Stephen McGee wanted a chance. Fortunately, he'll get two opportunities to put his injury-plagued senior season behind him.

The former Texas A&M quarterback will play in the East-West Shrine Game on Saturday in Houston. But McGee's best chance to show he can play at the next level will come at the NFL Combine next month in Indianapolis.

A&M head football coach Mike Sherman called enough of his buddies in the NFL to get the 6-foot-3, 207-pound McGee an invitation even though McGee threw only 85 passes last season because of an injury to his throwing shoulder.

"Luckily, I have Coach Sherman in my corner," McGee said.

Sherman is one of McGee's biggest fans. Sherman appreciated the way McGee handled adversity maybe more so than the way McGee had mastered Sherman's pro-style offense in preparation for his final season.

"He's all about integrity and he's all about team," Sherman said. "You never really know the true character of a person [when] things are going well and going along smoothly."

McGee's resume at Texas A&M isn't too impressive. He had back-to-back victories over Texas, but no bowl victories or league championship.

"I wish it could have been a lot more fun at times and not so many disappointments and failures," McGee said. "Man, I'm thankful for those [times] looking back, because it's grown me as a person and a man. And it's really challenged me and built my character. Those are huge positives that at the time seemed pretty grim."

McGee helplessly watched as several other Big 12 quarterbacks had great seasons and careers. Now, he'll be competing against many of them at the NFL Combine.

"It's going to be a lot more level this time around," McGee said. "It will be a lot of fun, I'm so excited. I can't express to you how thankful I am to have these opportunities -- when you are sitting on the sidelines, and it seems everything is all lost. Coach Sherman has been incredible to me. Now it's my turn to go out there and show what I can do."

McGee has the same enthusiasm he did coming out of Burnet High School. His eyes sparkle as he talks, and he can't stop grinning.

"I love to compete," McGee said. "It's huge for me to get the chance to go out there. I'll be fired up. I'll be juiced, you know that."

A healthy McGee is itching to compete against the nation's top quarterbacks.

"They are ranked ahead of me, I'm sure, whatever that means," he said. "That's just more fuel for my fire."

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McGee is represented by REP 1 Sports Group, which is run by cousins Bruce and Ryan Tollner. Bruce is the son of former USC and San Diego State head coach Ted Tollner and represents Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

McGee said he'd be happy to make any NFL team, but wouldn't mind ending up with the Houston Texans.

"I'd feel real comfortable down in Houston," he said. "Watching their video tapes, I know their offense pretty much to a T already."

McGee said getting hit in the season-ending Texas game really helped. It showed his shoulder is fine.

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The combine won't be much different for McGee than when he arrived at A&M as Dennis Franchione's prize recruit five years ago.

McGee was rated the state's 11th-best prospect by Rivals.com. He was the third-rated quarterback behind Grand Prairie's Rhett Bomar and North Shore's Bobby Reid. Bomar and Reid also had disappointing collegiate careers.

Reid became the center of attention at Oklahoma State when head coach Mike Gundy took exception to a columnist portraying Reid as a soft player. Reid, who lost the starting job to Zac Robinson, ended his career at Texas Southern.

Oklahoma dismissed Bomar for breaking NCAA rules for receiving pay for work not performed, and he ended his career at Sam Houston State. Bomar, like McGee, still has a chance to make it at the next level. Bomar accepted invitations to play in the Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.

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Former A&M fullback Jorvorskie Lane and defensive end Michael Bennett will be teammates of McGee on the West squad in the Shrine Game, which kicks off 3 p.m. game at the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 (Ch. 28).

Other quarterbacks listed on the West roster are Fresno State's Tom Brandstater and Central Washington's Mike Reilly. Quarterbacks for the East will be Missouri's Chase Daniel, Michigan State's Brian Hoyer and Louisville's Hunter Cantwell.

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The NFL Combine is Feb. 18-24, with approximately 275 players taking part. The players' travel, room and board expenses will be paid.

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Rivals.com has A&M's 2009 recruiting class currently ranked 15th in the country. LSU is No. 1 followed by Ohio State, Texas, Southern Cal, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Miami (Fl.) and Oklahoma. Florida is 11th with Florida State and South Carolina tied for 12th. Notre Dame is 14th. Rounding out the Top 25 are Michigan State, Tennessee, Arkansas, West Virginia, Stanford, Penn State, UCLA, Auburn, Illinois and Nebraska.

Here are A&M's known commitments: LB Aaron Arterburn, Rockwall, 6-2, 215; OL Stephen Barrera, Clear Lake, 6-5, 290; DB Steven Campbell, Jersey Village, 6-0, 178; DE Kirby Ennis, Huntsville, 6-4, 233; DB Desmond Gardiner, Port Arthur Memorial, 5-11, 175; RB Kalvin Guyton, Houston Lamar, 5-10, 190; ATH Dustin Harris, Livingston, 6-0, 160; DT Chris Henderson, Dallas Carter, 6-1, 249; WR Brandal Jackson, Navasota, 6-1, 180; LB Malcolm Johnson, Klein Collins, 6-2, 211; DB Corvell Judie, Fort Scott CC, 5-11, 185; LB Michael Lamothe, New Iberia, La., 6-3, 215; OL Patrick Lewis, LaPlace East St. John, La., 6-2, 293; ATH Kenric McNeal, Spring, 6-1, 175; RB Christine Michael, Beaumont West Brook, 5-11, 202; OL Clint Naron, Klein Oak, 6-6, 290; DE Spencer Nealy, San Antonio Reagan, 6-5, 250; WR Uzoma Nwochukwu, Allen, 6-0, 186; LB Sean Porter, Schertz Clemens, 6-2, 205; TE Hutson Prioleau, Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal, 6-4, 243; OL Rhontae Scales, Killeen, 6-6, 299; LB Jonathan Stewart, Shreveport Byrd, 6-4, 221; ATH Ryan Swope, Austin Westlake, 6-0, 195; DB Steven Terrell, Allen, 5-10, 176; DB Charlie Thomas, Beaumont Central, 6-1, 194; DB Colton Valencia, Ft. Bend Hightower, 5-10, 176; LB Andrew Weaver, Waco, 6-2, 210.

Robert Cessna's e-mail address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com.