Front-runner

Could Crouch be an every-down quarterback in the league? Maybe. While he has completed an impressive 57.1% of his passes this season, he's also thrown more interceptions (eight) than touchdown passes (seven). That's attributable, in part, to the system he's in: On the relatively rare occasions they do pass, the Corn-huskers tend to go with play-action. "A drop-back passer can check things out during his drop," says Nebraska tight end Tracy Wistrom, a frequent Crouch target. "When you're running play-action, you've got to find your receiver and get rid of it as soon as you turn around. That's a disadvantage."

"He's got a good, strong arm," says Brandt. "He can definitely get the job done, especially once he is in the NFL, where he'll concentrate more on his passing."

As he made his way to a class last Friday, Crouch seemed pleased Brandt thought so highly of him. "Right now," says Crouch, "with my schedule the way it is, to worry about only football and get paid for it—I can't even imagine how great that would be."

He offers a brief glimpse into his private life: "On Mondays, I get up at 6:30, get Lexi ready for day care, drop her off at 8:30." Lexi, he confirms, is out of diapers and into pull-ups. She looks like Boo in Monsters Inc. Bedtime goes much more smoothly if he's there to arrange her hair. "She lies down on her pillow," he explains, a tad sheepishly, "and I tuck it all back for her." On those nights when he gets home after Lexi is asleep, he goes into her room before he crashes. He just wants to look at her.

"These days," he says, "it seems like I wake up, catch my breath, and it's time to go to bed again. Then, in the middle of the night, I get an elbow in the ribs"—Nicole's signal that it's his turn to minister to their crying child. Crouch goes without complaint. He knows his role and finds the joy in it.