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Tale of two QBs Giants' Collins has learned tough lessons
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The last time Kerry Collins was so close to the Super Bowl, he was a second-year quarterback riding high with the Carolina Panthers. "I thought I could do no wrong," Collins said, recalling the 1996 season in which the Panthers lost to Green Bay for the NFC title. "I played with no fear. ... You play with that kind of confidence you can do a lot of things." Collins hasn't had to do a lot of things to get the New York Giants into Sunday's NFC Championship Game. He's been efficient enough, ranking fifth in the NFC and helping the team win its last six games to reach this point. His counterpart, second-year QB Daunte Culpepper, has been nothing short of spectacular for the Minnesota Vikings. When coach Dennis Green chose to let Jeff George and Randall Cunningham leave as free agents, the untested No. 1 pick from 1999 was handed the job. Culpepper was so sensational he made the Pro Bowl, ranked fourth in the NFL in passing and rushed for 470 yards and accounted for 40 touchdowns. "Consistency at the quarterback level gives you an opportunity to be successful," star receiver Cris Carter said, "and he has learned very, very fast. He's played extremely well under adverse conditions and situations and adjusted. He's had a great year." Naturally, Culpepper hopes to have more success at the end of his second NFL season than Collins did. And he certainly doesn't want to emulate the off-field problems that plagued Collins in Carolina and New Orleans before he joined the Giants in 1999. Collins is a recovering alcoholic, and his bouts with liquor nearly ruined his career. But he has rebounded to climb, once again, within one step of the Super Bowl. "I remember the things it took to get here, and it is more humbling for me to get success," Collins said. "I'm proud of where I've come from, where I'm at and where I'm going. It's something I think about every day. If I forget about where I came from, I'm bound to regret it." Culpepper fortunately has not suffered such off-field woes. The toughest football situation for him came last season, when he sat and watched. But that seems so long ago, considering what Culpepper did this season. "He has a great mind for the game, great physical tools, the ambition," Green said. "He's the best quarterback in the NFC right now. That's a pretty good start." For Culpepper, having Carter, Randy Moss and Robert Smith on his side has made his task infinitely easier. Collins doesn't have such an array surrounding him, although running back Tiki Barber and wideout Amani Toomer had their best seasons. One advantage he does have over Culpepper is a superior defense on his side. Another is having been through all this before. "I'm glad that four years ago, I was in this position," Collins said. "I certainly think being exposed to the attention and knowing what to expect helps maybe take my mind off things."
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