Green's chance to start snapped

Former IU quarterback Trent Green ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during a preseason tune-up with the St. Louis Rams last year -- the same Rams group NFL MVP Kurt Warner led to the Super Bowl championship in January.\nGreen had a solid football career at IU and persistence to thank.\n"He got it done on the field and off," former IU football coach Bill Mallory said. "You couldn't ask for a better student-athlete. He paid his dues."\nGreen played for Mallory in Bloomington from 1987-92, leading the Hoosiers to back-to-back bowl games, including a 24-0 whipping of Baylor in the 1991 Copper Bowl. Green passed for 165 yards and scampered for two touchdowns in IU's most recent bowl win.\nGreen is currently on the Rams' roster.\nAfter San Diego drafted Green in 1993, his precarious career bounced him to three NFL teams, including a season with the Chargers before he was cut. Green, 30, sat out the following year after being overlooked by every NFL team. \n"I hoped another opportunity would come up," Green said. "I knew I had to stick in there and keep working." \nHe did. \nGreen returned to Bloomington to continue working out after the Chargers waved goodbye. Mallory, who won the recruiting battle for Green against Notre Dame, allowed Green to sit in on practices and meetings.\nBut it was a game in Michigan Stadium that eventually landed Green a fresh spot in the NFL. During his stint as an assistant coach at Michigan, Cameron saw Green run through the Wolverine defense. Cameron had since moved to Washington, where he coached the Redskins quarterback corps. Cameron noticed Green's name on the league waiver wire and approached Redskins coach Norv Turner about offering Green a workout. \n"I told Norv, 'Trent might be a guy we'd like to work out,'" Cameron said. "He liked him too, so we worked him out, and Norv asked me if we'd like to sign him. I told Norv, 'Yes,' and Norv called Trent into his office and said, 'Hey, Trent, we'd like to sign you.' From that day, he was probably one of the most dedicated, motivated guys I've ever been around."\nGreen, a St. Louis native, spent four seasons with the Washington and one season with San Diego before his homecoming with the Rams. After getting partial playing time in Washington, Green left because of what he called "turmoil and uncertainty." He was expected to lead the Rams before the pre-season hit snapped his ACL and his hopes. \nAs Green knows all too well, Warner stepped in to guide the high-powered Rams to their first Super Bowl title. Green was sidelined all season and still sits behind Warner on the Rams' depth-chart.\n"I had mixed emotions," Green said of the Super Bowl crown. "I was frustrated I was not able to be more involved in the offense. I worked all off-season and established an attitude that I was ready to get going. But it was satisfying to be a part of (the championship)."\nGreen still hasn't started a game since 1998 and continues rehabilitation on his knee every day. His unheralded role as a backup quarterback hasn't quenched his thirst for directing offense. \n"I understand my role," he said. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it. I just have to make the best of it."\nGreen said he'll let the season play out before thinking of leaving his hometown team for a chance of getting a starting spot. He is sure a No. 1 slot on the depth chart is what he desires. For now, he's taking a wait-and-see approach. He's confident in his once-busted knee and his skills in the pocket. So are his previous coaches.\n"I think somebody will pick him up," Cameron said. "A lot of people would say, 'Hey, what's he complaining about? He's still getting paid.' But for the true competitors in the league, it's not about the money; and that's what Trent's about. He wants to lead a team."\nGreen still follows IU football and stays in touch with Mallory, who wrote him a pick-me-up letter after Green's injury. Green said he's thankful for Mallory and Cameron's help and his experience at IU. \nA handful of quarterbacks have led IU since Green left nearly a decade ago. A presidency has all but expired. And two NFL teams decided they could do without Green's services, but Green said his better days are yet to come. \n"It's been a crazy road," Green said. "But it's been worth it. I'm rehabbing for the rest of my career"