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Quarterback Charlie Batch played four seasons in Detroit before being cut by Matt Millen.

(AP File Photo)

PHOENIX -- It's easy to forget just how promising Charlie Batch's career began with the Detroit Lions.

He started 12 games as a rookie quarterback in 1998. He helped lead the Lions to the playoffs in 1999, and led them to the brink of the playoffs in 2000 before succumbing to injury in the regular-season finale.

The Lions ended up losing on a last-second field goal by Chicago's Paul Edinger. They missed the playoffs.

Then they hired Matt Millen.

And Batch's career was never the same.

Millen immediately began cleaning house, and a year later, Batch joined waves of former teammates to be released by the team's new president and CEO.

Years later, Batch is a fan of the Lions organization. But he's no fan of Millen's.

He ran into a couple of Detroit reporters Wednesday while on radio row at the Super Bowl, and recalled the time he won a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh in 2005.

Batch was among six players on that championship team who were let go by Millen, along with OL Barrett Brooks, OL Jeff Hartings, DB Chidi Iwuoma, DE Travis Kirtschke and LB Clint Kriewaldt.

"We all took a team picture, and we thanked Matt Millen for cutting us," Batch said, tongue firmly in cheek.

Detroit was just entering its darkest years with Millen, culminating with the NFL's only 0-16 season in 2008. But things weren't nearly so bad for Batch.

The Pittsburgh native went on to play 11 seasons for his hometown Steelers. Serving mostly as a backup, he made three Super Bowls and won two of them.

"Obviously I would have loved to have done that in Detroit," Batch said, "but I didn't have the opportunity because when Matt Millen came in. He wanted his own guys, and he got rid of me."

Batch remains bitter about how his Lions tenure ended, but is a big fan of the organization after spending a decade in the greater Detroit area.

He wanted to play his college ball at Pitt, which was 10 minutes from his childhood home, but they were going through a coaching change. So Batch settled on Eastern Michigan because it was one of the first schools to offer him a scholarship.

Batch was a big-time star there, and the Lions selected him in the second round of the 1998 draft. He was the third quarterback off the board, trailing only Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf.

He played his first four seasons in Detroit, starting 41 games and completing 743-of-1,326 passes for 9,016 yards, 49 touchdowns and 40 interceptions.

"I was in Detroit when I was 17," Batch said. "I left when I was 27."

Batch, now 40, is a representative of "The Trust," a program that helps players transition to life after football, though he says his involvement is not connected to his own wayward financial tale.

He remains active in his own "Best of the Batch Foundation," which assists 3,100 children in distressed communities annually, annd also contributes to the Steer Radio Network.

But he can't help but keep tabs on his first team, either.

"I was hoping this would be the year," Batch said. "Coach (Jim) Caldwell was up there and, obviously, it didn't unfold the way they had hoped it, but hopefully they're on the right way."

Batch doesn't know Matthew Stafford all that well, but believes the quarterback could have the ability to do what he couldn't so many years ago.

"Hopefully he's that guy that can take them to a championship," Batch said.

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