- published: 16 Dec 2013
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Mark Allen Brunell (born September 17, 1970) is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.
Brunell was a three-time Pro Bowl selection with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has also played for the Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets. In 2009 he earned a Super Bowl ring as the backup quarterback and holder for the Saints' Super Bowl XLIV winning team.
Brunell was the starting quarterback for the St. Joseph High School Knights of Santa Maria, California in the 1985, 1986, and 1987 seasons. Brunell led his team to two league championships and one appearance in the CIF finals, California's version of the state championship series.
Brunell signed with the University of Washington out of high school in a highly touted recruiting class that included future NFL players Lincoln Kennedy and Steve Emtman. Brunell saw his first action in his Redshirt Freshman year, and took over the starting duties in his sophomore season. Brunell's abilities as a run-pass combo quarterback flashed potential from his first start. In his third start, Brunell led the Huskies in a 31-0 romp over a highly ranked USC team which established the Huskies of the early 1990s as a potential force in Pac-10 football. While Brunell continued to develop throughout his first season as a starter the Huskies climbed in the rankings. An early season loss to the eventual national champion University of Colorado and late season 22-25 loss to UCLA were the only losses for what, by seasons end, was a dominant Husky team. With the Huskies crowned Pac-10 champions, Brunell played his best game yet in the Rose Bowl and was named the game's MVP as Washington coasted to a 46-34 win over Big Ten Conference Champion Iowa.
Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC).
Sanchez grew up in a well-disciplined and athletic family. In the eighth grade, he began to play football and learn the intricacies of the quarterback position, training with his father, Nick. A well-regarded prospect, Sanchez committed to Southern California following his successful high school career in which he led his team to a championship title during his final season. At USC, Sanchez was relegated as the backup quarterback during his first three years though he rose to prominence due to his brief appearances on the field in 2007 due to injuries suffered by starting quarterback John David Booty. Sanchez also became popular within the community due to his Mexican-American heritage. Named the starter in 2008, Sanchez led USC to a 12–1 record and won the Rose Bowl against Penn State for which Sanchez was awarded the Most Valuable Player award for his performance on offense.