Back when Byron Leftwich attended Evans Junior High in Washington, D.C., his football coaches didn't quite know what they had in him.

        They realized Leftwich was a good athlete who was quickly developing physically, was an extremely fast learner and was playing well as a wide receiver and safety.

        Then came the revelation one day in practice.

        The squad was in special-teams drills, and Leftwich was fielding punts. One landed in some bushes beyond the field, and offensive coordinator Jeff Johnson asked for the ball to be thrown back. What he saw stunned him.

        “The ball just kept going ... it kept going,” recalls Johnson, waving his hand above his head. “I asked who threw it, and the other players said Byron. So I said to myself, let's try him at quarterback. The rest is history.”

        Leftwich has been passing with a purpose ever since.

        On the cusp of his senior year at Marshall University, Leftwich is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, an almost certain high pick in next spring's NFL draft and a Heisman trophy candidate.

        Leftwich is coming off one of the most eye-opening passing seasons in recent history. He threw for a Mid-American Conference record 4,132 yards, second nationally to the top pick in this year's draft, Fresno State's David Carr, who had 4,299 in 13 games - one more game than Leftwich played. Leftwich completed 67 percent of his passes and threw for 38 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions.

        Leftwich followed with a stunning performance in the GMAC Bowl against East Carolina, passing for 576 yards and four touchdowns as the Thundering Herd rallied from a 38-8 deficit to beat the Pirates 64-61 in double overtime.

        Although he was named Mid-American Conference player of the year, Leftwich felt he still needed to work on his game and opted not to enter the NFL draft. After the season, he went into the film room to prepare for 2002.

        “I can get a whole lot better,” he says. “In January, I sat and watched every play we ran and evaluated myself on every one of those plays. ... I just want to be a complete quarterback and work on everything. I know no one is perfect, but I still strive for perfection.”

        According to ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr., Leftwich is right on target to be among the first players selected in April's draft. He tops Kiper's preseason list of the best 30 players in the nation.

        “He's got the size, and he brings a humble attitude,” Kiper says.

        “He's accurate. He can go down field, he can go to the sidelines on the deep out. He needs to work on his touch, on making it easier for his receivers. But with all three of his top receivers back, his numbers will probably be as good as last year. He's got a good chance to be one of the top three picks.”

        Trusting his abilities

        Known as “Little Byron” growing up, Leftwich was used to being pushed around by his older brother, Kevin, now 28. Those days are long gone.

        “He always jokes about that. He pretty much has the upper hand now,” says Kevin, with a smile. “He always told me when he got older he was going to get me back.”

        Little Byron has matured into a 6-6, 247-pounder and is the perfect quarterback for Marshall's one-back, spread offense that emphasizes quick, short, throws. At Washington's H.D. Woodson High School, he was named the D.C. area's offensive player of the year as a senior when he passed for 3,100 yards and 27 touchdowns.

        “I got recruited by Maryland and Pittsburgh, but as far as an offense for a quarterback to excel in, there's no better offense than Marshall's,” Leftwich says. “It asks a lot of a quarterback, but at the same time, it's fun. It's a quarterback's dream.”

        Still, at the beginning, there were doubts.

        “I didn't even know if I was going to be able to complete a pass in college,” he says. “I didn't know how good I was. You watch on TV and realize those guys are pretty good, so I didn't know what to think. I was one of those guys who never got a chance to go to one of those quarterback camps. I didn't get the extra teaching, so I didn't know what to expect.”

        One person who immediately recognized his ability is former Thundering Herd star quarterback Chad Pennington. As a freshman in 1998, Leftwich backed up Pennington, beginning a close relationship the two still enjoy.

        “The first day we met we worked out together and went out and threw. I could tell he had the physical tools,” recalls Pennington, now with the New York Jets.

        “He threw the ball through the goalposts from the 50 as a true freshman, so I definitely knew he had the arm strength. I knew it was just a matter of time to get things down, to grow and develop. Once he matured, I knew he'd be really good.”

        Pennington was also impressed with Leftwich's focus. “He was very inquisitive and always very much on task as far as learning the offense and talking about the game,” Pennington says. “I was so impressed with how fast he comprehended the offense and got it down. Then he started working on the little details of it. You're seeing now the result of all that.”

        Leftwich, who talks to Pennington each week during the season, credits his mentor with helping his development.

        “Chad did it all on the field and off,” Leftwich says of Pennington, who passed for 115 touchdowns and more than 13,000 yards in his Thundering Herd career. “He taught me how to carry myself and made sure I was prepared.”

        Giving back to the community

        Leftwich hasn't forgotten his roots. In his D.C. neighborhood, he's revered as an example of what hard work and doing things the right way can bring.

        Leftwich returned to Washington for a neighborhood gathering on Father's Day at the Watts Branch Community Center, only blocks from his home. He was treated like a returning hero, drawing attention and backslaps at nearly every
       HH turn.

        “When he comes around, everybody wants to run and shake his hand, and he gives it back to everybody,” says Clarence Rose Sr., who coached Leftwich in junior high and in various youth sports. “He's not a big-headed kid who gets caught up in a lot of glory.”

        D.C. Recreation Department coach Dwayne Glover recalls Leftwich as “a kid who always had a level head. He was one of the smartest players and was very receptive to coaching. He always did what you asked him to do.”

        Leftwich accepts and embraces the idea that he can be a role model for his old community. “I hope I am,” he says. “And it has nothing to do with football. If you just live your life the right way, you can be a role model and not even know it.

        “It's a great feeling because not too many people make it out of (his neighborhood), but when they do, they get support from the whole community,” he says. “So many want to see me succeed. I understand that and just hope that I can continue on.”

        Living up to the hype

        Although it seems a longshot that a Heisman winner would come from a Mid-American Conference school, coach Bob Pruett says Marshall, and Leftwich, are different.

        “His future is so bright,” says Pruett, “that you'll need sunglasses. He's the best quarterback I've ever been around - and I mean played against or coached against, too. He can make every throw you need. He's not just a good quarterback, he's a great quarterback.”

        Leftwich would be Marshall's third Heisman finalist in six seasons, following Randy Moss and Pennington. Pruett thinks the program's rising reputation could make the trophy a reality for Leftwich, especially if the No. 21 Thundering Herd stay in the rankings.

        “We've got to do it by the way we play, but I think he has the best chance of the three,” Pruett says. “People are recognizing now how good he is.”

        Moss finished fourth in 1997, and Pennington was fifth in '99. Although Leftwich will have his three top receivers returning, including Darius Watts, who had 18 touchdown catches and more than 1,400 receiving yards last year, he's putting the Heisman talk on the back burner for now.

        “It's great to be considered, but it really only means something in November and December if they're still mentioning your name,” Leftwich says. “I'm grateful, but we'll have to see how it all comes out.”

        Pennington has one more piece of advice.

        “He just needs to be Marshall's quarterback this year, and everything else will fall into place for him.”