At the behest of a fellow Hubber who is no doubt a New York Jets fan, I decided to try my pen and keyboard at writing a hub on New York Jets sensation and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. When doing so, I also found an absolute gem in Supermodel Hilary Rhoda or Sanchez’ better-half which made me even more envious of him. Although I am a die-hard New York Giants fan having written hubs on Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, current Giants quarterback Eli Manning, and a tribute titled “Ode to the Big Blue Wrecking Crew,” I thought it would be interesting, if anything else, to write a hub on him, as Mark Sanchez represents hope to the hearts and minds of New York Jets fans and is a fascinating person in his own right.

Mark Sanchez was born on November 11, 1986 in Long Beach, California. In his early years, Sanchez attended Santa Margarita Catholic for his first two years of high school. On his very first attempt in high school as a sophomore quarterback went for 55 yards and a touchdown. His close proximity to the University of Southern California would prove beneficial to him, as he would go on to become a ball boy for future USC Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer and future Florida state quarterback Chris Rix. Sanchez would then go on to Mission Viejo High School to play for his high school football coach Bob Johnson, who is the former father of USC and NFL quarterback Rob Johnson. Here is a list of some of his stats and accomplishments:

• As a junior at Mission Viejo High School, he threw for 2,600 yards for 29 touchdowns against only 4 interception
• He also completed 75% of his passes.
  
• Was named first team all-league, all-county, and was a CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) selection
• Carried a 3.7 GPA
• Was president of the student government and captain of the basketball team
• As a senior, he completed 114 of 186 passes for 1,746 yards for 16 touchdowns against only 2 interceptions while leading his team to a division championship
• After 2 years as a Mission Viejo High School Diablo quarterback, his record was an incredible 27-1
• In 2004, he was named Player of the Year by several major college recruiters
• In 2005, he was regarded as the best high school quarterback in the nation
• Was highly sought after by recruiters from top colleges and universities such as Notre Dame, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Texas, but of course chose USC during the summer before his senior year
• One of the biggest factors in his decision to attend USC was the presence of USC football coach whose style of play likens that of sophisticated pro-style NFL offense
• Sanchez also credits Carson Palmer as a key contributor in his decision to play football for USC

Arrested Development

As good as Mark Sanchez football career went up until this point, all was not "roses." In April of 2006, Sanchez was arrested after a female student accused him of sexual assault. He was released from jail the following day after posting a $200,000 bail but USC put him on interim suspension for the fall semester in which he was suspended from the team but was allowed to take his finals albeit under the supervision of campus security. On June 3, 2006 the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office announced that Sanchez was cleared on all charges due to a "lack of sufficient evidence beyond a reasonable doubt," noting that the case was "essentially a 'one-on-one' allegation."

His First Start as a Trojan

After waiting on the sidelines for more than a season, Mark Sanchez was finally given the nod from USC head coach Pete Carroll to start at quarterback against the Arizona Wildcats. On October 13, 2007, he led the Trojans 20-13, but only after a shaky start which Sanchez throw two key interceptions which allowed Arizona to tie the game right before halftime. However, Sanchez would rebound, completing 11 of 15 of his passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. One of his key plays was a 10-yard run for a first-down. He would finish the day going 19 of 31, for 130 yards and averaged 4.1 yards per catch with one touchdown against 2 interceptions.

His 2008 Season as a Trojan

In his first game as the undisputed starting quarterback of the Trojans in the opener against the Virginia Cavaliers, Mark Sanchez threw for a career-best 338 yards while completing 26 of 35 for 3 touchdowns and one interception.  His performance won him the O'Brien Quarterback of the week which garnered him some attention for the Heisman Award.  With Sanchez behind center, the USC Trojans would go on to amass a 12-1 record and place No. 2 in the Coaches Poll and No. 3 in the AP Poll.  Sanchez would go on to win the Rose Bowl's Offensive MVP of the Game in which he led the Trojans to a 34-28 victory against Penn State in Pasadena, CA.  He passed for 419 yards.  In all, he scored a total of 5 touchdowns--4 through the air and one in which he ran in.

His controversial decision to make himself eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft was not favored by head coach Pete Carroll.  The video to the right shows his reluctance to approve Sanchez' decision to do so. 

As a third-generation Mexican-American at the University of Southern California, Sanchez became the face of Mexican-Americans everywhere when he was elevated to prominence. While playing quarterback and attending USC, he was constantly in the spotlight of the city of Los Angeles where more than 4.6 million Latinos reside and which three-quarters are of Mexican descent. His success and stardom made him a role model for children of all races and backgrounds. Some other notable Mexican-American quarterbacks in the NFL include Jim Plunkett, Joe Kapp, Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo, and Marc Bulger, but unlike them, Sanchez is full-blooded Mexican American. Many USC fans played up on his ethnicity by wearing such garb as sarapes, lucha libre masks, and "¡Viva Sanchez¡" T-shirts. His rise to fame is just as significant as boxer Oscar De La Hoya's and pitcher Fernando Valenzuela's rise to fame and fortune.

A Crisp Start in the Big Apple

Not since Jets Legend “Broadway” Joe Namath have Jet fans been this excited by a quarterback. In the first-round of the 2009 NFL Draft, the New York Jets selected USC Trojan quarterback Mark Sanchez with the fifth-overall pick. The Jets had to trade three players and give up two picks to make the trade possible. The only quarterback in the draft that was selected ahead of Sanchez was Matthew Stafford who was drafted by the Detroit Lions first overall. While Stafford was given a 6-year, $41.7 million contract, Sanchez was given a 5-year contract in which he will make at least $28 million and up to $60 million with incentives, which marks the biggest contract ever given to a New York Jet. “This is just the beginning,” Sanchez said. “I’ll be working every day to justify this contract.”

And just like he said, Sanchez proved just that by beating out competitor Kellen Clemens. In the early going, the Jets’ Head Coach Rex Ryan noted that Sanchez had to work on his cadence and volume before the snap of the ball. During drills, Sanchez struggled reading Ryan’s swarming defensive schemes in which Sanchez actually threw more interceptions and didn’t perform as well as Clemens during training camp but in the end, his bigger contract and stronger arm proved worthy enough to take on starting spot. “You gain confidence as you go,” Sanchez said. “Now, I am starting to really feel the defense and see what is going on. As difficult as our defense can be, I am starting to get an idea.”

Sanchez' Debut as a Jet

Mark Sanchez is certainly picking up where he left off in USC, winning his first two games as a New York Jet against the Tennessee Titans and more notably, the hated New England Patriots. Jets coach Rex Ryan certainly took a page out of former Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo when preparing for the Patriots, as he rushed 5 or 6 men on defensive over 20 times in just that one game. Although the Patriots' Tom Brady was not sacked even once, he was hit a dozen times which consequently caused him to throw the ball sooner than he wanted to and one of his passes was picked off by Jets cornerback Darelle Revis. Also important to note is that all of the Patriots' points came off the leg of kicker Stephen Gotskowski. The Patriots couldn't score one touchdown against the Jets. The game marked the first time the Jets beat the Patriots at home after eight years. It also marked Sanchez' second win in as many tries. Sanchez completed 14 of 22 passes for 163 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. His QB rating was an impressive 101.1 while Tom Brady's was a woeful 53.1. The game certainly garnered Sanchez even more fan fare as the Jets huge victory proved that they could compete with the very best the NFL had to offer. I'm sure that Sanchez jerseys were selling like hotcakes right after the game.

The "Sanchize" Quarterback

While listening to ESPN radio, I once heard the host refer to Mark as "The Sanchize" of the New York Jets. I found this both funny and amusing but it all actuality, it was the truth. If Jerry West is the face of the NBA (the actual NBA logo is modeled after him) and Derek Jeter is the face of the New York Yankees, it would make perfect sense that Mark Sanchez be the face of the New York Jets. I can't think of anything better for a team that is still struggling to find its identity and in its first season with a first-year head coach in Rex Ryan.  Despite being a huge fan of the New York Giants, I will however watch Mark Sanchez with great interest and curiosity.  Maybe one day the Jets and Giants will have a All-New York Superbowl!  Hey, anything can happen, right?

I'm sure that Mark Sanchez got some schlack for posing for GQ magazine. Please click here for the article. However, one of the benefits of doing so, aside from becoming a international heartthrob overnight, was his courting of Supermodel Hilary Rhoda, who is also a fast-rising star in the public eye. The two met on their Spring 2009 shoot and have since been very intimate with each other. I can't help but it, but he looks a lot like David Hasselhoff in his younger days in these photos, courtesy of GQ Magazine. The two have been dating ever since. In either case, it's tough for me to dislike the guy, aside from his incredible potential and talent as a quarterback. I mean look who he gets to come home to! I debated on splitting this hub into two separate hubs, but in the end, I felt that these two love birds were inseparable and so belong together. Please enjoy.

Rhoda graduated from the Academy of the Holy Cross, an all-girls Catholic school in her native Maryland where she played field hockey and lacrosse.  She was discovered by at a ProScout event in Washington, DC.  Shortly after which she was represented by Women Model Management and was soon modeling for Abercrombie and Hollister.  Here is a quick bio:

American model Hilary Rhoda.
Name: Hilary St. Claire
Birth Date: April 6, 1987
Height:180CM/5'11"
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Measurements: 34-24-34
Dress Size: 4
Shoe size: 8

Country of origin: United States

From Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Modeling agency: IMG Models
Was named MODELS.com's Top Ten New Faces in 2006

Hilary Rhoda is an American model who signed with IMG Modeling agency along with Carolyn Murphy and Stephanie Seymour. In 2009, she gained national recognition with her appearance in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Here are some of her credits:

• Balenciaga
• Valentino
• Belstaff
• Dolce & Gabbana
• Givenchy
• Donna Karan
• Gucci
• Gap
• Dsquared
• Blumarine
• Ralph Lauren
• Victoria Secret

In January of 2007, she signed an exclusive contract with Estee Lauder and so became the face of the prominent company. She would go on to earn $2 million and Forbes named her twelth on the list of The World's 15-Top Earning Supermodels. Currently, she is also the face of St. John Knits, replacing Angelina Jolie, ERES Beachwear, and the Neiman Marcus Spring/Summer 2009 campaign. 2009 also saw Rhoda debut in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Rhoda is often compared to a young Brooke Shields because of her heavy eyebrows, height, pale blue eyes and slightly large chin.