Time to give Hamilton a little more of a look

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By JOHN ROMANO

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 18, 2001

TAMPA -- Time is running short for the small-minded among us.

For those who believe an undersized quarterback can be squeezed onto an NFL roster. That, perhaps, performance deserves the same rewards as potential. Or that the size of a person's hands are not the measure of his manhood.

Time, it seems, is running short for Joe Hamilton.

[Times photo: Michael Rondou] Bucs quarterback Joe Hamilton throws a pass during training camp.

His future is being threatened while his past is being ignored. One of the most electric college quarterbacks of recent memory, Hamilton's job security in Tampa Bay is facing tall odds. All because he is so short.

At 5 feet 10, Hamilton is smaller than most NFL quarterbacks. Or college quarterbacks. Heck, he's probably shorter than many prep quarterbacks.

So you begin by arguing that size never seems to matter when a football is placed in his hands. Hamilton took Georgia Tech on a four-year ride that was a generation overdue in Atlanta. He directed the most thrilling drive of Tampa Bay's preseason in 2000 and then turned in a repeat performance on Monday.

You continue arguing that deposed offensive coordinator Les Steckel raved about the way Hamilton always made the correct reads and threw to the right receivers in practices last season.

You do not waste time arguing with head coach Tony Dungy because you know he is a closet supporter of Hamilton's.

So, instead, you let Keyshawn Johnson speak his truth. The receiver spies Hamilton in a hallway next to the cafeteria training camp and begins shouting about Doug Flutie, the next generation.

"They say he's too small and he's too dark," Johnson said. "But all he does is move the chains."

His height is not exactly news to Hamilton. It's not like he woke up this morning, he says, and realized he was pint-sized. He has always had to move in the pocket to find passing lanes between mammoth linemen. He has always had to be accurate and on time with his throws. He has always had to prove to coaches that they did not have to alter gameplans to compensate for his size.

The difference today is not in Hamilton. The difference is Tampa Bay's depth chart at quarterback.

Last season, along with Shaun King, Hamilton was competing against Scott Milanovich and Eric Zeier. Now it is King, Brad Johnson and Ryan Leaf.

The moves, on their own, made perfect sense. The Bucs have a shot at the Super Bowl and needed a quarterback of Johnson's experience and maturity. And Leaf, a former No. 2 pick in the draft, was a commodity that could not be passed up at such a reduced price on the waiver wire.

Johnson and Leaf both stand 6-5, the ideal height for a 21st century passer. And Hamilton is in danger of being lost in their shadows. Johnson will need playing time in the preseason to adjust to a new offense. Leaf will play because the Bucs are trying to tap into that enormous base of potential.

So Hamilton becomes the younger brother who only gets to play with the big boys when mom or dad intercedes.

"There is going to be a moment where I get a chance," Hamilton said. "When the time comes, for a guy like me, I have to be ready because it's not going to come again. It's going to be here, and I have to take it and run off with it because it might be the last time for me."

There was a time, some months back, when Hamilton thought he might be challenging for time as King's backup this season. Then came Johnson. Then came Leaf. Soon, Hamilton would realize that his only battle would be for a roster spot as the No. 3 quarterback behind Johnson and King.

And he knows that even if he performs better than Leaf -- as he did in the preseason opener against the Dolphins -- that it might not matter. It will still be a dilemma of his production today versus Leaf's promise of tomorrow.

Since No. 3 quarterbacks rarely play, the Bucs might be inclined to gamble more on Leaf's upside.

"I realize, in some instances, it's not always a fair competition," Hamilton said. "It's not like we all get the same reps and we all get evaluated the same way. But I understand that. I'm not mad at anybody. Those are just the cards I've been dealt."

Hamilton's greatest fear is that he will not get enough meaningful playing time in the preseason to make an impression. Not so much for the Bucs, but for other teams who might have an interest in him.

Beginning tonight against the Browns, Hamilton will have 14 days and three more preseason games to impress big thinkers around the league.

So c'mon, let the little brother play.

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