Riding shotgun for Redman is tight end Ibn Green, a teammate since their days in eighth grade at Barrett Traditional Middle School. It's not quite Butch and Sundance yet, but give these Cardinals another season in coach John L. Smith's prolific offense and they'll have plenty of notoriety among college football pundits, as well as a few NFL most wanted lists.

Redman's individual numbers last season (completing 65.3 percent of his 473 passes for 4,042 yards and 29 touchdowns) were overshadowed by Couch's stellar year at Kentucky and Louisville's team success paled to the undefeated season recorded by Tulane and King.

	Chris Redman threw for more than 4,000 yards as a junior.

But with his trusty tight end at his side once again as they embark on their senior season, Redman's ride toward all-America status and contention for the Heisman Trophy could become the stuff of Louisville legend.

Green's status is well-earned as well, having led the nation's tight ends in receptions and yards for two years running. At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Green plays more like a big receiver than a block-first, catch-second tight end. That's fine for Louisville's offense, which threw the ball 569 times last season.

Redman's conquering of the record books took place last season. This year, it's Green's turn. He's 19 catches and 151 yards shy of breaking Miguel Montano's all-time school records.

"He's the type of person that if you puthim in at long snapper, he'll make plays," Redman said of his longtime friend. "He just stands out. He's something special."

Redman, who is as comfortable with a golf club or hunting rifle in his hand as a football, impressed many with his ability to hang in the pocket until the very last instant before getting rid of the ball. The toughness which comes with that sort of fearlessness showed up years ago, in the first season of the long-running Redman-and-Green Show.

In their eighth grade season, they led Barrett to the city championship game. Redman broke his hand in the first half but didn't come out. That game was also the seed of Redman's uncanny connection with Green -- he tossed two scores to his friend in the second half, including the game-winner with 17 seconds left.

"That's where the combination started," Redman said.

The statistics piled up for the pair at Male High School in Louisville, where they were coached by Redman's father Bob. Redman threw for 7,655 yards and 102 touchdowns in his career, including a national-record 57 TDs his senior season to earn Parade National Player of the Year honors. Green collected 94 passes for 2,119 yards and 38 touchdowns and the pair led Male to the state championship in 1993, their junior season.

"I've watched Ibn play football with Chris for so long," Bob Redman said. "They have a unique type of connection. They know each other's style. They live in each other's head."

While Green might be Redman's favorite target, he's far from the only option in Louisville's offense. Wide receivers Arnold Jackson (90 catches, 1,165 yards) and Lavell Boyd (61, 804) had more receptions than Green's 55 last season. But you can't underestimate the sort of psychic connection the longtime friends possess.

John L. Smith was struck by the relationship the instant he took over the Cardinals in the spring of 1998.

"You could see it from Day One," Smith said. "Where you could see it most, when a guy gets under pressure, where does he go with the ball? He goes to his comfort zone. We saw that from Day One. Ibn was Chris' comfort zone. He knows the guy is going to catch the ball and he's going to get open."

Redman puts it much more succintly: "Ibn might be covered, but the ball goes to Ibn."

That comfort zone means another tough year for opposing defenses. The Cardinals bounced back from a woeful 1-10 in 1997 to 7-5 last season on the strength of the nation's No. 1 offense (559.6 total yards per game). With most of his offense back this season (along with an easy schedule), Redman could improve on those numbers, as crazy as it sounds.

"Everything's in place for Chris Redman, with the weapons he has," said draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. "They have four talented wide receivers and a great tight end in Ibn Green. He should put up huge numbers."

Kiper ranked Redman as his top quarterback prospect heading into the 1999 season. Green's position is a little less certain because of his size; he could be an H-back or see action as a tight end, a la Denver's Shannon Sharpe.

"One thing that sticks out about Redman is he does not cave in," Kiper said. "He hangs in the pocket until the last possible minute. He's really a tough kid -- he can throw accurately with players closing in on him. He's got good pocket awareness and he steps up and throws the football very well.

"Green's not that big but he has great pass receiving skills. These guys are on the same wavelength, their timing is phenomenal."

The sun might be starting to set on their college careers, but the timing for a record-setting season and a run toward the Conference USA title couldn't be better.