Carlisle, Pa. ? These days, the first thing Danny Wuerffel has to explain is the glove.

Hot or cold, indoors and out, the Washington Redskins quarterback has started wearing a glove on his throwing hand. Variations of “What’s the deal with the glove?” have become regular expressions among fans at training camp, especially on days like Tuesday’s 97-degree scorcher.

“I’d probably want to know that, too, if I saw a dude wearing a glove,” Wuerffel said. “But it’s just to help grip the ball.”

The glove is about as exciting as Wuerffel gets. He is polite, has a gentle laugh, and his answers are politically correct almost to a fault. No one would fault him for having some bitterness given the way his NFL career has gone, but he is neither bitter about the past nor glowing about the present even though he’s taken the lead in the Redskins’ three-way quarterback battle.

“You don’t ever see Danny Wuerffel bitter about anything, not since I’ve known him,” said coach Steve Spurrier, who coached Wuerffel to a Heisman Trophy and national championship at Florida in 1996. “He doesn’t get mad. He’s at peace with himself. He accepts the way things happen in life, and he’s got a wonderful attitude.”

Despite his success in college, Wuerffel was tainted on arrival in the NFL. Scouts said his arm wasn’t strong enough for the big leagues. He wasn’t drafted until the fourth round by New Orleans, where he became one of many quarterbacks in coach Mike Ditka’s merry-go-round.

Wuerffel started six games in three seasons with the Saints and hasn’t played a single down since, having sat on the bench in Green Bay (2000) and Chicago (2001).

Now he is rejuvenated under Spurrier, playing in a system where arm strength isn’t as important as decision-making and accuracy. In two exhibition games, Wuerffel is 24 for 36 for 371 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions well ahead of both Shane Matthews and Sage Rosenfels.

He has already been named the starter for the next two exhibition games.

Just don’t expect him to crow about it.

“We’ll see how it turns out,” is about the extent of Wuerffel’s analysis of the competition.

It’s the same type of levelheaded answer Wuerffel gives when asked about an NFL career that could only be described as disappointing.

The best theory for Wuerffel’s resurgence is that he needs the right system to succeed and that system happens to be Spurrier’s. Asked to explain Wuerffel’s lost years, Spurrier doesn’t even try.

“Danny is performing about the way I saw him play when I was coaching,” Spurrier said.

Certainly, Wuerffel hasn’t been given this kind of chance before. He said he’s getting more practice snaps in camp than he’s ever had, and that he’s never had this much fun.

“It’s a great opportunity to be out here with his offense throwing the ball down the field,” Wuerffel said.

Even should he win the job, Wuerffel won’t be turning many colorful phrases.

“When you’re talking to him, you know you’re not going to get something off the roof,” tackle Jon Jansen said. “He’s not going to say something crazy. He’s not going to go out and do something stupid.”

No, just something a little strange like wearing one glove to play football.

“I started off wearing two,” Wuerffel said. “But I thought ‘Why wear two?’ The only reason I do it is to throw.”