Put Zack Mills in a room with 100 people for a couple of hours, and you can be sure that not all of them will know his name at the end of the afternoon.

Put him in a stadium with 100,000 people, and it's a pretty good bet that most of them will be screaming it at the end of the afternoon.

Penn State's freshman phenom quarterback is as explosive on the field as he is reserved off of it. In the span of a month, he's taken University Park by storm, leading the Lions to two come-from-behind wins and a blowout with pinpoint passing, timely running and the poise and maturity of a player beyond his years.

Though he's doubtful for Saturday's game against Indiana as he continues to rehab a high ankle sprain, Mills has made a name for himself in a program not wanting for big-name players.

But to friends and family, "General Mills" is still just "Zack."

Which is just fine by him. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for Mills, who suddenly now has time to look back on what he's accomplished.

"I'm trying to avoid that," he said. "I don't want to maybe get a big head. Right now I'm just trying to get my ankle ready (for Saturday)."

If anyone on this 3-5 Penn State team could strut around campus with a big head, it would be Mills. He's completed 56 percent of his passes for a freshman-record 1,293 yards and seven touchdowns. If quarterback sacks didn't count against his rushing totals, he'd be the team leader in that category as well.

But the way he handles it all -- the pressure from opposing defenses, the media coverage, the hordes of adoring fans -- makes you wonder, has he done all this before?

Starting off on the right -- er, left foot

In a manner of speaking, yes. At Urbana H.S. in Ijamsville, Md., Mills led his team to Class AA state titles in 1998 and '99, setting Maryland public school records for passing yards and touchdown passes along the way. His high school coach, Dave Carruthers, says the player Penn State fans watch now is very similar to the player who led his team to victory after victory.

"He was never a rah-rah guy, but was a leader by example," Carruthers said. "He started for us as a sophomore, got locked in at that position, and just excelled."

Carruthers knew that Mills would be a good fit for Penn State, a school that traditionally doesn't highlight its quarterbacks, because of his ability to spread the ball around and utilize the talents of those around him, putting his will to compete aside for the best interests of the team.

"He knows what he can do, and he knows what people can do around him," Carruthers said. "I remember him checking off on one play, he gave it to a running back, who scored a touchdown. He came over to the sideline and told me, 'That was hard for me to do, Coach.' I asked him why and he said, 'I like to throw.'"

Mills' parents, Eric and Cathy, introduced all three of their children -- Mills and sisters Jessica (17) and Catharine (13) -- to sports to keep them active and involved.

Young Zack played tee-ball, baseball, basketball and soccer growing up, (he was the first basketball player at Urbana to eclipse 1,000 career points) but in the spring of fifth grade, came to his father and expressed a desire to take his athletic talents to the gridiron.

"I had reservations," Eric said. "Kids at that age don't know how to hit, and if you get the wrong type of coach, the kids won't want to hit. I was really leery about it. Summer came and went and I said, 'It's not too late to change your mind.' I also told him that he was in it for the long haul, and that he'd attend every practice no matter what. But he really loved it."

It's easy to love something you excel at, and throwing a football with that perfect left-handed spiral came easily for Mills. Eric had always taken him to football games at the University of Maryland, but when it came time for Zack to choose a school, the Mills family looked across the Mason-Dixon line.

Go north, young man

"It was very early, and it happened so quick and so fast," Eric said. "He received correspondence from 32 different schools, but really, Penn State came out of the box and real fast. They offered him a scholarship several days right after the signing deadline of the class before him."

At that point, the Lions were also courting Zac Wasserman, Jeff Smoker and, to a lesser extent, Rex Grossman. Between Wasserman, Smoker and Mills, the Lions only had two scholarships to offer.

"We made sure we had a full understanding that when he made his choice, it was verbal but it was binding," Eric said. "We wanted him to realize you're only as good as your word, and we made sure other recruiters understood that."

Eric says he would describe his son as quiet and reserved, but wouldn't go so far as to call him a homebody. Mills' mother would disagree.

"I think the first year was a real transition," Cathy said. "Because he is a homebody."

Mills' first year in Happy Valley was uneventful on the field -- he and Wasserman redshirted and watched Rashard Casey from the sidelines -- but integral in terms of his maturation and learning to live away from home.

His sophomore campaign has meant more on-the-field action, and maybe a little bit more established independence for Mills.

"He doesn't email me as much as he used to," Cathy said. "Even phone calls in the beginning of this year have been more us than him. We've tried to wean ourselves, call him a couple of times."

Mills' family said he's always been as quiet as he appears to the media, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a healthy sense of humor and a strong rapport with his teammates and friends.

"He has a real good sense of humor," Eric said. "I would assume the people that really know him, his roommates, realize that. Just the little things they have between one another."

Mills lives with fellow sophomores Tony Johnson, Jesse Neumyer and Adam Taliaferro. The group has formed a close relationship, but make no mistake -- Mills doesn't crawl that far out of his shell.

"I'm still kind of a quiet guy around the house," Mills said. "Tony's a big talker and so is Jesse. I joke around with those guys and I'm a little more open. I'm usually more open when I'm around a small amount of people."

Mills' parents have noticed how the Class of 2004 has been coming together.

"You could see it more because we interacted more with the kids that came in with his class," Cathy said. "It seems like a real cohesive group."

Big man on campus

The past month, State College has been washed over in a wave of Mills Mania. Besides the banners in the student section and the clever and not-so clever nicknames, Mills has sparked a particular interest in Penn State's female population.

Mills has received phone calls and emails from well-wishers, who often congratulate him then resort to stifling giggles.

"I'd just say thank you and they'd all giggle in the background," he said.

For the record, Mills doesn't have a girlfriend, which is no doubt music to the ears of hundreds of Lions fans.

As for how their son's newfound stardom is affecting the family, the Mills' say it's no big deal.

"People call us, but they're people we've been friends with for years," Cathy said. "For us it hasn't been a big deal."

Mills' success doesn't seem to be going to his head, and in talking to his family, it's not hard to see why.

"It's nice, but he's got a long road ahead of him," Cathy said. "That's kind of how we look at it."

Those who can. . .

That long road ahead includes life after football. Though Mills has three years of eligibility remaining at Penn State and the full attention of NFL scouts, he knows that he can't be on the field forever.

Well, not as a player.

"He just has a real good rapport with his coaches and some of the teachers he's had dealings with through sports," said Cathy of her son, who has designs on a secondary education major.

Is coaching in the future of this soft-spoken young man?

"Definitely," Cathy said. "From ninth grade on he helped out with the summer camps they had with kids. He's a natural working with young kids."

Just take it from the man who mentored him.

"He'd do well (as a teacher) because of his demeanor," Carruthers said. "He's a very caring person. When people know you care they respond well."

Getting back to the playing field

Right now, Mills' primary concern is nursing his ankle back to health -- and keeping his head below the clouds. The added expectations and pressure to perform grow with each game. The critics will be quick to pounce when or if Mills falters. But the guy's got the perfect demeanor to weather the ups and downs.

"I think he'll handle it fine," Carruthers said. "He's never been the type of guy to toot his own horn."

Oh yeah, Mills also has to deal with the fame, fortune, attention of the ladies and all of those other little annoyances that plague football stars.

"Hopefully he's handling it like he's always handled it," Eric said. "He's pretty level-headed about it. We've always tried to instill in him to take things in stride."

Mills remains just as cool off the field as on it. He shies away from the limelight when he can, but doesn't dodge the media or appear as though he has anything to hide. He realizes the position he's in, and the exposure that comes along with it.

Just remember, he prefers "Zack."