The Sunday hero
As a youth, J. P. Losman had a habit of pursuing of foolish thrills. As the quarterback in football-mad Buffalo, the risk and reward are likely similar
in Orchard Park, N.Y.
As he faced the weight of Western New York’s football media yesterday, J.P. Losman developed an almost celestial glow around his head. It is a common condition for professional quarterbacks in the area but, this time, it was created by a constellation of television lights trained in his direction.
For Losman is no angel.
Not this week, anyway.
The 24-year-old could regain that status again on Sunday, but only if he is able to heal his sickened offence and lead the Buffalo Bills to a win over the Atlanta Falcons at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the region’s favoured house of worship.
If he fails, there will be more days like yesterday. Questions will sound more like criticisms, teammates will cover his mistakes by employing the euphemism of “ he’s a young quarterback,” and Losman will continue to be compared unfavourably to so many of his predecessors who were also tortured in a similar manner.
Football in Buffalo is different than football anywhere in Canada. Hosts of a local AM radio station spent the better part of an hour yesterday morning debating whether Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. It should be noted that Vick, who is questionable for Sunday with an injured hamstring, is just 25 years old and has really only played in two full National Football League seasons.
In Buffalo, Jim Kelly is a deity for leading the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances, even though they lost horribly in all but one. Doug Flutie held mystical powers over parts of the city, as did the less- heralded Frank Reich.
Rob Johnson, the Californian who was sacked more often than P.E. I.’ s best potatoes, occupies the opposite end of the spectrum. Drew Bledsoe was given a parade when he first signed with Buffalo three years ago, but was released with minimal civic outcry to make room for Losman in February.
“ This team is not waiting for some young quarterback to mess up through games and give the excuse, ‘Oh, he’s a young quarterback,’” Losman said yesterday. “ This team is ready to win now, and I have to be ready for it.”
Jonathan Paul Losman grew up in Venice, Calif., supported by a single mother who housed eight family members in a two- bedroom apartment. Sometimes, when she worked at the Great Western Forum — where the Los Angeles Kings used to play — fellow ushers babysat the future NFLer.
Sports obviously played a significant role in Losman’s development, but so did mischief. He has often repeated stories about excursions to a wealthy marina, where he and a collection of unnamed accomplices would “borrow” transportation for late- night cruises.
“ Some rich guy might leave his keys in the boat, and we’d take it out for a spin, but we’d always bring it back in one piece,” he told the
(Rochester) Democrat & Chronicle last fall. “It was foolish stuff that kids with a lot of creative energy do. But I’d hate to think about what would have happened if Mom had found out.”
He eventually enrolled at Tulane University in New Orleans after deciding UCLA was too close to home. Losman was twice a captain with the Green Wave and proved to be a discerning passer, setting the school record for lowest interception percentage while climbing into the top- 10 in 18 categories.
And while some premier student athletes pursue dubious or non-existent fields of academics, Losman focused on classical studies. Orwell, Twain, Steinbeck and Henry Miller have been spotted on his bookshelf. When Buffalo head coach Mike Mularkey wanted to instill the values of good leadership, he suggested his young pivot rent the movie Patton.
Losman did, then he read a biography.
“ There’s more pressure on a quarterback than any other position in all of professional sports,” backup quarterback Shane Matthews said yesterday. “It’s the hardest position to play, and that pressure’s been put on you ever since peewee football, to high school, to college. You’re used to it. And some people can handle it, some people can’t.”
Losman missed most of his rookie season with a broken leg suffered in training camp, but he still hasn’t thrown an interception this year. That isn’t to say he hasn’t come close, however, because more than a couple of errant passes should have been snagged by Tampa Bay defenders last week.
The Bills managed just 147 total net yards against the Buccaneers in a 19-3 loss that dropped them to 1- 1 this season. Atlanta has a fast, confident and aggressive defensive unit that could confuse the new guy again this weekend.
“Some weeks, he’s gonna look unbelievable and then some weeks, against some teams we’re gonna play, he’s gonna make some mistakes,” Buffalo receiver Eric Moulds said. “But, like I told J.P., ‘ Just keep pluggin’ away and keep learning, and learn from your mistakes.’ And I think he’s gonna do that and I think, hopefully, he’s gonna bounce back this week.”
National Post
sfitzgerald@ nationalpost. com