Aaron Rodgers grew up idolizing San Francisco 49er Joe Montana. As a kid from Chico, California Rodgers desired to follow in Montana's footsteps someday. That someday almost came on April 23rd, 2005. Rodgers, and now friend Alex Smith, sat back stage in New York at the NFL Draft waiting for their names to be called. Speculation swirled about who would be chosen number 1.  “With the first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select….” NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stated, “Alex Smith”. With those words, their fates were sealed. Smith received the immediate attention and the opportunity to become a starter while Rodgers fell to #24 where he was selected by the Green Bay Packers. 

When asked what his most memorable Packers/49ers game was, Rodgers responded, “The T.O. catch probably”. (Referring to the NFC Wild Card game, January 3rd, 1999. Steve Young threw a 25 yard prayer to Terrell Owens, who made an incredible catch to win the game, 30-27, and thus knocking the Packers out of the playoffs) “I don’t know who I was rooting for,” Rodgers recollects, “Because I was a Favre fan after Joe Montana retired but still kind of torn because I was a Steve Young, 49er fan.hat was a great game, great finish and a fumble actually on the last drive and no replay at the time….you probably remember that.” Rodgers finishes with a sheepish smile.

The two quarterbacks have encountered drastically different successes during their short careers. Smith gotthe opportunity to start 7 games in 2005. He suffered through 29 sacks in that short period of time and finished the season with a dismal quarterback rating of 40.8. Smith rebounded and took every snap for the 49ers in 2006.  The new 49er QB showed the promise that came with his high draft stature even though his team finished with a 7-9 record. The last couple of seasons he’s battled shoulder problems that have kept him off the field. This season, Smith stood patiently on the sideline awaiting his turn while Shaun Hill took the snaps as the starter. In week 7, Smith's chance came when Hill was nicked up and ineffective and thus replaced at half-time in Houston. Smith has been the 49ers QB ever since with 1 win and 3 losses to his name. Smith has thrown 6 INT’s this year against 6 TD’s and has a quarterback rating of 79.5.

Aaron Rodgers story, well we all know that Rodgers rarely saw the field for 3 years while he waited behind one of the game’s all-time greats in Brett Favre. Playing time was scarce becuase Favre is not only a great QB, he’s the ironman. In fact; this Sunday, November 22nd, Favre will have started his 279th straight game. In the time Rodgers spent behind Favre, he learned the game, the quarterbacking nuances and perfected his craft best he could without seeing live action.  Then came the unceremonious divorce between Favre and the Packers last year.  That's when Rodgers found himself as the Packers starter and thrust into an unfriendly spotlight. #12, through all the media and fan pressure steadily quieted his critics with an impressive season in which the kid from Cal threw for 4,038 yards, 28 touchdowns, a 93.8 quarterback rating…all of which ranked in the top 10 in the NFL.

Is Rodgers bitter that he wasn’t chosen first on that April day back in 2005? “No, I got over it in a few days.” Rodgers reflects, “I wouldn’t change what happened. It was difficult to go through that one day in April but I think it’s made all the difference now. Looking back 4 ½ years later and where I’m at and the situation I’m in and to be living in a great city like Green Bay and playing for an amazing team with the tradition that the Green Bay Packers have with great fans and with a great opportunity here with a good group of guys to make a run this year. Obviously at the time you’re wondering what is God’s plan and all this…but looking back you can kind of see his hand in all of that.”

Two quarterbacks with enormous talent and the brightest of futures have followed two drastically different paths.  They will end up on the field of play this Suncay, facing one another as starters. Rodgers says that he still follows his childhood team and wishes Alex all the best, “It’s exciting, it’s fun. I mean once a fan always a fan and pulling for Alex as we got to know each other before the draft and became friends. I’m definitely happy that he’s gotten another chance and he’s doing well.”

Rodgers, in a recent interview, relates different aspects of his life to music. That day in April things seemed to come apart for Rodgers and the green room, behind the stage at Madison Square Garden, seemed so empty and he was so alone and so disappointed as he watched team after team pass on him and his ability, Then came the Packers.  Rodgers smiles and said that he now looks at that day thorough a song written by Garth Brooks called Unanswered Prayers.