[VIDEO] Just a few years ago, he was hoisting up the Rose Bowl trophy as the game’s offensive MVP for the University of Southern California. Today, Mark Sanchez already has the most road playoff wins ever. What falls between is history, but Sanchez’s career is young and there’s plenty more to come from the kid superstar.
On one of the league’s biggest stages in New York, Sanchez is constantly under the public eye, a fan favorite after a win and an outcast of the city after a loss. So far, he’s given himself the reputation of being a winner through his first two seasons in the pros.
As the New York Jets quarterback, Sanchez has to be a true team leader in order to be successful. That means he needs to be vocal both in the locker room and on the field, ensuring the team is aware of what he needs them to do to win a game. He isn’t just another player on the squad; Sanchez is the Jets offense’s undisputed leader.
“I think taking initiative is important and understanding that you don’t know it all quite yet, especially as a young quarterback,” Sanchez told me at New York Giant Justin Tuck’s charity billiards tournament this past Thursday. “Trusting the veterans and conveying to them that you’re going to need their help and getting the best out of your players are some things I’m striving for.”
Though his numbers weren’t great in both his rookie and sophomore seasons, he brought the Jets to two consecutive AFC Championship games, falling just short of the Super Bowl each year. With two years of experience behind him, Sanchez is poised to hopefully lead a very talented New York Jets team to their first Super Bowl since 1969 this coming year.
Being consistent is something Sanchez is working hard on, an important quality for any professional athlete to have. “Consistency is what you work towards each and every year, even the best players that have been in the league ten plus years are still working on that.”
His leadership skills have been on full display this offseason despite the lack of football operations with the lockout looming over the league. Through his Jets West camp in California, Sanchez was able to bring out a full unit of offensive players to his turf for some training.
“We brought the entire offensive skill unit and it was basically the first five days of camp,” Sanchez said of the week-long Jets West camp. “We installed our offense, worked in a classroom, watched some film, went on the field and executed all the plays we needed each and every day.”
It wasn’t all hard work though, as Sanchez added: “We went to a Lakers game and had a Cinco de Mayo celebration, and the guys came to the beach for a little barbeque. I tried to add a little California flavor to it. I wanted to make sure guys had fun as well as get some good work in.”
Similar to everyone else involved in the National Football League, Sanchez is hoping that there will be a full sixteen games played in the 2011 season. There is no doubt that the Jets will be fully prepared come September if the lockout ends. Sanchez has already made a name for himself in the league, and he can only solidify his legacy further as he brings more success to the New York Jets.
