National Football League (NFL)

"I have tried to gravitate to the veteran guys. Guys that have been in the league for 10 years, they have that calming effect. It's great."

"When I first met Coach Fox, he told me he was only looking for somebody to manage the game. He said we weren't going to put up all these numbers, but if his quarterback played smart and did the right things, that would be good enough. That fit into my sense of what I do well. I can manage the game, and when it's my turn to make a play in the passing game, I can do that too."

"When you are the new guy, you want to make a good impression, but you can't try to do too much. Guys will pretty much welcome you with open arms. It does take some time to develop relationships on the field."

"He's just a home-grown country boy. If the movie stopped today and he had to come home, he'd be out there raising his family and his horses. This couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. He's not your typical NFL quarterback." - Troy Le Blanc

"I don't know what Jake went through in his life, but it definitely has prepared him for big games. Whenever we've needed him to do something huge, he's delivered. In my mind he has been the biggest steal in the league." - Mike Minter

"I'm the type of guy who goes for the par," says Henning, of the various options available to his quarterback on each pass play. "Jake goes for the eagle. I've had quarterbacks who had to have it absolutely perfect before they'd throw downfield. The game's not like that. That's why I like Jake. He takes intelligent chances." - Dan Henning

"Jake makes some throws that look unsound, but they get there. You always know the ball, somehow, is going to be there." - Steve Smith

"People criticize Jake because he's not throwing for 300 yards or our touchdowns every game, but hat's not his job. His role is to move our offense efficiently and give us a chance to win. That's what he's done. I've always said that as long as there's time on the clock and he has that light in his eyes, he's going to come through for us." - Brentson Buckler

"Until you see Jake play under fire, you can't really appreciate the guy. And I mean the hotter the fire, the more appreciative you get. He plays much better when the heat was on him than I think anybody I've ever coached, and I've coached a lot of guys [including Super Bowl quarterbacks Joe Namath, Joe Theismann and Doug Williams]. Jake might look sloppy starting out, but when the game is on the line, almost invariably, he delivers." - Dan Henning