Then he goes out and plays the way he did this spring. With Leinart sitting out of spring drills, Booty got his first serious opportunity with the first-teamers and played flawlessly. He managed the game, he recognized defenses and switched pass protections with ease. His arm never looked stronger or more accurate.

"We'd be in good shape should, God forbid, something happen to Matty," says USC quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian.

Those words are somewhat comforting yet ring hollow all the same.

So John David Booty sits and waits and tries to avoid his fate, telling himself that many quarterbacks go through the same process, that sitting and waiting isn't such a bad thing — as long as there's an opportunity when it matters most. Heck, look at Leinart. He redshirted his first year, didn't throw a pass in his second year and now has a chance to become the most celebrated player in the history of the game.

Then, reality sets in. This fall, the competition for the backup spot will heat up again when Mark Sanchez — the nation's top quarterback recruit last year — enters the mix. And in 2006? Bank on USC adding another strong-armed high school phenom to the list.

"No matter where you go, you're always going to have someone you're going to be competing against," Booty says.

The problem is, fate doesn't always play fair.

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