WASHINGTON — Eighteen months ago, Colt Brennan and Chase Daniel shared a stage in New York City during college football's Heisman Trophy presentation. Brennan had just completed one of the most prolific quarterbacking careers in Division I history. Daniel was in the process of doing the same. They finished third and fourth, respectively, in the voting, then continued their night together, going out to a Manhattan club with several of Brennan's friends.

"We ended up just having a blast the whole night," Brennan said this week.

Now, having shredded the record books and earned near-constant attention at their schools — Brennan at Hawai'i and Daniel at Missouri — the two are teammates with the Redskins, fighting for reps during the organized team activities this week.

Brennan, a sixth-round pick in the 2008 draft, was the team's third-string quarterback last season but was inactive in every game. Daniel signed as a free agent this spring after going undrafted; Redskins coach Jim Zorn told him Monday that Daniel's first priority was to soak everything up, and that he would only gradually be worked into the practice mix.

In college, they combined to pass for more than 26,000 yards and 232 touchdowns, collegiate numbers that dwarf those of the Redskins' top two quarterbacks, Jason Campbell and Todd Collins. In the NFL, both are forced to fight for a job.

"We barely made it here, huh?" Brennan joked. "I was such a late draft pick, he was a free agent. You'd think for two guys that had that kind of success ... but that's just football."

Both were mega-celebrities in college. Brennan, who led Hawai'i to a BCS bowl in 2007, said he often didn't eat his first meal until 2 p.m. because of practice, media and autograph commitments. Daniel, who led the Tigers to a No. 1 ranking the same year, said he "can't go around Missouri anywhere and not get noticed."

Both said their draft status was hurt by factors outside their control, including their size and the supposed pinball offenses their colleges used. Brennan was battling a torn labrum in his hip before the '08 draft, and Daniel was held back by his 6-foot frame, neither of which dissuaded the Redskins.

"They were two of the best quarterbacks in college football history," said Redskins offensive assistant Chris Meidt, who works with the team's quarterbacks. "It's not a question of, 'Hey man, when the bullets are flying, do they have what it takes?' We know they both do. It's a matter of can they mechanically be good enough to execute our system."

That question likely won't be decided until August, when Brennan and Daniel could theoretically be competing for the same roster spot. Meantime, they've continued a friendship that started the summer before that Heisman ceremony, when they played basketball together while working as counselors at an elite summer camp.

"He's a good friend," Daniel said, "and he's helped me out a lot."

"Oh, I was stoked," Brennan said of his reaction to Daniel's signing. "I knew Chase was a good guy, and that's all that matters. I've been around football long enough to know that it's a game, it's a competition, but the best thing you can ask for is a good guy. That makes for healthy competition. That's what it's all about."

The Redskins are the only NFL team with two players who have been Heisman finalists over the past five years. Brennan led the nation in total offense during that '07 season, and Daniel was fifth. Both set career marks for touchdown passes at their schools.

"I think we're definitely similar in that we're trying to beat these stereotypes," Brennan said. "Because we came from successful offenses and had great numbers in college, that doesn't mean that we can't play in the league."