Four years ago, he came to Philadelphia as the Arena Football League's richest man. He's been the face of the Soul, the team's starting quarterback, handpicked by owner Jon Bon Jovi as the man to lead his team to a championship.

Now, as the Soul prepare for their first-ever ArenaBowl next Sunday, Graziani is on the bench, the backup to Matt D'Orazio. While Graziani missed time this season after tearing his MCL and later suffering a concussion, D'Orazio emerged as the league's top-rated passer.

Graziani is healthy now. He has been for a few weeks. But no one can fault Soul coach Bret Munsey for not playing the incumbent. How could he bench the league's best quarterback?

It's a situation Graziani knows all too well.

"Unfortunately," Graziani said, "I've had the best seat in the house for three of the biggest games now."

There was the 1998 Super Bowl, when Graziani was the third-string quarterback for the Falcons. But no one expected him to start that one.

He missed the 1995 Rose Bowl. A high ankle sprain in Week 6 prevented him from starting for Oregon as a sophomore.

Like then, Graziani is now healthy in time for the big game. Both years, once he left the lineup, there was no room to return.

The last big game he actually played in? Probably, he said, the 1996 Cotton Bowl, when Graziani turned the ball over four times in a blowout loss to Colorado.

"So it's been a while," he laughed.

This season, though, is perhaps the most frustrating in the quarterback's career.

He partially tore his MCL in Week 3 when New York's John Nix drilled Graziani's left knee well after he threw a touchdown pass. Nix was suspended and fined for the late hit.

"I was basically about ready to run off the field, and the guy went low on me," Graziani said. "I tore my knee up, and it was downhill from that.

"To go out in that kind of fashion is tough."

Following the hit, Graziani started two of the Soul's final 13 regular-season games. Both times he was hurt again, even suffering a concussion against Dallas on June 7.

Based on concerns about Graziani's health and the outstanding performances by D'Orazio, Munsey made the decision to stick with D'Orazio for the playoffs.

"[Graziani] has brought this franchise along," Munsey said. "For him not to be able to start the game is tough. It's a tough decision on my part. I feel for him. It's tough to swallow, I'm sure."

Graziani said the worst part about sitting is that he was playing some of the best football of his career before the injuries.

"It's been tough," Graziani said. "I'd be lying if I said it was easy."

D'Orazio said he's been successful partly thanks to Graziani's help. He knew it would be a sticky situation taking over for the face of the franchise, but the two have remained friends.

"He still is the leader of this team vocally," D'Orazio said. "I think everybody's still looking to him for confidence."

But Graziani is fairly certain he won't be back in Philadelphia next season, regardless of what happens in next Sunday's game.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be elsewhere," he said. "Matt's played so well, I'm sure they're going to have him back. I'm looking to further my career."

This isn't the end, though, he insists. In the off-season, Graziani, 34, works for Wilson Johnson, a commercial real estate firm in California. But he said he has some time left in his playing career.

"It's a little weird," Graziani said. "I've been the starter now for eight or nine years in this league, so to sit back and watch somebody else do it, it is surreal."

at 215-854-4550 or mgelb@phillynews.com.