The End of the Road for Damon Huard

This is probably it for Damon Huard. And I wouldn't normally do this, wouldn't normally write this, but I think it's too bad.
At age 34, with all of 13 starts in 10 NFL seasons, Huard still believes he's a starter.
That's what you have to understand about quarterbacks. They all believe, the ones that last, anyway. These guys were the shortstops in little league. These guys were your homecoming kings, the captains of your basketball team, the guys who could have any girl. Stars. College coaches camped out on their lawns. The letters came in from everywhere -- Florida, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Southern Cal.
Nothing changed in college. They made SportsCenter. When they went to parties, people whispered about them and called to tell their friends they partied with the quarterback. They broke records.
Then, for guys like Huard, they lived their dream. An NFL roster. Made it.
So what you went undrafted and you sign as a No. 3 quarterback. You know you can play. Two years later, it's your turn. You're not throwing up video game numbers, but you're winning. You win five of your six starts.
And, somehow, that's it. The regular starter comes back and you sit down, thinking you'll get your shot. You've been playing behind Dan Marino, for crying out loud. But you don't get your shot. For five years, you sit. You hold the clipboard. You're what's called the "emergency quarterback," which is just what it sounds like.
You stay in the league because everybody wants a veteran backup. But nobody thinks you can play. Then the starter gets hurt again and you light it up. You're playing better than everybody but Peyton Manning and you're winning. Five of six. On the road. Coming from behind. The city is buzzing.
And now, at 34, with a 10-4 career record as a starter, it's over.
Huard's time has passed. He'll sign a two-year deal this offseason with some team looking to stabilize its quarterback situation. But he'll never be a star in the NFL. It's too late.
You don't get many chances in the NFL. One or two, usually. Maybe three if you're really talented. You have to perform.
And that's the sad part of Huard's story. Every time he's gotten a chance, he's performed. And now, with one more payday coming, it's too late. There are 10 years' worth of homecoming kings to compete with, all of whom think they're stars.