COLUMN

Leak: Quiet Leader, Sudden Legend

By MARTIN FENNELLY

Published: Jan 10, 2007

GLENDALE, Ariz. - When the game ended - not the shock, just the game - he threw a perfect spiral toward the roof of the stadium. His Florida schoolmate, Taurean Green, did the same thing with a basketball last April.

But this was Florida football.

This was Chris Leak.

The ball took forever to come down.

Chris Leak never will, really.

He'll live on as a Gators quarterback who won a national championship in his final game like Danny Wuerffel. That's the clouds, my friends, and Chris Leak's name will never come down out of them.

Now to the upset of upsets. Not the 41-14 thrashing of Ohio State on Monday night, but this: Leak - Chris Leak - was scheduled to appear on Jay Leno on Tuesday night, along with Ben Affleck and Jewel.

Ben Affleck, Jewel, Chris Leak.

We'll have more news from Mars in a moment.

"It's all very humbling," Leak said.

'He Was A Leader'

While those of you who've ever heard Leak speak, who've ever wondered at times if he had an actual pulse, try and figure how Jay is going to loosen the kid up, or if Ben will, or if Jewel will offer to sing a duet, or if Leak will jump on his chair like Tom Cruise, we'll return to the game of Chris Leak's life. And the journey that it ended.

It began with a handshake from Ron Zook and finished with a hug from Urban Meyer. In between there were new orders, a new offense, highs, lows, cheers, boos, calls for freshman water walker Tim Tebow, who was sensational again Monday. But always, there was dignity, the quiet dignity of Chris Leak.

"The way Chris carried himself says a lot," Florida receiver Andre Caldwell said. "I've never seen the guy say a bad word to anyone. I never heard him complain about the change in the offense, change in coaches, or another quarterback going in. He took it on the chin his share and he never complained. He was a leader."

In his final game for Florida, he was the Leak people dreamed of. He was the offensive player of the game, even matched against Ohio State's Troy Smith, the Heisman winner. When Leak came to Florida, people wondered if he'd win the Heisman. This was trophy enough.

"This is what matters," Leak said.

While Smith was inhaled by Florida's raptor defense, Chris Leak wrote his last chapter as a Gator.

He began moments after Ohio State ran the opening kick back. He began even as Buckeye Ted Ginn Jr., who ran the kick back, was hobbling with the foot he injured - celebrating. Is that perfect or what?

Leak marched the Gators, hitting on five passes, including a deft touchdown toss.

"That first drive was the turning point in the game," Meyer said.

Leak completed 25 passes for 213 yards. Troy Smith completed four for 35 yards. It was Leak, not Smith, who kissed the crystal football. Guess he wasn't a bad fit for Urban Meyer's offense after all.

Or maybe he was and he simply re-invented himself. He heard Meyer tell him he needed to be more vocal and he was. He became the leader his teammates always needed to be a champion. And now he is. They are, too.

"He is officially one of the top two quarterbacks to play at the University of Florida," said Meyer leaving out a Heisman winner named Spurrier. "There have only been two in the 100 years of football. There have been two quarterbacks to win a national championship game, and Chris Leak is one of them."

Meyer and Leak's hug? It's only the start.

"Both me and Coach told each other we love each other, appreciate each other," Leak said. "We're tied at the hip for the next 30 years."

More like forever.

Remembered With Wuerffel

Chris Leak was on a plane Tuesday morning, on his way to Los Angeles and Leno, unless Leno's people get cold feet. Maybe they watched film on Meyer and decided Leak was livelier. Most probably they figured Troy Smith and his Heisman would be visiting.

Dozens of Gators bring more to the table, flavor wise, than Leak. They danced around him in a raucous locker room after Monday's game. They danced, they screamed, they played for the video cameras.

Leak stood in his championship cap, still wearing the jersey that he'll give to his father, and softly answered questions. He gave his loudest answer without saying a word. Someone asked Leak if he knew he'll be remembered for going out the way Danny Wuerffel did?

Chris Leak grinned broadly.

Not a word.

Nothing flashy.

No Jay, no Ben, no Jewel.

Just him and Danny.

Try and forget him now.