BOLLER'S CAREER AT A CROSSROADS.

Byline: VINCENT BONSIGNORE

Kyle Boller took a knee on the 30-yard line at Hart High of Newhall's football field Wednesday, and a hush fell over the 40 kids attending his annual quarterback camp.

``The moment you've all been waiting for,'' Boller said, cocking his arm back and launching a long, high spiral into the still summer air.

Throwing the ball far never has been a problem for the strong-armed Boller - as his 70-yard bomb from his knees emphatically proved. His gifted right arm wowed the Baltimore Ravens enough to gamble a high first-round pick on him two years ago, and it immediately punched Boller's ticket into the Ravens' starting lineup to start his rookie year, the first time in Ravens' history a rookie has received the quarterback job.

Two up-and-down seasons later and 31 days from the most pivotal training camp of his young career, Boller knows it's time to add more pertinent details to his resume than the most explosive throwing arm in the NFL.

It's time for Boller to bridge the gap from young quarterback to confident leader, validating the trust a franchise put in him while satisfying the desires of an impatient fan base expecting nothing less than stardom and a playoff berth.

Nobody knows that more than Boller himself.

``This is my third year, and I've got two years of starting under my belt,'' Boller said. ``So I'm excited about getting out there and making the plays I know I'm capable of making. This is a big year for me.''

The Ravens aren't just expecting a breakout season from the former Hart and University of California standout, they're insisting on it. A franchise long defined by a superior defense and the smash-mouth running of Jamal Lewis, Baltimore is shifting its offensive focus from Lewis' legs to Boller's arm.

On the field, free agency delivered veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason, and the draft brought in explosive Oklahoma receiver Mark Clayton, giving Boller the type of fleet-footed, sure-handed receivers he has lacked during his first two seasons. From the injured-reserve list comes young tight end Todd Heap - Boller's favorite target - whose shoulder injury sabotaged the chemistry Boller and Heap were building last year.

``Kyle can't stop talking about Clayton and everything he brings to the table,'' said Dean Herrington, Boller's offensive coordinator at Hart. ``And it's pretty obvious how much Heap means. That was a big loss when he went down.'

Off the field, former University of Washington coach Rick Neuheisel was brought in as Boller's quarterback coach, joining second-year offensive coordinator Jim Fassel in Boller's inner-circle support group.

Fassel, who tutored a young John Elway in Denver years ago and guided the New York Giants to the Super Bowl in 2000, forged an immediate bond with Boller in his first year with the Ravens last season.

``Coach Fassel's awesome; we have a great relationship,'' Boller said. ``And it's extremely important that a quarterback and an offensive coordinator have that kind of relationship, because ultimately he's got to trust me in calling plays. I'm looking forward to building on that, because I think we can do pretty big things together.''

The objective in every recent Ravens move was obvious: Push Boller to the next level.

The faster the better.

``This is all orchestrated for Kyle,'' Ravens coach Bill Billick said during last month's minicamp. ``This playbook, this offense. He has to be successful. We have every confidence that he can be, not only with the people we brought in, but the structure we wrapped around him. I think he's very, very comfortable with what we're doing right now.''

Now it's up to Boller to put it all together, and if his poised, polished performance during minicamp means anything, he seems ready to do just that.

``Just in his confidence, his demeanor, his understanding, his full comprehension,'' Billick said. ``He's in total control out there, as it should be in a third season.''

Fassel agrees.

``I think one of the most complimentary things you can say about a young quarterback, developing, is `I trust you now. I trust you,''' Fassel said. ```We can do whatever we want with you now, and I trust you. You're going to make the right decisions.'''

It's not that Boller was bad his first two seasons - he completed 116 of 224 passes for 1,260 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions as a rookie before a season-ending thigh injury in Week 9. Last year, he completed 258 of 464 passes for 2,559 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

When you're a first-round pick, anything less than a Pro Bowl performance is seen as a disappointment.

``There's only a few guys in the history of the league who came in and mastered this thing right off the bat,'' said Herrington. ``You have to have patience, especially when it comes to a young quarterback. But I'll tell you what, you can see something different in Kyle's eyes this offseason. He looks more confident, more sure of himself, and that just comes from experience. I think he's ready to make some major strides.''

A franchise is counting on it.

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Photo:

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller, who played at Hart High, gives instruction at a camp.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer