[img_r]http://media.jsonline.com/images/199*160/brohm120408.jpg[/img_r]Green Bay - Most quarterbacks who had posted a 33.9 passer rating in their first action under center in the NFL would probably prefer the videotape of that game be destroyed.
Not thrown away so that 2 million years from now someone might find it in a landfill.
Destroyed.
The last thing you would expect would be to find the quarterback studying it four months later. On his own. With no one around but a couple of hot tub junkies getting in one last soak before they head home.
Green Bay Packers rookie quarterback Brian Brohm isn't afraid of the past and if there was anything to learn from completing 8 of 17 passes for 70 yards and an interception against the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 11, he was going to find it. Brohm has a lot of things to make up for after his first NFL training camp went awry.
"I feel like I've regained a lot of confidence," Brohm said. "I think (it is) just from taking a step and watching the preseason and thinking about it and coming out and starting to throw the football and not think too much. Just go out and play and not think about all the little things when you're out there."
The second-round draft choice from Louisville was tabbed by many scouts and analysts as the quarterback most ready to play in the NFL right away. His father is a high school coach, his brother played in the NFL and coaches at Louisville, and he started for three seasons in college, leaving as the Big East's all-time leader in passing yards.
Things just didn't go as expected when he arrived at training camp, and Brohm is trying to pick up the pieces while serving as the team's No. 3 quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers and seventh-round pick Matt Flynn.
These days he simulates what the opposition safety might do against Rodgers during the walk-through portion of practice and then splits snaps with Flynn when it's time to simulate the opponent's offense for the Packers' defense. As the No. 2, Flynn gets a few snaps with the No. 1 offense, but the only time Brohm has gotten them was when Rodgers was missing practice because of a shoulder injury.
"It's definitely different, a different perspective," Brohm said. "It's a great opportunity for me to learn and work on fundamentals and get myself better on all these little things I can work on in practice. You start to understand the game even more.
"I'm just trying to use it to the most advantage I can when I go out there."
After he was drafted, Brohm was anointed No. 2 and some even thought he might challenge Rodgers for the starting job. According to coach Mike McCarthy, Brohm absorbed the system as fast as any rookie he had worked with and big things were expected.
But all the knowledge he had didn't translate into good play.
There was the 33.9 against Cincinnati, a 54.4 against San Francisco, a 39.6 against Denver and a 68.8 against Tennessee. By the end of camp, Brohm's confidence was so low that he was aiming the ball and not firing it as he had done at Louisville.
"I think I was trying to do everything the perfect way, and I was probably thinking way too much," Brohm said.
Another factor in his performance might have been a quick weight loss that saw him go from around 230 pounds at his pro day workout in April to around 218 at the start of training camp. Brohm hadn't played at that weight before and it might have contributed to his struggles.
"He tried hard to get to his weight and maybe he lost too much weight too fast," his father, Oscar said. "He's always been a really hard worker and he's always trying to improve himself. It (the weight loss) might have had an adverse effect."
Being allowed to step away from the pressure of fighting for the No. 2 spot gave Brohm time to figure out what went wrong and begin his comeback. When he does get to throw in practice, he more often than not throws a tight spiral and puts the ball where it's supposed to be.
Mechanically, Brohm has worked hard at quickening his release so he can play to the speed of the game. He tended to drop the ball below chest level before throwing it and he just brings it up quickly and lets it fly.
"I've talked to him and he says he's throwing the ball really well," Oscar Brohm said. "When I go to the games I get there early so I can see him throw in warm-ups. I think he's throwing it well. I told him to just go back and throw the ball. Play the way you've always played. I think he's been doing that."
Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements spends as much time with Flynn and Brohm as he does with Rodgers when it comes to fundamentals. Both players have a role on the sideline during games and keep Rodgers informed of things they see.
Brohm has gone from Louisville savior to Packers unknown, and as hard as it might be to accept he was beaten out by a seventh-round pick, it's how he chooses to handle the near future that will dictate how far he goes.
"What you learn in the NFL, regardless of where you get drafted, you still have to come in and perform, no matter of the round," Clements said. "There's a history of a lot of guys who weren't drafted making teams and doing well. Once you're on a team, once you're in a camp, you have to go out and do the best you can."
This off-season, Brohm's main objective will be to increase lean muscle mass and continue to grow in the offense. He would also like to push Flynn for the No. 2 job.
"I'm excited to get to work this summer and come into training camp knowing what to expect," Brohm said. "I won't be surprised by anything. I'll be much more comfortable out there. Now I'm working every day to get better in case I get called on, but I know next year will be another competition and I'm going to make sure I'm ready for it."