Aaron Rodgers views life a little differently than most people.
Where others see burdens, Rodgers identifies opportunities.
Whether it was getting overlooked by recruiters coming out of high school, or being passed over by 23 teams in the first round of the NFL draft, or facing the daunting task of replacing a Green Bay Packers legend like Brett Favre, Rodgers has displayed an unshakable, upbeat approach that serves him well as an NFL starting quarterback.
I learned (in college) how important your attitude as a quarterback can be, said Rodgers.
Your daily attitude, waking up each day and realizing its an opportunity and that you need to bring the same energy and enthusiasm consistently day by day.
It means remaining the same person in good times and bad. Rodgers never flinched when fans booed him and chanted We Want Favre at training camp a year ago. Rodgers rose above the Favre trade controversy and blocked out the distraction.
Theres not many things in life that I dont take on or attack without a plan, he said.
In 2005 when he endured the indignity of sitting for hours in front of television cameras while his draft stock plummeted, Rodgers naturally developed a course of action.
When he was finally selected by the Packers, Rodgers took to heart the advice he received from former 49ers safety Merton Hanks, who works for the NFL and was sitting next to him.
He said, I played my entire career with a chip on my shoulder, recalled Rodgers. He said, It fueled me. Do the same.
I think about his words and also the words of (then NFL commissioner) Paul Tagliabue, who said, Good things come to those who wait. Those two conversations I think kind of exemplify my career on the field.
Rodgers waited patiently for three seasons on the bench behind Favre. When his starting chance arrived last year, he became only the second player in NFL history to pass for more than 4,000 yards in his first season as a starter.
Rodgers also bucked a long-standing league trend: players who follow in the footsteps of Hall of Fame quarterbacks have struggled mightily. But Rodgers threw 28 touchdown passes, had only 13 interceptions and posted a 93.8 quarterback rating.
Among the 15 NFL quarterbacks over the past 40 years who replaced a Hall of Famer, only Steve Young, following in the wake of Joe Montana, produced a better rating than Rodgers. No one else in that group had a rating above 77.9.
We knew that he was ready to play, said Packers quarterback coach Tom Clements. It was gratifying to see him handle it the way he did.
Aside from the numbers, one of Youngs former teammates, Harry Sydney, said Rodgers did a better job dealing with the transition than Young.
When Aaron and Brett were (with the Packers), Aaron knew this was Bretts team until Brett left, where Steve was still trying to make it his team while Joe was there, said Sydney, who played for the 49ers from 1987-91 and is now a Green Bay businessman, high school football coach and sports commentator for a local radio station.
(Young) kind of became a pain in the butt half the time. He was a pouter. He pouted a lot.
Rodgers, meanwhile, learned the ropes behind Favre and immersed himself in the nuances of the offense.
He never expressed exasperation during Favres annual flip-flop concerning retirement. And when the circus came to town last summer in the days before and after Favre was traded, Rodgers handled that messy situation about as well as anyone could expect.
Theres so much more than just replacing a legend, said Sydney. Its how you are in the huddle. Its how you are in the locker room. Its how you incorporate the other guys, or how youre going to be around them.
I thought he did an outstanding job.
And yet, like the story of his life, Rodgers was left with something to prove.
Although he silenced the critics who said his arm wasnt strong enough and his body wasnt durable enough to survive an entire season, the Packers finished 6-10 and Rodgers absorbed an undue amount of blame for the teams late-game failings.
The knock against him was that he couldnt rally the Packers to victory in the final minutes, a claim Rodgers promptly debunked in this years season-opening win against the Chicago Bears.
Whats left for Rodgers to prove is that he can guide the Packers to the playoffs and ultimately a championship.
Hes OK with that. He knows high expectations go with the job. He accepts the challenge willingly, and views it as one more opportunity in his life.