| Weis is still a big believer in Quinn's abilities. (Getty Images) |
From 2000-2004, Charlie Weis was the man behind one of the most consistently prolific offenses in recent NFL history. As the coordinator for the New England Patriots, he was there when Tom Brady went from sixth-round afterthought to three-time Super Bowl winner. After not getting any NFL head-coaching offers, Weis headed to Notre Dame where he led the Fighting Irish from 2005-2009.
His first quarterback in South Bend was Brady Quinn, who threw for more than 7,300 yards, 69 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions in his final two seasons. Quinn's college exploits prompted the Browns to take him in the first round of the 2007 draft. It didn't hurt that then-Browns coach Romeo Crennel had worked on New England's staff with Weis and valued his opinion on Quinn's abilities.
Quinn lasted just three years in Cleveland before he was shipped to Denver in exchange for running back Peyton Hillis. In 14 games (12 starts) with the Browns, he completed 52 percent of his throws for 1,902 yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Quinn, who didn't see the field in Denver thanks to Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow, signed with the Chiefs this spring where he'll serve as Matt Cassel's backup.
But Weis, in a recent interview with the Kansas City Star, is still a big believer in Quinn's quarterbacking abilities.
“Brady could have been a starting quarterback for me in the NFL,” Weis told the Star's Rustin Dodd. “Go back and look at those numbers for the two years he played for me. He was great. He wasn’t good. And I know if I had him as a quarterback, I would have felt very comfortable that I could have won no matter where we were.”
It's easy to just say "But you're talking about Brady Quinn!" (it was our first inclination, too), but Weis, who is now the head coach at Kansas University, helped develop Tom Brady, and he was the Chiefs' offensive coordinator when Cassel threw for 27 touchdowns against seven picks and made the Pro Bowl following the 2010 season. So maybe he's onto something. Then again, when it gets to the point where Tebow is clowning you, perhaps it's time to reevaluate your professional goals.
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