NFL’s Subjects of Great Divide

NEW YORK — For months they stood side by side, Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers, so similar in so many ways. Both were clean-cut California kids, all but overlooked out of high school, fresh off brief but dazzling careers as college quarterbacks.

Which one did NFL teams prefer? It changed by the day.

But Saturday, the narrow gap grew to a crevasse, with Utah’s Smith going to San Francisco at No. 1 and California’s Rodgers tumbling to 24, where he was selected by Green Bay.

After learning he wasn’t headed for the 49ers, his lifelong favorite team, Rodgers had to wait offstage at the Javits Center for more than four hours to hear his name. If the 2005 NFL draft is remembered as the least sexy in years, the yawning Smith-Rodgers divide was the bland canyon.

In terms of money, the chasm between the No. 1 and 24 picks is staggering. Last year, top pick Eli Manning signed a six-year, $45-million deal, whereas No. 24 Steven Jackson signed for $7 million over five years.

When Rodgers was finally chosen, nearly five hours after Smith was, a boisterous cheer erupted from more than 3,000 NFL fans who filled the building and dressed in the garb of their favorite teams. His consolation -- and it’s a big one -- is he’s headed for a playoff-caliber team where he will be groomed to one day take over for Brett Favre, a future Hall of Fame quarterback.

“The Lord’s been teaching me a lot about humility and patience -- and he kind of threw both in my face today,” Rodgers said, sounding subdued.

“Obviously, I’d have loved to be the first pick and be able to stay in California. But I wanted to go to a team that wanted me. [The 49ers] obviously didn’t want me.”

Within the last week, the 49ers zeroed in on Smith, who was 21-1 as a starter for the Utes and was the only Heisman Trophy finalist in school history. Two weeks shy of his 21st birthday, Smith is the second-youngest player to be chosen first overall and is two months older than Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick was when he was the No. 1 pick in 2001.

Smith had a strong feeling the night before the draft about which way the 49ers were leaning. While at dinner with 20 family members, he received a call from new San Francisco Coach Mike Nolan.

“I asked him if he’d made his decision, and he told me that he made his decision a long time ago,” Smith said. “So I felt good about that. I felt like I am their guy. ....I was the one they were going after the whole time.”

That wasn’t obvious to many others, least of all Rodgers. Two weeks ago, he was convinced he was the front-runner for the No. 1 spot. That feeling faded within the last week when Smith’s agent entered into yet unsuccessful contract negotiations with the 49ers.

By Friday night, Rodgers was convinced the 49ers would either take Smith or trade the pick. But he certainly didn’t think he would fall 23 spots. He said he thought he might be chosen at No. 2 by Miami, at No. 5 by Tampa Bay, at No. 8 by Arizona, or at No. 9 by Washington.

“It’s not so funny when you’re the last one in the green room,” he said.

As it happened, Rodgers wasn’t the second quarterback selected. That was Arkansas’ Matt Jones, chosen 21st by Jacksonville, who will play receiver in the pros. It was one of several peculiar first-round twists on a day when the No. 1 pick was a kid who earned his college degree in two years; the player chosen second, Auburn running back Ronnie Brown, wasn’t even a starter on his college team; and the only Pacific 10 Conference player selected in the top 20 -- USC’s Mike Williams, selected 10th by Detroit -- hasn’t played in 15 months.

Smith, who was overshadowed at San Diego’s Helix High by future USC running back Reggie Bush, was an outstanding student who had a chance to play football at Harvard but received only two offers for football scholarships -- one coming from his uncle, John L. Smith, then coach at Louisville and now coaching Michigan State.

Things didn’t work out right away for Smith at Utah. The school’s coaching staff, one that was eventually replaced, frittered away his redshirt freshman season by inserting him in a game at San Diego State. The Utes were backed up deep into their own territory in that game, and Smith completed two of three passes before a fourth was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

He watched from the sideline the rest of the season and afterward considered transferring, although no one was rushing to make him an offer. He wound up staying at the school when there was a coaching change, and worked his way into the starting lineup the following season. Last season, he completed 67.5% of his passes for 2,952 yards with 32 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

More impressive to his parents, Doug and Pam, was how he was unwavering during the difficult times, how he believed in himself even when no one outside the family seemed to.

“The thing I’m most proud of is the quality of his character,” his mother said.

Rodgers’ character came to the surface, too, once he got past the disappointment of sitting around so long.

“It’s going to be a good opportunity for me to sit back and watch one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play,” he said, “and to learn from him and dig into his mind.”

He was asked whether he’ll use Saturday’s snub for inspiration.

“It might give me a little extra incentive,” he said, easing into a smile. “It might cross my mind.”