Late last summer, after he graduated from high school and before he enrolled in junior college, Aaron Rodgers had what he calls a "coming out party."

The quarterback, who was virtually ignored by Division I colleges, played in the Northern California Lions All-Star Game at Shasta Junior College. It was a turning point.

"I was running around the field, I was making throws, I made a 30-yard touchdown run," Rodgers said.

"I got a new passion. This is what I want to do."

As Cal opened training camp this week, Rodgers was one of four quarterbacks in the mix to replace Kyle Boller. Coach Jeff Tedford is far from naming a starter, but Rodgers has to be considered an early favorite.

Tedford discovered Rodgers last year when his staff was recruiting Butte College tight end Garrett Cross.

"I'd been looking all around for junior college quarterbacks," Tedford said.

"And when I was watching the tight end on tape, I asked our coaches, 'Who's this quarterback?' They said 'He's only a freshman.' "

Tedford was about to score a recruiting coup.

Rodgers, who threw for 28 touchdowns and led Butte to a No. 2 national ranking, says he was being overlooked again because most Division I coaches didn't know he came out of Pleasant Valley High in Chico with a 3.6 grade point and SAT scores of 1300. That meant he would be eligible to transfer after one year of junior college instead of the usual two.

Tedford has quarterback evaluations down to a science. He looks for three intangibles -- mental and physical toughness, intelligence and competitiveness.

He also looks for two qualities that can be improved through coaching -- athletic ability and arm strength.

During Cal's bye week last year, he went to Butte to watch Rodgers at practice.

"Seeing him in person, he was very impressive," Tedford said. "He was very accurate, threw the ball well and had a tight spiral." Plus, he appeared to have athletic skills.

Tedford began seriously recruiting Rodgers, getting to know him better and searching for those intangible qualities.

"It was a very pleasant surprise to find out he was very strong in those other categories as well," Tedford said, calling Rodgers "a very special person."

Rodgers was equally impressed. He had become familiar with Tedford's reputation as a quarterback mentor during Tedford's tenure as offensive coordinator at Oregon.

"I was a huge Oregon fan," he said.

When it was all over, both Rodgers and Cross had committed to Cal.

During spring break at Butte, Rodgers came to Cal to watch a few days of spring practice. He was in Berkeley all summer for informal workouts with his new teammates, often stopping by Tedford's office to ask about the offense. And he put his academic skills to good use.

"I've been studying the playbook, trying to learn the offense and all the reads I have to make," Rodgers said. "I think I have it down 100 percent on paper and probably 75 percent on the field."

He's also been playing checkers with Tedford -- moving the pieces around in the coach's animated version of football X's and O's.

"He was winning at first," Rodgers said. "But I'm starting to figure it out. "

Rodgers showed his intelligence, and veteran quarterback savvy, by immediately striking up fast friendships with his offensive linemen. He counts Chris Murphy and Jonathan Giesel among his best new friends.

"It's a good place to start," he said.

Rodgers dismisses comparisons with Boller, who threw 28 touchdown passes last year and was a first-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens.

"He has the big arm, and he likes to show it off a lot," Rodgers said. "I just try to make the throws that are necessary. . . I don't think my arm strength is that much different than his. I throw a catchable ball, but still throw it hard."

Rodgers is well aware of the job's other requirements.

"The position just demands leadership -- conducting yourself in a positive way," he said.

And amid all the poise and confidence, Rodgers says a quarterback needs a lot of humility.

"You've got to be humble enough to take the blame when you lose, and humble enough to dish out the credit after a victory," he said.

Tedford is cautious.

"You don't really know until the live bullets start flying in a game," he said. "I'm really, really anxious to see what he can do."