Quarterback Aaron Rodgers gave every indication Monday night he is destined for success in the NFL.
But projecting a player's career path based on one start is a risky proposition. Just ask former Packers quarterback and flash-in-the-pan Anthony Dilweg.
In 1990, when Rodgers was 6 years old, Dilweg made a big splash in his first NFL start for the Packers at Lambeau Field. He completed 20-of-32 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Packers to a 36-24 season-opening victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
A star was born that September afternoon, but the Dilweg sensation fizzled quickly. In the seven games Dilweg started that season the Packers went 2-5. By the next year, Dilweg was out of football.
Rodgers has so much more going for him than Dilweg that the two quarterbacks don't even belong in the same sentence. There is little, if any chance Rodgers will flop like Dilweg. In fact, there are good reasons to believe Rodgers' star will shine brightly for years to come:
# Rodgers is surrounded by a much better cast of teammates, and that takes a load of pressure off the quarterback. How bad were the 1990 Packers? Their leading rusher was Michael Haddix, who gained a whopping 311 yards the entire season. How good are the 2008 Packers? Time will tell, but they feature 20 of 22 starters from the team that advanced to last year's NFC championship game.
# From a coaching standpoint, Rodgers resides at the Ritz-Carlton. Dilweg, meanwhile, was put up at a Flea Bag Inn. Dilweg got stuck with head coach Lindy Infante, who owns the worst Packers career coaching record in the past half-century. Rodgers, meanwhile, is reaping the benefits of working with Mike McCarthy, who has a proven track record of developing young quarterbacks.
# Rodgers had the benefit of holding a clipboard and watching the master, Brett Favre, for three years before he was thrust into the hot seat as the starter.
"There aren't too many guys who are ready coming out of college," said Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements. "Very few people have had success from the get-go, so it was good for him.
"That position, there's a lot going on. More often than not, you throw someone in there right away, they're going to be unsuccessful."
# Rodgers has all the physical and mental tools necessary to succeed. He has a strong arm, is mobile and athletic, throws accurately, knows the offense inside and out, and can read defenses.
# Rodgers has proven he can overcome even the most difficult of trials. Through no fault of his own, he was caught in the eye of the Favre unretirement storm over the past two months but remained unflappable.
"I think he has a pretty even temperament," said Clements. "He doesn't get too down if things don't go well, doesn't get too elated if things go very well. That's what you have to try to do as a quarterback."