Friday, September 18, 1998

Newest Cowboy ready for backup role

By C. BRYSON HULL Associated Press

IRVING - If you watched the Pittsburgh Steelers demolish the Baltimore Ravens 37-0 on Nov. 9, 1997, you might remember Mike Quinn.

And if you didn't blink during the two passes he threw, you'd have seen the entire breadth of his NFL experience.

One completion for 10 yards.

Now, Quinn is one injury away from quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys.

The Troy Aikman void - the heart of Dallas' offense will miss at least four games with a broken collarbone - has made the former Stephen F. Austin and Houston prep standout next in line behind Jason Garrett.

"I've been in this situation before, but the stakes are higher now," Quinn said Thursday.

Quinn has one advantage: the new Cowboys offense installed by coach Chan Gailey is old news for him. Quinn learned it in Pittsburgh while Gailey was the Steelers' offensive coordinator.

"It's very similar and I feel very confident," Quinn said. "I've been with the system for two years now."

And Gailey shows absolute confidence in Quinn's familiarity with the offensive scheme.

"Does he know the system? I know he does," Gailey said.

But Quinn hasn't had much practice with his new team. Consider that when Aikman was healthy, Garrett had taken only about 15 snaps in practice since training camp, Gailey said.

As for whether Quinn has improved his skills since last season, Gailey was noncommittal.

"I haven't seen enough of him to tell you fairly," he said.

Very few in the NFL outside of Pittsburgh have seen much of Quinn.

Quinn signed with Pittsburgh as a rookie free agent last year, playing in only the Baltimore game and sitting out the rest.

In the offseason, he started for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe and finished the year as the league's best passer. His 133-of-264 passes for 1,997 yards earned him a spot on the All-League team.

But his NFL return wasn't so successful. Pittsburgh cut him at the end of training camp, and Quinn ended up in Indianapolis the following day as a waiver pickup.

One week later, the Colts released him. He was a Cowboy the next day. Five days later, Aikman went down against the Broncos, and Quinn was the No. 2 quarterback.

For the former first-team all-state selection from Houston, walking into Valley Ranch was a rush.

"The first time I walked in here, you couldn't wipe the smile off my face," he said.

He has barely had time to get to know his teammates, he said. And vice versa.

"I know he's not related to Dr. Quinn, medicine woman," joked receiver Billy Davis when asked about Quinn.

But if injury further erodes the quarterback depth chart, Quinn is going to be the only bottle in the medicine cabinet.