San Diego ? Rich Gannon’s phone wasn’t ringing, and his surgically repaired shoulder still hurt. He had no NFL contract, few prospects and no idea what he would do after football.

So with a determination stoked by desperation, he went back to work at a job that countless college coaches and three pro teams thought he could never do. He wouldn’t quit football — absolutely wouldn’t even think about it.

Nearly nine years later, Gannon is the league’s Most Valuable Player and a starting quarterback in his first trip to the Super Bowl. The Oakland Raiders’ late-blooming star isn’t exactly comfortable with his celebrity, however. He answers interview questions with his playbook balanced on his fidgeting knee.

“He’s been through some dark times,” said Raiders offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, who has worked with Gannon on two other teams. “That’s why he doesn’t take any moment for granted now. He knows how precious an NFL career is. It’s like being young: You’ve got to use every moment you get.”

Gannon spends early mornings working out and late nights watching film by himself, which endeared him to workaholic former Raiders coach Jon Gruden. Current coach Bill Callahan thinks Gannon knows more of Oakland’s offense by heart than any NFL quarterback knows any offense.

After three teams — including the Kansas City Chiefs — essentially gave up on him, Al Davis and Gruden grabbed Gannon in 1999 and gave him the controls to a complicated offense dependent on the quarterback’s savvy. That trust has been rewarded: With a changing cast of coaches and receivers during his four seasons in Oakland, Gannon has passed for 15,787 yards and 105 touchdowns.

“When I came to Oakland, I felt like I was finally going to get the chance I’d always thought I had earned,” Gannon said. “I wanted to be part of a team that trusted me to get it done. This team and Al Davis and Jon Gruden gave that trust, and we’ve become a good club. That’s all I wanted.”

Gannon tells his own story in tangents and snippets. He’s determined not to allow his superstar status to set him apart from his teammates. His age (37) and his Spartan work ethic make him different enough already.

“His work ethic is unmatched by anybody,” Callahan said. “He doesn’t get tired over the mental aspects of this job. You see that dedication in coaching staffs, but it’s so rare in a player.”

Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon throws a pass during practice. The Raiders play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday's Super Bowl.

Gannon threw for 4,689 yards this season — the first 4,000-yard season in Raiders’ history. In NFL annals, only Dan Marino, Kurt Warner, Dan Fouts and Warren Moon threw for more yards. Gannon threw 418 completions, a league record — and just 10 interceptions.

“He’s in control. It’s like a video game for him back there,” running back Charlie Garner said. “He just picks out where he wants to go, and they can’t stop him.”

The Raiders’ offense already was a complex masterpiece before this season, when Trestman took the blueprint of master tinkerer Gruden and added bells and whistles of his own design. Gannon handles it all with preparation and poise.

When Gannon goes to the line of scrimmage, he often carries three plays in his head. When he sees the opposing defense, he’ll choose one of the three and signal it to his offense — or he’ll audible to a different play entirely.

Once he drops back, Gannon normally surveys five potential receivers running detailed patterns, and he watches for blitzes and broken protection on his line. He can throw to sure-handed veterans Tim Brown or Jerry Rice, fleet-footed youngster Jerry Porter, the crafty Garner or rookie tight end Doug Jolley.

Or Gannon can run — something he didn’t do much this season, simply because he took the time to make countless spectacular throws.

Think Gannon’s job is hard to follow? Try defending it.

“The guy who’s the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taught him too much. That’s our problem right there,” Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said. “The guy is just like Jon Gruden. He knows that offense like the back of his hand. He’s been in the offense so long, he can audible to the right play a lot more than a regular guy.”

Now that Gannon is in control of his own future in Oakland, he can even relax his notoriously flinty demeanor at times. When Gruden left the Raiders for Tampa Bay last February, Gannon got a call from Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson, asking for tips on his new coach.

“I think I did a pretty good job breaking that down for him,” Gannon said with a rare grin.

But until Gannon wins the Super Bowl, he insists he won’t consider his career a success — and even if his MVP season turns into a championship campaign, he says he won’t stop working.

“I don’t think beyond our next game, and what I’ve got to do to make it better,” Gannon said. “I know better than to think long term.”