Chang, however, doesn't think the label should be perceived as a negative.

"I look at it as an advantage because being a quarterback, you've got to be able to throw the ball and that's something that I was able to do," Chang said at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. Yesterday was the first day Chang was made available to the media, who are not allowed to view the workouts.

"I was able to read coverages, make reads on the move and adjust from there.

Chang arrived at the University of Hawai'i after tossing 64 touchdown passes as a senior at Honolulu's Saint Louis School, just one shy of the national record.

Chang, 6 feet 2, 211 pounds, continued to post prolific numbers in college, passing for 4,474, 4,199 and 4,258 yards in his final three seasons.

But his biggest improvement came in his touchdown-to-interception ratio. After passing for 25 TDs and 22 interceptions in 2002 and 29 TDs and 20 picks in 2003, Chang threw 38 TD passes and just 13 interceptions in 2004.

Chang will participate in all drills at the combine and hopes to show prospective employers that he's capable of playing at the NFL level.

"Everything that they do now in the pros is what I need to work on and become my strength," he said.

After operating out of the shotgun in June Jones' system, Chang anticipates his biggest adjustment will be adapting to the 3-, 5- and 7-step drops that are customary in the NFL.

"The timing is the (biggest) adjustment," he said. "Anytime you're a quarterback, you've got to set your feet and throw. Three, five and seven are the conventional throws (in the NFL) and for me it was just three steps going to the right and three steps going to the left.

"Now you put in a couple more steps and it's going to throw the timing off. I've got to adjust to the timing and make sure it doesn't change my accuracy and I stay pinpoint on it."

Chang, who experts project as a late-round selection or perhaps even an undrafted free agent, has yet to identify which teams may be in the market for his services.

"Right now it's pretty much up in the air," he said. "You really don't know what teams are looking at you. The things that I can control are my work, staying in the weight room, getting faster and learning more about the game of football. If I take care of that, I'm sure everything else will come."

Chang is participating in the combine with his favorite target, Hawai'i teammate Chad Owens, a quick but undersized wide receiver who had 102 receptions for 1,290 yards and 17 TDs as a senior in 2004. He also returned five punts for touchdowns.

While some scouts question whether the 5-9, 174-pounder is big enough to earn a roster spot in the NFL, Chang is convinced that Owens is ticketed for success.

"I have no doubt," Chang said. "He's one of the best receivers I've seen, even when he's working out with a lot of other guys (at the combine). He's one of the best."

Owens proved that at Hawai'i, where he ended his career by catching 30 passes for 552 yards and 10 TDs in his final three games in wins over Northwestern, Michigan State and Alabama-Birmingham.