Just more than a year ago, Brian Brohm faced a decision: enter the NFL, or stay for one extra season at the University of Louisville.
Looking at the names on the family tree helped him with his answer.
The name "Brohm" is well known to Cardinal football fans. Oscar Brohm played there in the late 60s, followed by his son Greg (1989-92). Brian's brother, Jeff, started at quarterback in the early 90s and is listed among the school's best in passing yards, touchdowns and completions. He also had a seven-year career in the NFL and started for one season in the XFL before becoming a coach.
Brian chose his hometown school when he started college and chose it again with an option to enter the 2007 NFL Draft. A likely first-round pick last season, Brohm's stock has fallen closer to second-round range in 2008.
But he's happy with his decision.
He learned more lessons last year, including leading a team that performed below expectations and missed a postseason birth for the first time since 2005. Brohm also learned to adapt in the wake of former Cardinals -- and Falcons -- head coach Bobby Petrino leaving before his senior season.
"My season didn't go as well as expected, but I feel like I learned a lot from that," he said at the Scouting Combine. "It was very valuable. And I wouldn't go back and change a thing.
"I went through a lot of struggling times. I learned how to operate in a new system and learn a new system quickly and be pretty successful and comfortable in that system. Just dealing with those struggles that I hadn't had to deal with before. I've been on successful teams my whole career. I never had to go through a tough season like that, so just going through those struggles is something that -- at one point in time -- whether you like it or not, it's going to happen in the NFL. You're going to have a struggling season. Just being able to deal with that and know how to deal with it in the correct way will help me out in the future."
Injuries kept Brohm from starting full time at Louisville until 2006. That season -- despite a thumb injury -- he threw for 3,049 yards and 16 touchdowns. He had shoulder surgery in the offseason, but returned in time for '07.
That's when things got dicey for the Cardinals, but Brohm put up impressive numbers.
He averaged just more than 335 passing yards per game, connected on 65 percent of his passes and threw for 30 touchdowns (12 interceptions).
He left Louisville with 33 starts and a conference and school record in passing yards (10,755). Brohm also understood the art of scrambling out of the pocket, rushing for eight scores and putting up 10,819 yards of total offense.
Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. lumps Brohm in with a group of quarterbacks behind Boston College's Matt Ryan. He falls into that gray area between the late first and early second rounds that includes names like Chad Henne and Joe Flacco.
Brohm said he doesn't follow draft speculation on the Internet, which would make him the exception among others in his age group. Yet he seems content doing his job and letting NFL personnel make decisions.
He threw for about 45 minutes at his Pro Day last month for a reported 20 NFL teams. He also reportedly posted a better time in the 40-yard dash than he did at the Combine (4.83).
"I thought I threw the ball really well," Brohm told the Louisville Courier-Journal. "In the beginning it took me a little bit to get going, but after about the first 10 throws, I felt like I was on fire and throwing the ball really well."
Leadership may be a measurable Brohm can use to set himself apart, though he knows a few throws and anecdotes are enough to make it in the NFL.
"I'll say I'm more of a lead-by-example type guy," he has said. "I'm a guy who likes to grind, who likes to get in the weight room, likes to get on the field and work hard. I think it wears off on the other guys, when they see a quarterback working harder than everybody else; they're going to go out there and work hard as well. You don't want to see anyone getting special treatment, taking it easy when you're the quarterback. I just go out there and work hard, put it all on the line. Hopefully guys are going to follow."
It's no doubt been a roller coaster, but Brohm's older brother, Jeff, who has coached at Louisville since leaving the field, continues to be an asset in preparation.
It really is a family thing.
"He's a guy who played in the league for seven years (and) was teaching me the NFL thing since I was 8, 9 years old," Brohm said of his sibling and college position coach. "So he's had a huge influence on me. It's just great to have that kind of experience in your own family."
RELATED LINKS:
- MYFALCONSDRAFT:Rank draft prospects at MyFalconsDraft.com
- QUARTERBACKS: Previewing the quarterbacks
- PHOTOS: Photos of some of the 2008 NFL Draft prospects
- NFL DRAFT: Draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com
- SCOUTING COMBINE: AF.com at the Scouting Combine
- SENIOR BOWL: AF.com at the Senior Bowl
