Jeff George
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" George (born December 8, 1967) is a former American football
quarterback
. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts
with the first overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Illinois
.
George has also played for the Atlanta Falcons
, Oakland Raiders
, Minnesota Vikings
, Washington Redskins
, Seattle Seahawks
and Chicago Bears
.
, Indiana
. He attended Warren Central High School
, where he was awarded the Dial Award
for the national high-school scholar-athlete of the year in 1985 and was the first Gatorade National Player of the Year. Collegiately, he attended Purdue University
and the University of Illinois
.
because the coach who recruited him, Leon Burtnett
, was fired. Burtnett's replacement was Fred Akers
, who had been known for his teams that used a run-heavy option type offense that required a more mobile QB. He subsequently committed to the University of Miami
, but he backed out when coach Jimmy Johnson
would not guarantee him a starting job at the QB-rich school. The schoolboy legend from Indianapolis
ended up leaving the home-state school and became a Fighting Illini
. He stayed at Illinois for two years, leaving with a year of eligibility remaining after being assured he would be drafted in the first five picks of the NFL draft (he was picked #1).
, and then rewarded him with the richest rookie contract in NFL history. What should have been a dream career with his hometown Colts turned ugly almost from the start. By the time it ended after four seasons with a trade to the Atlanta Falcons
, he had made vile gestures to the hometown fans, argued with coach Ted Marchibroda
, held out for 36 days, and tried to get a trade.
, he led the Falcons to their first playoff appearance since 1991
. On September 22, 1996, in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles
, George got into a heated argument on the sidelines with then-Falcons coach June Jones
, all of which was caught on camera for a national television audience. Jones suspended George for the remainder of the 1996 season
and Atlanta dealt George to the Oakland Raiders
after the season. Years after the incident, Jones actually became an advocate for George, stating that the TV argument was overblown and George was actually a good quarterback, a team player and worthy of being on an NFL roster.
era, and whose fans seem to embrace players who have long since worn out their welcome in other NFL cities. And George did fit in, for a while. In 1997
, George tied for the NFL lead with 29 touchdown passes, compared to only 9 interceptions, plus a lofty 91.2 passer rating
. The team, however, struggled to a 4-12 season. The next year, the offense had changed to head coach Jon Gruden
's West Coast
scheme, a controlled-pass approach, that did not suit George's strengths. George was inconsistent at the beginning of the year, and later struggled with a groin pull, telling a local radio audience that he was finished for the year, which was news to the team. He also ignored the Offensive Coordinator's play calls during the 1998 season and ran his own plays through a wristband containing plays. The Raiders then ended George's Oakland tenure when they signed free-agent quarterback Rich Gannon
.
, where he would sit behind incumbent QB Randall Cunningham
, who was coming off a fantastic 1998
season. Cunningham, however, struggled at the start of the 1999
season and was benched. Out of the wings stepped George, who in 10 games as a starter went 8-2 and put up excellent numbers (23 touchdowns, 8.6 yards per attempt, a 94.2 rating) in leading Minnesota to the playoffs. George won his first career playoff game, throwing three touchdown passes to lead the Vikings over the Dallas Cowboys 27-10. The Vikings lost the next week to the eventual Super Bowl
Champion Rams
49-37. After the season when George took too long to agree to terms with the Vikings, they chose not to renew George's contract. George ended up signing a lucrative contract with Washington
.
to "shop around". After attempting to speak to other teams about securing a starting quarterback job he was eventually offered a $400,000 contract by Minnesota, with incentives totaling up to $1.4 million for a single year. Eventually George opted to sign a $14.8 million 4 year contract with the Washington Redskins
as Brad Johnson
's backup. Johnson went down in week 9; George replaced him, and went 1-2 in the next three games, though one of the losses came down to a missed Redskins field goal attempt. Johnson returned, but played poorly against the New York Giants. George replaced him, and led the Redskins back into the game, but again a missed field goal attempt cost the Redskins a chance to win. George started two games, both losses, after Norv Turner
was fired in favor of interim coach Terry Robiskie
. After the season, Johnson departed Washington for Tampa Bay
, leaving George as the Redskins' starter going into 2001
.
Before the 2001 season, Washington hired Marty Schottenheimer
as head coach, and Schottenheimer promised to install a West-Coast scheme similar to that of Jon Gruden in Oakland. George clashed with Schottenheimer over the offense, though Schottenheimer promised to work George through any problems he might have with the scheme. That uneasy agreement lasted exactly 2 weeks into the regular season, when Washington released George on the heels of a 37-0 Monday Night
loss to the Green Bay Packers
. After the game, George had a 34.6 passer rating, ranking last in the NFL, and the Redskins were 0-2, having been outscored by opponents 67-3. George was replaced by Tony Banks, who lost the next three games before stunning the league and winning 5 in a row, the first time an 0-5 team improved to 5-5. The Redskins still finished 8-8, and their coach was fired.
in late 2002
as an emergency quarterback.
, after two years away from the game, the Chicago Bears
became the seventh NFL team to employ George, signing him to a one-year contract in November for a partial season backup role; but again he never took the field during a game, and he wasn't retained by the Bears for the 2005
season, and was not signed by any team. The Detroit Lions
worked him out during their bye week in the event they needed another quarterback. However, George was not offered a contract.
signed George. He was expected to compete for the third-string quarterback position.
due to his friendship with Randy Moss
. Moss has previously stated that George was his favorite of all the quarterbacks he's worked with. He has also commented in the past that he and George would take weekend fishing trips together when they both lived in Minnesota.
On October 30, 2007 during Mike and Mike in the Morning
, Michael Kim
in a SportsCenter
update reported that George was interested in making another comeback, this time with the Minnesota Vikings, a team where he once had some success.
In November 2008, in an appearance on Sirius NFL Radio, George said, "I find it hard to believe there isn't a place in the game for me. My arm feels like I'm 25," he said. "I'm not asking to be a starter, I just want a spot on a team. I still hold out hope I can play in this league. I'm working out three or four days a week, staying ready. Some people might laugh about it. I've been hearing the excuse, 'You're too old,' but I look at guys now playing near 40, and if you can throw it like I can throw it ... Why wouldn't you take a look at me?" He said of coming back: “I’ve been trying to figure out how to get back in, and it just amazes me that I’m not on somebody’s roster. I’ve been throwing two or three times a week, and every time I go out there to throw, I can’t believe I’m not a backup somewhere. I know it’s a young man’s game, but you can’t tell me I’m not better than some of the quarterbacks that are out there. I look at teams like Minnesota or Chicago, and I want to scream at the people in charge, ‘What are you thinking?’ ”
More recently, on August 4, 2010 George announced on KFAN Sports radio in Minnesota that he would be willing to step in for veteran QB Brett Favre
if Favre decides to retire from the Minnesota Vikings
.
with Rich Eisen and Terrell Davis
.
For years since George's most recent seasons in the NFL, Jason Whitlock
has written several columns expressing his belief that George could still play and was deserving of an NFL try-out. George and Whitlock are longtime friends, having played high school football together.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
with the first overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft
1990 NFL Draft
The 1990 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1990...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
.
George has also played for the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
and Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early life
George was born in IndianapolisIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. He attended Warren Central High School
Warren Central High School (Indiana)
Warren Central High School is a public high school in Warren Township on the east side of Indianapolis. It has an enrollment of around 4,000...
, where he was awarded the Dial Award
Dial Award
For the literary award presented by The Dial magazine in the 1920s, see The Dial.The Dial Award was presented annually by the Dial Corporation to the male and female American high-school athlete/scholar of the year.-Awardees:...
for the national high-school scholar-athlete of the year in 1985 and was the first Gatorade National Player of the Year. Collegiately, he attended Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
and the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
.
College career
George transferred after a year at Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
because the coach who recruited him, Leon Burtnett
Leon Burtnett
Leon Burtnett is an assistant football coach at the University of Houston and was the head football coach at Purdue University from 1982 to 1986....
, was fired. Burtnett's replacement was Fred Akers
Fred Akers
-External links:*...
, who had been known for his teams that used a run-heavy option type offense that required a more mobile QB. He subsequently committed to the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, but he backed out when coach Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
would not guarantee him a starting job at the QB-rich school. The schoolboy legend from Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
ended up leaving the home-state school and became a Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
. He stayed at Illinois for two years, leaving with a year of eligibility remaining after being assured he would be drafted in the first five picks of the NFL draft (he was picked #1).
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts traded to draft George, making him the first pick in the 1990 draft1990 NFL Draft
The 1990 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1990...
, and then rewarded him with the richest rookie contract in NFL history. What should have been a dream career with his hometown Colts turned ugly almost from the start. By the time it ended after four seasons with a trade to the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he had made vile gestures to the hometown fans, argued with coach Ted Marchibroda
Ted Marchibroda
Theodore "Ted" Joseph Marchibroda is a former American football quarterback and head coach in the National Football League.-Player:...
, held out for 36 days, and tried to get a trade.
Atlanta Falcons
After four seasons with Indianapolis, the team that drafted him as their quarterback of the future, George was shipped to the Falcons, where he enjoyed a measure of success as the ringleader of their run & shoot-themed offense. In 19951995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
, he led the Falcons to their first playoff appearance since 1991
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
. On September 22, 1996, in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, George got into a heated argument on the sidelines with then-Falcons coach June Jones
June Jones
June Sheldon Jones, III is the American football head coach for Southern Methodist University.-Playing career:Jones played the quarterback position on three college teams: Oregon , Hawaii , and Portland State . It is during his time at Portland State that he was introduced to the Run and Shoot...
, all of which was caught on camera for a national television audience. Jones suspended George for the remainder of the 1996 season
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
and Atlanta dealt George to the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
after the season. Years after the incident, Jones actually became an advocate for George, stating that the TV argument was overblown and George was actually a good quarterback, a team player and worthy of being on an NFL roster.
Oakland Raiders
George looked like a perfect fit with the Raiders, who have always loved vertical passing in the Al DavisAl Davis
Allen "Al" Davis was an American football executive. He was the principal owner of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League from 1970 to 2011...
era, and whose fans seem to embrace players who have long since worn out their welcome in other NFL cities. And George did fit in, for a while. In 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, George tied for the NFL lead with 29 touchdown passes, compared to only 9 interceptions, plus a lofty 91.2 passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
. The team, however, struggled to a 4-12 season. The next year, the offense had changed to head coach Jon Gruden
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
's West Coast
West Coast offense
In American football, "West Coast Offense" refers to two similar but distinct offensive-strategic-systems of play: the "Air Coryell" system; or more commonly the pass play system popularized by Bill Walsh...
scheme, a controlled-pass approach, that did not suit George's strengths. George was inconsistent at the beginning of the year, and later struggled with a groin pull, telling a local radio audience that he was finished for the year, which was news to the team. He also ignored the Offensive Coordinator's play calls during the 1998 season and ran his own plays through a wristband containing plays. The Raiders then ended George's Oakland tenure when they signed free-agent quarterback Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon is a former football quarterback, who achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League...
.
Minnesota Vikings
Next, George went to the VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, where he would sit behind incumbent QB Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
, who was coming off a fantastic 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
season. Cunningham, however, struggled at the start of the 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
season and was benched. Out of the wings stepped George, who in 10 games as a starter went 8-2 and put up excellent numbers (23 touchdowns, 8.6 yards per attempt, a 94.2 rating) in leading Minnesota to the playoffs. George won his first career playoff game, throwing three touchdown passes to lead the Vikings over the Dallas Cowboys 27-10. The Vikings lost the next week to the eventual Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
Champion Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
49-37. After the season when George took too long to agree to terms with the Vikings, they chose not to renew George's contract. George ended up signing a lucrative contract with Washington
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
Washington Redskins
George had hopes of returning to Minnesota as starting quarterback but was told by head coach Dennis GreenDennis Green
Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League...
to "shop around". After attempting to speak to other teams about securing a starting quarterback job he was eventually offered a $400,000 contract by Minnesota, with incentives totaling up to $1.4 million for a single year. Eventually George opted to sign a $14.8 million 4 year contract with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
as Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
's backup. Johnson went down in week 9; George replaced him, and went 1-2 in the next three games, though one of the losses came down to a missed Redskins field goal attempt. Johnson returned, but played poorly against the New York Giants. George replaced him, and led the Redskins back into the game, but again a missed field goal attempt cost the Redskins a chance to win. George started two games, both losses, after Norv Turner
Norv Turner
Norval Eugene Turner is the head coach for the National Football League's San Diego Chargers. He also has served as head coach of the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders, and as offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers...
was fired in favor of interim coach Terry Robiskie
Terry Robiskie
Terry Robiskie is a former American football player and current wide receivers coach for the Atlanta Falcons.-Playing career:...
. After the season, Johnson departed Washington for Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, leaving George as the Redskins' starter going into 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
.
Before the 2001 season, Washington hired Marty Schottenheimer
Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
as head coach, and Schottenheimer promised to install a West-Coast scheme similar to that of Jon Gruden in Oakland. George clashed with Schottenheimer over the offense, though Schottenheimer promised to work George through any problems he might have with the scheme. That uneasy agreement lasted exactly 2 weeks into the regular season, when Washington released George on the heels of a 37-0 Monday Night
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
loss to the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. After the game, George had a 34.6 passer rating, ranking last in the NFL, and the Redskins were 0-2, having been outscored by opponents 67-3. George was replaced by Tony Banks, who lost the next three games before stunning the league and winning 5 in a row, the first time an 0-5 team improved to 5-5. The Redskins still finished 8-8, and their coach was fired.
Seattle Seahawks
George seemingly retired after his last game in Washington, but he proceeded to make several sideline appearances in the following years. He signed briefly with the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in late 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
as an emergency quarterback.
Chicago Bears
In 20042004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, after two years away from the game, the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
became the seventh NFL team to employ George, signing him to a one-year contract in November for a partial season backup role; but again he never took the field during a game, and he wasn't retained by the Bears for the 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
season, and was not signed by any team. The Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
worked him out during their bye week in the event they needed another quarterback. However, George was not offered a contract.
Back with the Oakland Raiders
On August 28, 2006, the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed George. He was expected to compete for the third-string quarterback position.
Semi-retirement
While George spent time on active NFL rosters through 2006, he had not attempted a pass since the 2001 season with the Washington Redskins. It was speculated that he might have replaced third string quarterback Marques TuiasosopoMarques Tuiasosopo
Marques Tavita Tuiasosopo is a former American football quarterback who is currently a strength coach for the University of Washington football team. He was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders...
due to his friendship with Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. Moss has previously stated that George was his favorite of all the quarterbacks he's worked with. He has also commented in the past that he and George would take weekend fishing trips together when they both lived in Minnesota.
On October 30, 2007 during Mike and Mike in the Morning
Mike and Mike in the Morning
Mike and Mike in the Morning is an American sports-talk radio show hosted by Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg on ESPN Radio and simulcast on television, normally on ESPN2. If ESPN is broadcasting a live sporting event during the show's timeslot, Sportscenter will air on ESPN2, and the show's...
, Michael Kim
Michael Kim
Michael Kim is a presenter for SportsCenter on ESPN.Kim joined ESPN as one of the original presenters on ESPNEWS prior to its November 1, 1996, launch...
in a SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
update reported that George was interested in making another comeback, this time with the Minnesota Vikings, a team where he once had some success.
In November 2008, in an appearance on Sirius NFL Radio, George said, "I find it hard to believe there isn't a place in the game for me. My arm feels like I'm 25," he said. "I'm not asking to be a starter, I just want a spot on a team. I still hold out hope I can play in this league. I'm working out three or four days a week, staying ready. Some people might laugh about it. I've been hearing the excuse, 'You're too old,' but I look at guys now playing near 40, and if you can throw it like I can throw it ... Why wouldn't you take a look at me?" He said of coming back: “I’ve been trying to figure out how to get back in, and it just amazes me that I’m not on somebody’s roster. I’ve been throwing two or three times a week, and every time I go out there to throw, I can’t believe I’m not a backup somewhere. I know it’s a young man’s game, but you can’t tell me I’m not better than some of the quarterbacks that are out there. I look at teams like Minnesota or Chicago, and I want to scream at the people in charge, ‘What are you thinking?’ ”
More recently, on August 4, 2010 George announced on KFAN Sports radio in Minnesota that he would be willing to step in for veteran QB Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
if Favre decides to retire from the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
Media
George has made occasional appearances on NFL Total AccessNFL Total Access
NFL Total Access is a television news program on the NFL Network.The network treats it as the league's "show of record" and bills it as the only year-round show dedicated to the National Football League, despite the ESPN show NFL Live running year round as well.NFL Total Access is primarily hosted...
with Rich Eisen and Terrell Davis
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis is a former American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League from 1995 to 2001. Davis was drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Davis is the Denver Broncos all-time leading rusher, with 7,607 rushing...
.
For years since George's most recent seasons in the NFL, Jason Whitlock
Jason Whitlock
Jason Lee Whitlock is a sportswriter for Foxsports.com, as well as a former columnist at the Kansas City Star, AOL Sports writer, contributor to ESPN, and radio personality for WHB and KCSP sports stations in the Kansas City area.-College and sports:Whitlock was an all-state offensive lineman at...
has written several columns expressing his belief that George could still play and was deserving of an NFL try-out. George and Whitlock are longtime friends, having played high school football together.
External links
- Jeff George career stats - at ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...