As a senior at Sandalwood High School, Florida Atlantic University wasn't just Rusty Smith's top choice to play college ball.

It was his only choice.

Despite throwing seven times as many touchdowns as interceptions in his final high school season, Smith made barely a blip on the radars of Division I scouts.

He had an early offer to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham, but the Blazers pulled the scholarship in December 2004 when a more coveted quarterback signed with the school, Smith said.

When word of the snub got back to the Owls, Howard Schnellenberger's staff wasted no time.

``FAU started recruiting me like that next week,'' Smith said. ``Schnellenberger was the only one that took a chance on me.''

Even with their relatively strong bargaining position, the Owls gave Smith the blue-chip treatment during his campus visit.

THE SITDOWN

Smith hadn't met Schnellenberger, FAU's septuagenarian coach who led the University of Miami to a national championship 1983, before that weekend. But one sitdown with the coach -- and his highlight reel -- was enough for Smith.

``He showed me a video of all the quarterbacks he's coached,'' Smith said of Schnellenberger, who could have a wing in the Hall of Fame for all the great passers he has turned out.

``It was like a seven to 10-minute clip. By the end of it, you had goosebumps,'' Smith said. ``It was that emotional. That, in itself, would get any quarterback to play for Schnellenberger.''

Fast forward to today, and Smith is poised to begin his redshirt senior season in Boca Raton. Schnellenberger, the Energizer Bunny of South Florida football, believes Smith is poised to become the next first-round pick to emerge from his tutelage.

TOP QUARTERBACKS

Schnellenberger's pupils include Joe Namath, Jim Kelly and Vinny Testaverde, just to name a few. But of all the signal-callers in Schnellenberger's five decades of football, Smith reminds him most of the one that took the coach to the pinnacle of his career.

Bernie Kosar led the University of Miami to the 1983 national crown with moxie and an unorthodox release.

Twenty-six years later, Schnellenberger believes he is coaching this generation's version of the 12-year pro.

``He has something of Kosar's physical dimensions,'' said Schnellenberger, who is entering his ninth season at Florida Atlantic. ``Similar mental capacities. He has an irregular delivery, as did Kosar, and has the same kind of command of his offense.

``He is prepared for his senior year as well as he could prepare and we are expecting him to have personal success, which will translate into team success,'' he said. ``We expect him to be a high draft choice in the National Football League.''

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

The latter will depend largely on his performance this year.

After a banner sophomore season, which earned him Sun Belt Player of the Year honors and the Owls the conference title, Smith regressed in 2008.

He dislocated his left shoulder in the Owls' season opener against Texas, and was never the same. He admits to forcing passes and finished with fewer touchdowns (24) and more interceptions (14) than he did the year before.

A candid Smith said his decision making is better this year, and knows that if he plays under more control, the accolades, and a possible spot in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, will come.

``I'm not worried about that in any way, shape or form,'' Smith said. ``It's going to take care of itself, as long as I do my part as far as helping this team win. What I'm focused on this year is helping the FAU Owls win as many games as possible.''

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