By Tom Withers
The Associated Press

BEREA, Ohio - The question came from the back as a group of Browns fans pressed forward to meet quarterback Jeff Garcia and get his autograph.

"Garcia," one man yelled at Cleveland's new QB. "How's the back?"

Looking up, Garcia summed up his health as well as his clean slate with the Browns.

"I'm good," he said. "Real good."

By all accounts, Garcia has never been better.

He was signed to a four-year, $25 million free agent contract by the Browns in March after five seasons with San Francisco, which released him in a salary-cap purge after last season.

The 34-year-old Garcia feels reborn in his shiny orange helmet.

In Cleveland, the three-time Pro Bowler is no longer chased by the long shadows cast by Joe Montana and Steve Young, his predecessors out West. He doesn't have to hear wide receiver Terrell Owens chirping about not getting the football any longer, either.

Garcia has a new playbook, teammates and outlook.

"I'm coming into a brand new situation where there is an extreme amount of hunger from a city and an organization that wants to put a winning football team on the field," he said. "I am going to be the leader of that team. That is a tremendous expectation for me and it is something that I want to be able to live up to."

Garcia's arrival has breathed life into the Browns, who went 5-11 last season when the Tim Couch vs. Kelly Holcomb controversy shrouded the club for months.

There's no question about who the starting quarterback is now.

Not only has Garcia taken control of Cleveland's offense, he has taken charge of the team.

"He stepped right in and grabbed it from the get-go," right tackle Ryan Tucker said. "That impressed me. He's a natural leader. He's a competitor, but he's also very levelheaded. That's important. Guys don't want to see their quarterback getting too excited or too down."

In addition to Garcia's leadership qualities, his mobility will give Cleveland's offense a weapon it didn't have with either Couch or Holcomb, who lack his speed and quick release.

That's a relief for Cleveland's offensive line, which never seemed to be in synch with Couch.

"(Garcia) reads the defense so fast it's unbelievable," center Jeff Faine said. "He gets rid of the ball. That makes it a lot easier for us guys up front."

Garcia has passed for 16,408 yards and 113 touchdowns since 1999, when he joined the NFL after starring in the Canadian Football League. He has thrown for more than 3,000 yards three times, and in 2002 he set club and career records by throwing for 4,278.

Those stats have wide receiver Quincy Morgan excited about his new teammate.

"He makes quick reads and he gets you the ball so you can make a play," Morgan said. "I like that."

One of the knocks on Garcia has been his arm strength. It's a criticism that Owens, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, has harped on for months.

Morgan hasn't seen noticed any flaw in Garcia or his arm.

"I'm one of the fastest guys in the league and he has overthrown me," he said. "He has what it takes to be a leader. He's cool."

Career passing stats

2000 yardage was club record.

Year	Team	Com	Att	Yds	TD	Int
1999	49ers	225	375	2,544	11	11
2000	49ers	355	561	4,278	31	10
2001	49ers	316	504	3,538	32	12
2002	49ers	328	528	3,344	21	10
2003	49ers	225	392	2,704	18	13

Career rushing stats

Quicker than Couch, Holcomb.

Year	Team	Att	Yds	YPC	Lng	TD
1999	49ers	45	231	5.1	25	2
2000	49ers	72	414	5.8	33	4
2001	49ers	72	254	3.5	25	5
2002	49ers	73	353	4.8	21	3
2003	49ers	56	319	5.7	21	7

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