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He tops young QB guns

Nimble, smart Daunte Culpepper leads the vaunted group of second-year passers.

[AP Photo] One asset that makes quarterback Daunte Culpepper stand above the cadre of sophomore passers is his ability to read defenses.

By ERNEST HOOPER

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 6, 2000

TAMPA -- They are connected by occupation, expectations and NFL experience.

They also are connected by a telephone line.

The Bucs' Shaun King, the Vikings' Daunte Culpepper and the Eagles' Donovan McNabb are part of the famed quarterback Class of 1999, but they are a particularly close subset. King and Culpepper grew up reading about each other as Florida prep stars, and each built friendships when they were in college.

Now the three talk weekly.

"We're all in sort of a fraternity," McNabb said. "We keep a tab on how each other is doing, congratulate one another whenever we have an opportunity, if their team is doing well, if they're playing well.

"You know, when things are pretty down for them, we still talk to them and just try to uplift their spirits."

Last season, each had ups and downs. McNabb played first, with as many good moments as bad. King came late and helped the Bucs to the NFC Championship Game. Culpepper didn't play at all, working the scout squad for the Vikings.

A new season has led to new scenarios. McNabb has created playoff hopes in Philadelphia, and he had a career game against Atlanta last week. Culpepper has sparked Minnesota to a 4-0 start. King is trying to shake a two-game losing streak. But he's still comparing notes.

"We'll talk all week," King said. "It's a good relationship, especially with Daunte. He's from here, and I've known him for a while. A real good guy. We pull for each other, except this week. But we'll talk a couple of times during the week, see what I can get him to tell me."

Through it all, the thread of friendship keeps them connected.

"I don't want to talk about everything we talk about, but he's a cool guy, and I like him," Culpepper said. "I think we have some things in common. I think we're a lot different in some ways, too. Our playing style sometimes we might look similar, and we might look totally different from each other.

"The main thing is off the field I think we're pretty good friends because we have a respect for each other and we feel each of us are pretty good people."

Monday night will mark the first time the friendship will involve two of the trio playing against each other as starters. Though King has been plagued by inconsistencies the past two weeks, Culpepper is on the verge of becoming the most heralded of all the quarterbacks from the Class of 1999.

Of the six drafted -- Culpepper, King, McNabb, Cleveland's Tim Couch, Cincinnati's Akili Smith and Chicago's Cade McNown -- Culpepper is the only one to have won his first four starts. Couch, McNown and McNabb have thrown for more yards, but Culpepper has the highest passer rating.

"I think Denny (Green, Vikings coach) took Daunte because he likes offensive players who can put the ball in the end zone, and he's certainly capable of doing that," Bucs coach Tony Dungy said. "He's played very, very poised football and made good decisions. He's pulled the ball down and ran, and gone to the right guy when he's seen things (breaking down)."

Culpepper's statistical success is more surprising because this is his first season. Predictions of doom surrounded the Vikings' hopes because Green released Randall Cunningham and let Jeff George depart via free agency.

In his 1999 preseason appearances, Culpepper struggled and appeared to be a project that would take years to develop.

Now Green thinks that Culpepper should always have been considered the best of the Class of 1999.

"I told Daunte (last year) it was a little ironic because I felt he was more ready to play than anyone else but he was probably going to be the only one that doesn't play and that was just circumstances," Green said. "I think if you look at all of them, Shaun King included, I think the one common thread they have is they're very competitive. They were productive players, and I think it was the first quarterback group we've had like that in a long time."

One asset helping Culpepper stand above the rest is his ability to read defenses. Vikings quarterback coach Alex Wood said Culpepper has recognized 90 percent of the blitzes thrown at him. On a corner blitz against the Patriots two weeks ago, Culpepper went to his hot receiver, Cris Carter, for a 50-yard gain.

The four years he spent at the University of Central Florida prepared Culpepper well for the NFL. Although UCF is not a major program, it utilizes a major passing offense under coach Mike Kruczek, a former Steelers quarterback.

"Coach Kruze was very, very important to me, to work with me for four years," Culpepper said. "A lot of stuff I'm seeing now, he sort of prepped me for. I don't know if a lot of guys get that coming into this league, but he let me know how things were going to be, and it's almost like I've seen it before."

Culpepper's running ability also has aided his performances. He has rushed for 198 yards on 40 carries. Considering that he is taller than Mike Alstott and just as big, Culpepper is a double threat for defensive coordinators.

"With him running the ball as well as he did in the preseason, him getting a lot of rushing yards, it made him an even more dangerous quarterback," Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks said. "It seems that they keep things modified for him. Then he's got guys making plays for him."

Brooks said that talented veterans such as Carter and Randy Moss have been a boon for Culpepper, who spent the summer working out with the receivers in Boca Raton. He also has been able to rely on running back Robert Smith to alleviate pressure.

"Cris is one of the smartest receivers in the game," Green said. "He brings a wealth of knowledge of how to get open, how to run routes. I think he's helped Daunte a lot. Randy is one of the most competitive guys you'll ever meet, and I think that's helped Daunte.

"But Daunte is really cut from the same cloth as those two guys. He's a very smart player, (has) a lot of poise and (is) extremely athletic."

Culpepper knows that the Bucs defense may be the best he will face this season, and in this early stage he still has things to prove. Through all the criticism and doubts, Culpepper keeps believing in himself.

"I think the team definitely feeds off of me, and I am a very confident guy," Culpepper said. "Off the top, from the beginning of the season I had high expectations out of myself, and I know the team had high expectations out of me, too. So that is the way I look at it. I just want to say I am very confident and I feel very confident in our team."

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