Timing is everything. Even for a future "Sanchise."
As a junior at USC in 2008, his first year as the full-time starting quarterback, Mark Sanchez passed for a Pac-10-leading 3,207 yards and 34 touchdowns while leading the Trojans to a 12-1 record.
His star shined even brighter at the end of the season when he earned the Rose Bowl's Offensive MVP Award after throwing for 413 yards and four touchdowns and running in another score during the 38-24 victory over Penn State.
But even with that success, some felt he didn't have enough experience to play at the next level. Sanchez disagreed and declared for the 2009 NFL Draft.
"I think there was just not a lot of tape on me because I only started that one year, and had started a total of 16 games (including three as a sophomore), which is equivalent to one NFL season," Sanchez said. "So skeptics and doubters had their opinions that it wasn't enough to start in the NFL.
"But I thought with the right circumstances, the right environment, the right supporting casts – coaches and players – you can handle a lot as a rookie, regardless of how much you played up to that point."
The Jets felt that they had the right circumstances, environment, and supporting casts, and traded their first- and second-round draft choices along with defensive end Kenyon Coleman, safety Abram Elam, and quarterback Brett Ratliff to Cleveland for the No. 5 overall pick, which they used to select Sanchez.
"I was obviously elated. I had a great relationship with them during the draft process, getting to connect with Mr. (Woody) Johnson, (G.M.) Mike Tannenbaum, (offensive coordinator) Brian Schottenheimer, our head coach Rex Ryan, and Matt Cavanagh, the quarterbacks coach," Sanchez said. "I had put in a significant amount of time learning the playbook already, during the draft process, and them quizzing me on plays and doing a workout on the field with them.
"You get to know some of these teams and you feel like there's a real connection, there's a real alignment of ideas and energy and excitement for that potential pairing. And so I was obviously thrilled to get drafted, and then thrilled to be drafted there. It was everything I could have dreamed of and more."
A rookie quarterback, Southern California kid, going across the country, big city, cold weather, tough media market, Sanchez was facing plenty of pressure across the board.
He, however, wasn't facing it alone.
"I was fortunate to have a lot of veterans that taught me a lot about being a pro, about being of service to your teammates, about being a contributing member of the community, about interacting with fans," Sanchez said. "We had a laundry list of excellent pros. Whether it was Alan Faneca or Nick Mangold or guys like D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who gave back to his community on Long Island quite a bit.
"And then guys on defense that were excellent pros and had played for a long time. Whether it's Bart Scott, Dave Harris, or guys like Jim Leonhard, Darrelle Revis, we had a ton of really good veteran talented guys who had been around the league and had come from all different socio-economic backgrounds, from all different makeups and walks of life.
"I got a chance to observe a lot of those guys. And then when it was my time to lead those guys, it really helped shape who I was as a player, as a leader, and as a person."
Starting in 15 games as a rookie, Sanchez helped New York begin its season with three straight wins, to be followed by six losses in seven games, before beginning in Week 12, winning five of the final six.
While consistency was a stranger, the Jets were introduced to an old friend when they made the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
"We finally got hot at the right time," Sanchez said. "I thought a lot of that was timing, my maturation as a player, really understanding the value of taking care of the football, really getting to what we were good at on offense. And playing great defense.
"We kind of found our formula at the right time. We got to the 9-7 mark and kind of backed our way into the playoffs. But once we were in, we were in. And we knew we'd be a problem for whoever we played."
After traveling to and beating Cincinnati in the Wild Card game, the problem-makers made their way to San Diego for the divisional round game with the Chargers.
"That was a really good San Diego team that was like No. 1 in offense and No. 1 in defense all season long. And to steal that one on the road (17-14), that was big time," Sanchez said. "That game was pretty special, being able to play in front of your family like that, having to buy 200-plus tickets. That was an incredible feeling winning that game and doing it in front of the people you love and you've grown up playing in front of. That was pretty fun."
The Jets advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 1998, but lost to Indianapolis. They won two more regular-season games the following year, and again, made their way to the conference title game, where New York fell to Pittsburgh.
"I think the second year; we were a much more developed football team. We were more balanced on offense; we threw the ball significantly more with Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller, LaDainian Tomlinson," Sanchez said.
"We really invested in that offensive group while maintaining the core of our offensive line and adding legitimate playmakers on both sides of the ball. Antonio Cromartie to the opposite side of Revis on defense. I mean, that was a nasty group.
"So we had more talent, for sure. I think things were a little more expected. We kind of had gone through this whole process the year before, and this was the year we were supposed to take it to the next level. And I think we did in some respects, and unfortunately, in some we kind of came up short."
It was also unfortunate that Sanchez came up on the short end of the stick and basically said good-bye to the Jets late in the third game of the 2013 preseason when he suffered a separated shoulder against the Giants and would be sidelined for the year.
"I think people look back at stuff like that all the time and wonder, what if? But living in those hypotheticals would drive yourself crazy," Sanchez said. "So I don't spend too much time on it. It's just kind of the way things went, and that, unfortunately, kind of closed the door there in New York.
"But it opened some other doors, and I got a chance to be a part of a great organization in Philadelphia and some other great organizations after that. So I think if that doesn't happen, I don't know if I meet all the same people I meet and I go the same path that I would have had. But once again, who's to say how it would have worked out?"
Following his time with the Jets, Sanchez went on to play for Philadelphia, Dallas, and Washington. Ten years in the NFL, four different team fan bases, each with their own unique characteristics.
"I do think the Jets fans really, really rallied around our success and making it to the playoffs," Sanchez said. "Nobody thought it would be so short-lived. We had two opportunities, six total playoff games, and you could feel it every time you advanced to the next round. Their ability to show up and erupt when plays work out in the Jets' favor, that was pretty cool to see.
"And it's unfortunate. We wish we could have made a couple more runs like that, because you never know what happens. The Jet fans hold a special place in my heart. I know they're critical, they'll let you know how they feel. That's part of being a Jets fan, I guess."
These days, Jets and NFL fans can see Sanchez in his second career as a game analyst for FOX Sports. Recently completing his fourth season with the network, he was with ABC/ESPN for three years before that, appearing in the studio on SportsCenter and College Football Live.
Being an analyst is like being a quarterback in that both jobs begin long before the games kickoff on Sundays.
"Leading up to game day is still some of my favorite prep work – watching the tape, understanding the teams, understanding their personnel, their plan of attack, understanding their formula to win," Sanchez said. "That's always fun for me to try and figure out.
"We're lucky at FOX because we've got great, great people and great teams to help me sift through all that stuff. And I've got a great partner in Adam Amin. And before that, I had a great partner in Kevin Kugler. You never have to worry about them. They're always prepared. They've got your back and can set you up for a nice, short dissertation on what happened on a play and how and why that play either worked or didn't work.
"And then when you get a chance to go to practices on Friday, I really enjoy catching up with former players and teammates that are now coaches, and trainers and staff members that have bounced around to different places in the league. When you get a chance to catch up, it's nice to see a familiar face.
"And it gives me a chance to talk to some of these younger players and really understand where they're coming from. I hope it comes across in the broadcast that I'm passionate about it and I enjoy the work that goes into it."
Sanchez, who has an 8-year-old son, Daniel, makes his home in Orange County, CA, with his wife, Perry. They're expecting twin girls in March or April.
"I'm pretty lucky that we have a lot of people in my immediate family and extended family that are unusually close," Sanchez said. "We get together quite often, and so I'm grateful for that. I think that's one of the best things I've got going."
