DAVIE, Fla. — Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards was moments away from starting his third NFL game last October when Monday Night Football analyst Ron Jaworski told a national TV audience that Edwards already reminded him of a young Tom Brady at New England.
"The thing that stood out right away was the calmness in his game," Jaworski, the former Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl quarterback, said Wednesday. "When I look at a quarterback, I like to look at his feet first — how he reacts to pressure, how his brain is reacting.
"When I see a guy with calm feet who's firm in the pocket, that's a sign that he's under control and understands what he's doing. I saw that in Edwards right from the start."
Selected out of Stanford in the third round of the 2007 draft — 42 picks after the Dolphins took John Beck — Edwards has emerged as the catalyst of the Bills' 5-1 start heading into Sunday's game at Dolphin Stadium.
"Every single guy on that team, when you ask them the difference between this year and last, will tell you it's Trent Edwards," CBS analyst and former Bills player Steve Tasker said. "He's not a guy who's the center of attention when their offense is on the field. But when the game is over and they've won, you think back and realize he was the reason."
First in the AFC in completion percentage (69.7) and second in passer rating (98.8), Edwards has been at his best in the fourth quarter, where his AFC-best 133.1 passer rating has helped propel the Bills to comeback wins over Jacksonville, St. Louis and Oakland.
"He got a lot of practice for that at Stanford," Dolphins receiver and former Stanford teammate Greg Camarillo said. "We were always behind."
Regarded as one of the nation's top high school quarterbacks while at Los Gatos (Calif.) High School, Edwards had his pick of football powers, including the University of Florida, before choosing Stanford. He went only 10-20 as a starter there, but said he has no regrets about that decision.
"It didn't go the way I wanted it to go, but I feel I'm a better person because of it," he said.
Camarillo, who was two years ahead of him, remembers Edwards having a presence in the huddle even as a redshirt freshman.
"He always kept his head and had poise," Camarillo said. "A good leader; a strong leader. He's the kind of guy you want as the face of your team."
And the 6-foot-4, 231-pounder has been as solid off the field as on it. One of his first moves upon arriving in Buffalo last year was to round up 50 pairs of used cleats and donate them to his old high school team. On both Thanksgiving and Christmas, he volunteered his time to serve meals at a community center and soup kitchen.
But it's on the field where he's made the biggest impression. Just last Sunday he broke a club record held by Jim Kelly for highest completion percentage in a game when he hit 25-of-30 passes (83.3 percent) in a 23-14 win over San Diego, improving his record as a starter to 10-5.
"He's been smart with the football, not making the errant throws," Dolphins strong safety Yeremiah Bell said. "It's surprising how quickly he's caught on to their offense and how well he's running it."
"He looks to me like a different player (from a year ago)," Miami coach Tony Sparano said. "When I'm watching him, I'm looking at a really veteran type of quarterback."
Tasker, who lives in a Buffalo suburb, said last Sunday went a long way toward dispelling any lingering doubts Bills fans had.
"Even when the game was in doubt, both the players and fans seemed to have that feeling the team was going to do what it took to win, and that's because of Edwards," he said. "There's a confidence building in Buffalo about what this team can do."
Brian Biggame writes for The Palm Beach Post. E-mail: bbiggane AT pbpost.com