Helton returned and rallied Tennessee to three fourth-quarter touchdowns, but the Volunteers lost, 25-23.

Three weeks later Helton injured his knee against Mississippi State and was replaced by Manning. Helton never started again.

Manning, in college or the N.F.L., has never begun a game on the bench since.

“We had no idea what we were doing,” Helton said of the game at the Rose Bowl. “You knew what you were getting into when you decided to play big-time college football. That was part of the experience.”

It was an experience Smith did not have. He never took a snap while backing up Eli Manning  something his Rockies teammates point out  but did get on the field as a receiver because of injuries.

“Seth was a true baseball player who just happened to play a little football,” Eli Manning said.

Yet Smith, 27, still views himself as a football player at heart. His father is a high school football coach, and he says football remains his favorite sport. When his baseball career ends, he said, he would like to pursue a coaching career in football.

“I’ve got the football mentality,” Smith said. “I like the complexity of the game, the thinking aspect. Hopefully, if baseball goes good, I’ll be playing for a while longer, then I’d like to go to a high school somewhere and just coach for fun.”