Brian Brohm had the best college career of any of the Buffalo Bills' quarterbacks and was the highest draft pick of the bunch. The former University of Louisville star was the 56th overall pick of the 2008 NFL Draft, taken in the second round by the Green Bay Packers.

     Brohm's pro career has not had a fast start. He had a poor showing as a rookie in Green Bay and was beaten out for the backup QB job by seventh-round pick Matt Flynn. He failed to make the Pack roster last summer and was signed by the Bills on Nov. 19 off Green Bay's practice squad.

     Because Brohm is less well known to Bills fans than Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick, this Q and A session sticks to football issues.

     Question: As spring practices went on, it seemed your accuracy was more evident. Correct?

     Answer: That's always been a strength of my game -- accuracy, getting completions. You always try to work on your weaknesses, but at the same time you want to make your strengths even stronger. So that's something I've always worked on. A huge thing in this league is making sure you get completions, getting the ball in your guys' hands and letting them make plays. I feel very good about where I'm at as a quarterback.

     Q: In terms of confidence, are you back to being that guy who was MVP of the Orange Bowl (in 2007)?

     A: I think so. As I've stated before, I think I lost that for a little bit my first year.

     Q: Your father was a QB at Louisville. Your oldest brother, Greg, played receiver at Louisville. Your older brother, Jeff, was 1988 Kentucky Mr. Football, starred at Louisville and played QB in the NFL. What was it like carrying on such a heavy family tradition?

     A: I pretty much grew up with a football in my hand. My older brother Jeff played in the NFL for seven years. He's the guy I always looked up to. I wanted to be just like him. He's 15 years older than me. Greg is 16 years older. I think I was 8 years old when my brother went to the Super Bowl with the Chargers. I got to experience that. I just fell in love with the game and the position of quarterback. They were always helping out, coaching me, in every sport. It wasn't just football. Basketball, baseball, they'd get me in the backyard. I remember in eighth grade my brother Jeff had just gone through Bill Walsh's QB school. He came back and had me doing all the 5-step, 7-step drops, all that stuff. I was very fortunate. I think it really helped me out when I was younger that I had that coaching and a lot of other guys didn't.

     Q: When did it dawn on you that you would surpass Jeff's achievements?

     A: I think I was always competing with him. I knew everything he'd done. In high school he won one state championship. I knew all his stats. They were downstairs in a book in the basement. I was always looking at that, and once I surpassed him, I was seeing how much further I could go. It was a different era though. We threw the ball a lot more when I was playing. So I got more yards and touchdowns.

     Q: You've said you made a bad first impression at Packers camp and that hurt you, even though you played better in Year Two. After so much success in college, do you think there was a subconscious letdown competing for a backup job in Green Bay behind Aaron Rodgers?

     A: I think initially it probably was. I didn't want to let that in, admit that back then. I think there probably was. Coming out I expected to be one of those franchise guys, getting picked in the first round. It didn't happen that way. You're gonna have to earn it the hard way now and work your way up the depth chart. I'm totally prepared for that now. I don't know if I was prepared for that my first year coming in.

     Q: No matter what you did in Green Bay, you very likely were not beating out Rodgers. Do you feel fortunate to have landed in Buffalo, where you've got as good a shot to start as perhaps on any team in the league?

     A: There's definitely more of an opportunity to get on the field in this spot. It's still a competition. There's still two guys here who have played, who have started numerous games, who know how to play the game, both battling to keep the jobs they have. It's still a competition. I've got to work my way up.

     Q: How do you feel about your chances to win the starting job?

     A: They've tried to make it as even as possible so far. Obviously that's going to change just a little bit in training camp. But the job will still be open. I think those preseason games will be very important. I think the biggest thing is you work your tail off every day, and whenever your opportunity comes you have to take advantage of it because you don't know when another one will come along.

mgaughan@buffnews.comnull