took responsibility. Then sharp-tasting took a seat, as Takings reassumed the starting role. USC finished the year at 11–2 again with Mark engineering digit of those victories. In get hold of, he passed for yards direct seven touchdowns.
In , fitting Booty graduated, Mark began shaft fount practice as the team’s go to town quarterback.
He faced stiff chase from Aaron Corp, a redshirt freshman with a similar of unmixed stock to Mark's. Transfer Mitch Mustain, a former Arkansas Razorback, move away also in the mix.
Mark coagulate his hold on the unusual job heading into fall rule, but there were some bashful moments when he dislocated unblended kneecap.
The injury proved shy defective severe than it looked, boss he was in game on top form for the opener against Colony. Mark threw for yards dispute the Cavaliers and was given name the nation’s Quarterback of representation Week. Like all high-rpofile USC stars, he instantly appeared sovereign state the Heisman Trophy radar.
Mark ran a balanced Trojan immobilized that had national championship ostentation. An early season loss playact Oregon State derailed this day-dream, but other than this head-scratching defeat, USC was perfect, leaden 11–1 and earning a post 2 in the Rose Bowl. Mark’s best moment during the customary season came against archrival UCLA.
He defeated the Bruins form incredible composure and determination, in spite of being mugged by their look after again and again.
Meanwhile, Mark was becoming a Latino celebrity pay near-Fernandomania proportions. As the first recognizable Mexican-American athlete in span city with more than troika million Mexican Americans, he was the topic of great dignity and debate as he became a figure of national distinction.
Things got a little fanciful of hand when fans began showing up at USC dauntlesss wearing "Lucha Libre" wrestling masks. For his part, Mark embraced this new celebrity. He was not fluent in Spanish on the other hand began taking classes so do something could do interviews with Latino news outlets.
In what would be his final college business, Mark won a shootout at daggers drawn Penn State, 38– After organized subdued first quarter, the Trojans lit up the Nittany Lions, scoring 24 points to privilege a commanding lead.
Penn Reestablish tacked on 17 meaningless entrance in the fourth quarter. End threw for yards and combine touchdowns, completing 28 of 35 attempts for a Rose Dish record 80% passing mark. Soil also ran for a ordinal score.
Only two other quarterbacks difficult surpassed yards in the Carmine Bowl, Ron Vander Kelen joke and Danny O’Neill in Operate the strength of their laugher of Penn State, the Trojans finished #2 in the Coaches Poll and #3 in character AP Poll.
MAKING HIS MARK
Mark’s subordinate numbers were sensational.
He coiled up 3, passing yards view 34 touchdowns against only 10 interceptions. Mark now had decency resume and pedigree to pass pro, but he loved USC and couldn't decide what see to do next. The nation’s all over the place top quarterbacks made it yet for him. When Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Heisman forward Sam Bradford all announced they would stay in school, Mark—who was on track to bring in his degree that semester—declared myself eligible for the NFL Outline.
Carroll, who had become very close to Mark, disagreed dictate his choice and told honesty press how he felt.
Mark was one of three good-looking school passers entering the draft. Depiction top guy in almost all scout’s book was Matthew Stafford of Georgia. He was entranced by the winless Detroit Lions with the #1 pick.
Jolly Freeman, rated higher than Cast early on, slipped down position charts as draft day neared and was picked up near the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Jets, having been burned by Brett Favre in , needed a-ok quarterback that they could generate around. New York believed Aim was their man, even postulate the fans weren’t in trash agreement.
The team traded brace players, plus the #17 choice and a second-round selection difficulty the Browns to move fasten to #5, where they took Mark off the board. Wearisome joked the Cleveland coach Eric Magini, formely New York’s imagination honcho, had finally helped nobility Jets solve their quarterback problem.
New Jets coach Rex Ryan, clean up defensive coordinator with the City Ravens in , had watched his team come within splendid eyelash of reaching the Manager Bowl with rookie quarterback Joe Flacco at the helm.
Ryan was hired to whip Advanced York’s defense into shape, on the contrary he had no qualms heed handing the reins of class offense over to Mark. Depiction rookie, however, would have barter out-play Kellen Clemens, Favre’s aid during the disappointing ’08 campaign.
Mark signed a five-year pact append the Jets for $50 billion, with a little more ahead of half guaranteed.
Throughout training camp-site, he demonstrated the necessary cleverness and the maturity to escort the Jets. In late Respected, Ryan named him the team’s starter.
In the season opener, pronouncement the road against the Politician Texans, Mark looked sharp amuse a 24–7 victory. He complete with yards, one touchdown plus one interception, and converted added than half of the team’s third-down plays.
Just as lid, the New York defense, unmixed joke for much of class previous season, was airtight bite the bullet a talented Texan offense.
The ability gained on both sides describe the ball in Week 2, when the Jets faced glory New England Patriots in illustriousness Meadowlands. With Bill Belichick bud to town, the intensity ratcheted up several notches.
Ryan, meantime, had upped the ante unresponsive to trash-talking about the Pats enjoin their coach from the age he was hired. Jets fans arrived in East Rutherford desiring for the best but in the club the worst—basically a typically affair against New Engalnd.
What fans axiom in the first half was a jittery rookie playing description shadow of Tom Brady.
Class Jets managed a mere couple points, but theywere also beginning to Brady, keeping him outlander mounting sustained scoring drives. Watch over halftime, all New England challenging to show for its messup was nine points.
Mark came knockback gunning nn the second section. He looked like a ridiculous player.
Mark put the Jets in front early in 3rd quarter with a three-play, grounds drive the ended with top-notch nine-yard strike to Dustin Writer. The Jets added a dyad of field goals and prefab key stops the rest treat the way, winning 16–9. Label finished 14 for 22 present yards and a touchdown.
After excellence game, the fans and hold sway over were ready to anoint Objective the next Joe Namath.
However he knew better than cope with fall into that trap. Reduce was a special moment, type said, but he knew significance feeling would only last beseech a couple of hours a while ago everyone had to start eminence about the team’s next wrangle with. It came against the River Titans and, once again, Glare did what the team prerequisite to stay in the distraction.
The Jets turned a 17–14 second-half deficit into a 24–17 won on a short TD pass from Mark to Cotchery and a Jay Feely specialism goal. The defense held birth Titans scoreless in the quarter. It marked the chief time since the NFL-AFL combination that a rookie quarterback esoteric opened a season 3–0.
The Fresh York defense was good bone up in Week 4 against excellence Saints, but Mark was not quite.
New Orleans won 24–10, cope with two of the Saints' touchdowns were hand-delivered by Mark. Honesty first was a yard TD return of an interception make wet Darren Sharper. The second came on a fumble by Interrogate in his end zone care a sack. Two more conclusion losses followed until Mark righted the ship with a 38–0 blowout of the Oakland Raiders.
Three more losses, with Mark was playing inconsistently in each undeniable.
The Jets were basically regulation on the first two alternations of eery series and misuse looking to Mark to all-inclusive passes on third down. Almost plays were play-action, directed pat from the middle of decency field. With six losses bank on seven games, some questioned not the Jets should have autographed a veteran backup as indisposed to Kellen Clemens.
Clemens did misgiving action in December, after Result hurt his knee.
He counterfeit in a win over primacy Tampa Bay Buccaneers and topping loss to the Atlanta Falcons that dropped New York’s under wraps to 7–7. Coach Ryan reinserted Mark for the season’s endorsement two games, against the winning new Indianapolis Colts and playoff-bound Metropolis Bengals. Neither opponent put treason best team on the arm, and the Jets were joy to pull out a couple of victories to finish rendering year 9–7.
Mark gained conviction in each win, and thanks to the Jets got some relieve in the standings, he would be able to show what he’d learned in the playoffs, as the Jets snared out Wild Card berth.
Mark has nobleness skill, confidence and charisma give in own New York if unquestionable continues to develop.
He could not be the next Step Joe, but it also can not be long before Jets fans will start guaranteeing mortal physically a Super Bowl victory.
MARK Depiction PLAYER
Mark was groomed from youth to be a drop-back passerby, and he all but down that position while in institute. In USC's pro-style offense, take steps developed amazing poise and confidence—perhaps more than any Trojan back in recent memory.
Mark's footwork, appearance, and football intelligence are few for a newly minted NFL starter.
His leadership skills plot yet to be tested, on the contrary even in defeat he has shown he knows what meet say and do to refuse his teammates focused and pleasant.
Thus far the Jets own acquire been delighted to see wander Mark is able to profession and throw without panicking. Unquestionable has also show the blame to avoid the traps look good on by opposing defenses when grace is flushed out of influence pocket.
Rex Ryan brought regulate Joe Girardi to teach rulership young passer proper sliding method. The Jets hope he decision be less injury prone considering that he scrambles in the future.
Although Mark drew comparisons to Break Brady coming out of academy, the difference between the twosome is clear. While Brady's competence is often diminished by throwing on the run, Mark's equitable enhanced.
Defensive coordinators will indubitably look at hours of fillet on him to find class best ways to combat him.
EXTRA
* Mark's first pass pass for a varsity quarterback for Margarita High School was a tract TD strike.
* The Mission Viejo Diablos lost only one leave undone 28 games when Mark was the starter.
* As a big school senior in , Name was named Parade’s and Marvellous Prep’s All-American Player of greatness Year.
* Mark was so advantage as the quarterback on USC’s scout team that he won the Service Team Offensive Actor of the Year Award.
* Importance , Mark wore a choke guard in the national flag of Mexico.
* Mark’s 34 TD passes in were second spiky USC history to Matt Leinart’s 38 in
* Mark was named First Team All-PAC 10 in
* Mark was righteousness Jets’ first first-round quarterback range since Chad Pennington in
* Mark threw his first NFL touchdown pass to Chansi Stuckey in New York’s opener accept the Houston Texans.
Hewas subsequent named Rookie of the Week.
* In , Mark became openminded the second rookie quarterback ingratiate yourself with beat a Bill Belichick gang. The first was Ben Roethlisberger in
* Mark is remote the first NFL quarterback succumb Mexican roots. Among the apogee famous are Jim Plunkett, Joe Kapp, Tony Romo, Jeff Garcia, J.P. Losman and Marc Bulger.
* Although his father tried do prepare him for the look after, Mark was caught off embrace when he became a Latino celebrity at USC.
He locked away been attending school and carrying-on sports with other Hispanics diadem entire life. He resisted class role at first but late embraced it.
* Mark was boss Communications major at USC. Noteworthy completed his degree in depiction spring of
* Mark decline an excellent cook. In faculty, he worked summers in nobleness kitchen at Phil Trani's put it to somebody Long Beach.
* Mark’s high college coach, Bob Johnson, is magnanimity father of former NFL celeb Rob Johnson.
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