IRVING, Texas No single category is the measure of NFL quarterback greats, but winning the Super Bowl certainly is among the most important.

In three years as a starter in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers quarterback, has ascended to a high place among his peers by throwing for more than 4,000 yards each season and attaining a sterling passer rating of 98.4 points in his career.

But its not lost on Rodgers, who knows his NFL history, that winning a Super Bowl generally is a prerequisite, among other things, to entering the pantheon of great quarterbacks.

Winning the Super Bowl is the optimum measuring stick for a quarterback, be it fair or not, Rodgers said Monday night at his first press conference of Super Bowl week. Dan Marino, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, did not win a Super Bowl. I think hes still in the discussion for the greatest quarterback of all time. But as far as playing in Green Bay, you have to win Super Bowls.

Rodgers play to this point in his career already makes him one of the remarkable quarterback succession stories in NFL history, matched perhaps only by Steve Young succeeding Joe Montana with the San Francisco 49ers starting in 1991. By the end of the 1994 season, Young had won an MVP and his lone Super Bowl as a starter. In the closing minutes of that win over San Diego, cameras famously caught Young on the sidelines miming getting a monkey getting off his back.

Rodgers has gone a long way, perhaps all the way, toward getting the Brett Favre monkey off his back, in large part because of his own ascending play, but also because Favres popularity has plummeted among Packers followers, first because of his eventual signing with the Packers bitter NFC North Division rival Minnesota Vikings, and then because of widely reported off-the-field indiscretions in the past year.

Favre did win one Super Bowl, at age 27, which is Rodgers age now. Much like Favre had by that time, Rodgers has won over his teammates, beginning with his uncomplaining handling of the divisive months when Favre tried to return to the team in 2008 after retiring earlier that spring, and then with his play once he got his chance to start in 08.

When all the things were going up and down the roller coaster with Brett, receiver Donald Driver said, I think it got to the point where Aaron was a better man than most people would have handled it. He handled it well. He knew he was going to get his opportunity. I think thats all he wanted.

Rodgers, in fact, sought Youngs counsel at that time about succeeding a legendary quarterback and has been friends with Young ever since. Hes never revealed publicly what the two have discussed but said hes talked with Young in the last week about playing in the Super Bowl. Though he didnt specify what Young told him, he said the advice has been consistent from players hes spoken with the last few days who have been to the Super Bowl.

Dont let distraction cause you to not be as prepared as possible, Rodgers said of their message. Tom Clements (the Packers quarterbacks coach) spoke to our team (Sunday) and said, Dont have any regrets after this. Dont think, I wish I would have watched more film, I wish I would have studied my game plan more, I wish I would have done this. This is hopefully not our last shot, but you have to approach it as, the last 10 years I dont think theres been a repeat NFC champion, so were going to enjoy this opportunity and try to make the most of it.

Rodgers counterpart this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger, is playing in his third Super Bowl, as are many of his teammates. Theyve been through the circus of Super Bowl week, which includes a level of attention and media obligations that cant be compared with anything the Packers had seen up to this point. That might have shown up in the Packers team-photo flap of last week, which was a minor problem that became a national story. After it had died down, Rodgers revived it briefly on Saturday with his implied criticism of teammates Nick Barnett and Jermichael Finley for complaining about not originally being in the photo after doing the majority of their injury rehabilitation away from the team.

Rodgers called Barnett before the Packers left Green Bay Nick and I are buddies, theres a lot of respect and love on both sides, Rodgers said Monday and the flap ultimately is a small matter. But it was a reminder that the Super Bowl is a different animal than even the conference championships.

From understanding how to approach this week and avoid distractions, (the Steelers) have the decided advantage there, Rodgers said. But maybe ignorance is bliss for us. Were first-timers here, we have two guys (i.e. Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett) that have played in the Super Bowl before and weve talked to those guys about their experiences.

Charles obviously had a unique experience with what happened in San Diego, and we want to get this one for him and Donald (Driver) and Chad (Clifton) and all the older guys on the team and realize theres an urgency level that goes with playing in the Super Bowl. Obviously the Steelers have been here before, theyve won it twice (the previous five years). But I like our chances.

"Pete Dougherty " wrote: