By Scott Beedy
Staff Writer
Channel 3000

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- In 2005, there were two quarterbacks battling for supremacy, but the battle was on the practice field. And the two young players, Alex Smith of Utah and Aaron Rodgers of California, were not playing each other. They were working for the right to be called the first overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft. And just so happens, one of the men responsible for making that decision was Packers coach Mike McCarthy.

"Really, going through the evaluation process was the same that I've gone through every year as a quarterback coach or an offensive coordinator," said McCarthy. "You rank the players. There's a few players on the board that were being considered with the No. 1 pick, obviously with two being a quarterback.

Draft day was all smiles for Smith who was picked No. 1 overall by San Francisco, but Rodgers suffered a lengthy wait in the green room. Images of him sliding down the draft board have only been erased by his gaudy statistics after just a season and a half as Green Bay's starter. Rodgers, drafted No. 24 was from Chico, Calif. He grew up a Joe Montana fan, but waiting behind Brett Favre for a chance to start turned out to be a much better situation than the one Smith ended up in.

"It's interesting to see them both now because you just recall how young both those guys were," McCarthy said. "I think they might have both been 20 years old. They were both extremely young coming out and had a lot in front of them, but there were definitely some areas of projection that you always do. You have to do with young players."

McCarthy, offensive coordinator for the 49ers in 2005, left the next year for Green Bay's head coaching job. And just two years later, his starting quarterback was the player he passed on draft day.

"I tell you, things happen for a reason. I'm a big believer in that," said McCarthy.

He said the situation in San Francisco would have been tough for any quarterback.

"Just playing them this week, memory lane is nice and everything, but just look at their football team today compared to what it was back then," McCarthy said. "I can't even tell you that there is a handful of players that are on the roster that were there back then. I think that tells you a lot about what they have done with the football team and really the path that any quarterback would have to take on that football team."

As for Smith McCarthy has seen improvement from the player he coached during his rookie season.

"From when he first came out?," McCarthy said. "Yeah, he looks a lot better. It's nice when they grow up.

"But the path that you take, the situations that you're put in at an early part in your career have as much to do with it as anything. The players around you, where you are as far as in your development, what offense you're running. I think he's been put through a tough situation, just the number of coordinators he's had in his career. I don't think that's ever been done."