By Greg Beacham
The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO - When Jon Gruden left the Oakland Raiders for Tampa Bay last February, Rich Gannon got a call from Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson, asking for tips on his new coach.

"I think I did a pretty good job breaking that down for him," Gannon said with a rare grin.

If Gannon had known Johnson would be his counterpart in the Super Bowl, he might not have been so forthcoming.

Nobody knows Gruden's version of the West Coast offense better than Gannon, and no quarterback has been more successful in the scheme that's run by a third of the NFL's teams. Gannon threw for 4,689 yards this season - the first 4,000-yard season in Raiders' history and the highest total by any West Coast quarterback.

He passed and rushed the Raiders into the Super Bowl with a poise built on preparation and a will stoked by desperation.

Nearly nine years after he was out of football with an injured shoulder and few prospects, Gannon is the league's most valuable player, and he's ready for his first Super Bowl.

"He's been through some dark times," said Raiders offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, who has worked with Gannon on two other teams. "That's why he doesn't take any moment for granted now. He knows how precious an NFL career is. It's like being young: You've got to use every moment you get."

The Raiders' late-blooming star literally can't sit still under the pressures of celebrity, however. At a Super Bowl interview session on Thursday, he answered questions with his playbook balanced on his fidgeting knee.

Gannon prefers to spend early mornings working out and late nights watching film by himself, which endeared him to the workaholic Gruden. Coach Bill Callahan thinks Gannon knows more of Oakland's offense by heart than any NFL quarterback knows any offense.

"This guy here is the complete package," Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "He's been seasoned. He was a great athlete when he first walked into this league. Now he's become a great student of the game and knows everything about it.

"When you face a guy like this, there is no way to rattle him off his game. You just have to go play him, and sometimes the best isn't good enough."

After three teams essentially gave up on him, Al Davis and Gruden grabbed Gannon in 1999 and gave him the controls to a complicated offense dependent on the quarterback's savvy. That trust has been rewarded: With a changing cast of coaches and receivers during his four seasons in Oakland, Gannon has passed for 15,787 yards and 105 touchdowns.

"When I came to Oakland, I felt like I was finally going to get the chance I'd always thought I had earned," Gannon said. "I wanted to be part of a team that trusted me to get it done. This team and Al Davis and Jon Gruden gave that trust, and we've become a good club. That's all I wanted."

Gannon determined not to allow his superstar status to set him apart from his teammates. His age (37) and his Spartan approach to preparation make him different enough already.

"His work ethic is unmatched by anybody," Callahan said. "He doesn't get tired over the mental aspects of this job. You see that dedication in coaching staffs, but it's so rare in a player."

That dedication has resulted in some astonishing numbers. Gannon threw 418 completions, a league record, and just 10 interceptions.

The offense already was a complex masterpiece before this season, when Trestman took the blueprint of master tinkerer Gruden and added bells and whistles of his own design. Gannon handles it all with poise.

When Gannon goes to the line of scrimmage, he often carries three plays in his head. When he sees the opposing defense, he'll choose one of the three and signal it to his offense - or he'll audible to a different play entirely.

Once he drops back, Gannon normally surveys five potential receivers running detailed patterns, and he watches for blitzes and broken protection on his line. He can throw to sure-handed veterans Tim Brown or Jerry Rice, fleet-footed youngster Jerry Porter, crafty running back Charlie Garner or rookie tight end Doug Jolley.

Or Gannon can run - something he didn't do much this season, simply because he took the time to make countless spectacular throws.

Think Gannon's game is hard to follow? Try defending it.

"The guy who's the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taught him too much. That's our problem right there," Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said. "The guy is just like Jon Gruden. He knows that offense like the back of his hand."

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