Position	Quarterback
Number	14
Birth date	June 10, 1951
Birth place	San Francisco, California
Debutyear	1973
Debutteam	San Diego Chargers
Finalyear	1987
Finalteam	San Diego Chargers
Draftyear	1973
Draftround	3
Draftpick	64
College	Oregon
Teams	San Diego Chargers (1973-1987)
Statlabel1	TD-INT
Statvalue1	254-242
Statlabel2	Yards
Statvalue2	43,040
Statlabel3	QB Rating
Statvalue3	80.2
Nfl	FOU692150
Highlights	3× First-team All-Pro selection (1979, 1982, 1985) 1× Second-team All-Pro (1980) 6× Pro Bowl selection (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985) NFL 1980s All-Decade Team 1982 NEA NFL MVP 2× PFWA NFL MVP (1979, 1982) 1982 NFL Offensive Player of the Year 2× UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year (1979, 1982) 1983 Pro Bowl MVP San Diego Chargers #14 retired San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team
Hof	71 }}

Daniel Francis Fouts (born June 10, 1951) is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987. He was one of the most prolific passing quarterbacks during the 1970s and 1980s, but the Chargers were unable to make it to the Super Bowl during his fifteen-year career. He is currently a color commentator for NFL games on CBS. Dan is the son of Bay Area Radio Hall of Famer Bob Fouts.

High school and college career [link]

Fouts went to Marin Catholic High School, which is located just north of San Francisco in Kentfield, California for his two first years of High School, and was starting for the varsity team by his sophomore year. He decided to transfer to St. Ignatius College Preparatory (San Francisco, CA) for his final two years of high school.

Fouts was somewhat of an unknown when he accepted the scholarship offer from the University of Oregon. Things were quite different after the All-Pac 8 quarterback's career where he set 19 school records, including those for career passing yardage (5,995) and total offense (5,871). He was inducted into the University of Oregon Hall of Fame in 1992.

Pro football career [link]

Drafted in the third round out of the University of Oregon in 1973, Fouts helped lead the Chargers to the playoffs from 1979 to 1982 and twice to the AFC title game (1980 and 1981). He led the league four times in passing yards; ending his career with over 40,000, the third player to surpass that landmark. Fouts was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Fouts was a 6-time Pro Bowl selection (1979-1983 & 1985) and compiled passer ratings over 90.0 for a 3-year stretch (1981–83). Fouts threw for over 4,000 yards for three consecutive seasons (1979–81), led the NFL in passing yards in four consecutive seasons(1979–1982) and six times eclipsed the 20-touchdown mark with a career high 33 in 1981. His career high of 4,802 passing yards during the 1981 season was an NFL record at the time.

Fouts set NFL season passing yardage records in three consecutive seasons from 1979 to 1981 with totals of 4,082, 4.715, and 4,802 yards. He broke Joe Namath's record of 4,007 set in 1967, and Dan Marino broke Fouts' record in 1984 with 5,084 yards. In 1982, a season shortened to 9 games because of a strike, Fouts averaged 320 yards passing per game, an NFL record that stood until Drew Brees averaged 342.3 in 2011. Highlights that season included back-to-back victories against the 1981 Super Bowl teams San Francisco (41-37) and Cincinnati (50-34) in which Fouts threw for over 400 yards in each game to lead the Chargers to shootout victories.

Fouts garnered All-Pro selections in both 1979 and 1982, while also being named 2nd Team All-Pro in 1980 and 1985. In addition Fouts was also named 2nd Team All-AFC in 1981 and 1983. However, Fouts and the Chargers lost both AFC Championship Games in which they played.

Fouts's first few years in the league were inauspicious, but with the arrival of head coach Don Coryell in 1978 the Chargers' fortunes turned. Yet it was actually two years earlier, with the arrival of Joe Gibbs as the Charger's offensive coordinator, that the seeds of success were planted. Under Coryell, the Chargers were known as ''Air Coryell'' for the deep passing game and the involvement of the tight end as a key receiver. This required a tough, intelligent quarterback with a strong arm. Fouts fit the bill.

Fouts was not a mobile quarterback and the deep passing game led to many hits. Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh, a Chargers assistant coach in 1976, said "Dan Fouts had a cool, steel-like nerve and courage ... He took a lot of beatings, a lot of pounding, but continued to play, hurt or otherwise. He played more physical football than anybody on his team, including the linebackers". Rarely using the shotgun, Fouts would drop back from center and look for one of a bevy of great receivers. Wide receiver Charlie Joiner and tight end Kellen Winslow were the most famous, both now in the Hall of Fame, but John Jefferson and Wes Chandler, among others, were also key. Fouts's passing enabled Winslow to lead the NFL in receptions twice (1980,1981), while Winslow (1982) and Lionel James (1985) led the AFC in receptions on another 2 combined occasions. James, in fact, set the NFL record (since broken) in 1985 for receiving yards by a running back at 1,027. Jefferson became the first receiver to have 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first three seasons in the NFL. Both Jefferson (1980) and Chandler (1982) led the NFL in receiving yards. Chandler's 129 yards receiving per game average in 1982 is still a league record. Both Jefferson (1978, 1980) and Chandler (1982) led the NFL in receiving TDs. In 1980, Winslow, Jefferson and Joiner became the first trio on the same team to have 1,000 yards receiving in a season. When he retired after 1986, Joiner was the NFL's all-time leader in receptions with 750.

Pass protection was also critical for such an offense. The Chargers had an excellent offensive line which protected Fouts well, and included 4 time Pro Bowler Ed White, 5 time Pro Bowler Russ Washington, 3 time Pro Bowler Doug Wilkerson, Billy Shields and Don Macek. The Chargers led the league in passing yards an NFL record 6 consecutive years from 1978–1983 and again in 1985 under Fouts. They also led the league in total yards in offense 1980-1983 and 1985.

Despite going to the playoffs from 1979 through 1982 and playing in 2 AFC Championship Games, the Chargers never went to the Super Bowl under Fouts (although they went 7 years after his retirement). Usually this is attributed to poor defense and their unwillingness to run the ball. In Fouts's prime the defense was not as stellar, but the running game became far better with the addition of Chuck Muncie, traded from New Orleans in 1980, and the drafting of James Brooks from Auburn in 1981. It is believed the defense had little opportunity to improve as the offense often scored quickly, leaving the defense to spend far too much time on the field. It also hurt that Fred Dean, an All-Pro sack specialist, was traded away to the San Francisco 49ers in 1981 in a contract dispute, and Dean would win UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year (while playing in only 11 games) that year en route to a Super Bowl victory and help the 49ers to another Super Bowl title three years later. Dean would later be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

"I can't say how much it affected us, because we did make it to the AFC championship game," said Chargers' All-Pro defensive lineman Gary "Big Hands" Johnson of the loss of Dean. "But I could say if we had more pass rush from the corner, it might've been different."

Overall, the Chargers achieved three wins against four losses in the playoffs under Fouts, who threw for over 300 yards in all but two of those games. One of their more notable wins was the 1982 playoff game known in NFL Lore as ''The Epic in Miami'', where Fouts led his team to a 41-38 victory by completing 33 of 53 passes for a franchise record 433 yards and 3 touchdowns on the hot and humid day. His completions, attempts, and yards in the game were all NFL postseason records at the time. The following week in the AFC championship game in Cincinnati, there was a 92 °F drop in temperature compared to the previous week in Miami, and the Chargers lost 27-7 in what is known as the Freezer Bowl.

The following season, he threw for 333 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 31-28 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC divisional playoff round.

Honors [link]

Fouts finished his 15 NFL seasons with 3,297 of 5,604 completions for 43,040 yards and 254 touchdowns, with 242 interceptions. He also rushed for 476 yards and 13 touchdowns

Dan Fouts is one of only eight quarterbacks in NFL history who have achieved two consecutive 30-touchdown passing seasons. The others are Steve Bartkowski, Brett Favre, Dan Marino, Jeff Garcia, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Y.A. Tittle. He was also the third quarterback in NFL history to pass for 40,000 yards, after fellow Hall of Famers Johnny Unitas and Fran Tarkenton, and the first quarterback ever to throw for over 4,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.

Fouts' jersey number, 14, is one of only two numbers retired by the San Diego Chargers (the other being Lance Alworth's 19).

In 1989, Fouts was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.

In 1999, he was ranked number 92 on ''The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

In 1992, he was inducted into the University of Oregon and State of Oregon Sports Halls of Fame.

Fouts was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, his first year of eligibility.

In 2009, he was picked by the fans as the "Greatest Charger Of All Time" for the Chargers 50th anniversary year.

In 2010, he received the Davey O'Brien Legends Award during Colt McCoy's award ceremony.

After pro football [link]

In 1988 through 1993, Fouts started his career as an analyst on NFL on CBS. He worked with variety of play-by-play announcers including Dick Stockton, James Brown, Verne Lundquist, Brad Nessler, Jim Nantz, Jack Buck, and Tim Ryan.

Fouts's post-NFL career included a well-received commentator role on ABC's ''Monday Night Football,'' alongside famed ''MNF'' anchor Al Michaels and comedian Dennis Miller. He also served as a college football analyst alongside Brent Musburger and Keith Jackson (after Fouts's ''MNF'' departure). He was also a sports anchor for KPIX-TV in his hometown of San Francisco from 1994-1997.

In 1998 Fouts made his big-screen debut, portraying himself in the football comedy "The Waterboy," starring Adam Sandler. Fouts and Musberger appeared late in the film as ESPN's broadcast team for the fictitious New Year's Day "Bourbon Bowl" game.

After Jackson's retirement from ABC in 2006, Fouts became a play-by-play announcer, adding his own commentary on the game at times since he was a former player and analyst. His broadcast partner for 2006 and 2007 was Tim Brant now that Jackson has opted to permanently retire. (Jackson previously said he was going to retire after the 1998 college football season, but elected to stay on to call Pac-10 games for ABC, including the annual Rose Bowl.

On February 11, 2008, ESPN announced they weren't re-signing Fouts or his partner Tim Brant.

It was reported in USA Today on August 20, 2008 that Fouts was returned to CBS for NFL games with a variety of play-by-play announcers including Don Criqui, Bill Macatee, and Dick Enberg.

In 2009, he was moved to partner with Dick Enberg as the #3 broadcasting team for the NFL on CBS. Following Enberg's retirement after the 2009 season, Fouts presently teams with Ian Eagle. He also calls the occasional game for Westwood One radio.

Fouts also did color commentary for the football video game ''NFL GameDay 2004''. He partnered with long-time announcer Dick Enberg.

See also [link]

Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame

List of NFL quarterbacks who have passed for 400 or more yards in a game

References [link]

External links [link]

Dan Fouts' Official Website

''Pro Football Hall of Fame:'' Member profile

''pro-football-reference.com:" Career stats and more

Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from San Francisco, California Category:National Football League announcers Category:San Francisco, California television anchors Category:American football quarterbacks Category:Players of American football from California Category:Oregon Ducks football players Category:San Diego Chargers players Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:People from Deschutes County, Oregon Category:College football announcers

de:Dan Fouts es:Dan Fouts fr:Dan Fouts it:Dan Fouts th:แดน เฟาท์ส

Name	Junior Seau
Position	Linebacker
Number	55
Birth date	January 19, 1969
Birth place	San Diego, California
Death date	May 02, 2012
Death place	Oceanside, California
Heightft	6
Heightin	3
Weight	248
Debutyear	1990
Debutteam	San Diego Chargers
Finalyear	2009
Finalteam	New England Patriots
Highschool	Oceanside (CA)
College	Southern California
Draftyear	1990
Draftround	1
Draftpick	5
Pastteams	San Diego Chargers (–) Miami Dolphins (–) New England Patriots (–)
Highlights	12× Pro Bowl (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) 10× All-Pro (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) 2× AFC Champion (1994, 2007) UPI AFC Defensive Player of the Year (1992) NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1992) AFC Player of the Year (1994) NFL Alumni Linebacker of the Year (2003) NFL 1990s All-Decade Team San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team
Statseason	2009
Statlabel1	Tackles
Statvalue1	1,849
Statlabel2	Sacks
Statvalue2	56.5
Statlabel3	Interceptions
Statvalue3	18
Statlabel4	Forced fumbles
Statvalue4	3
Statlabel5	Pass deflections
Statvalue5	21
Nfl	SEA743138 }}

Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau, Jr., (; January 19, 1969 – May 2, 2012) was an American football linebacker. A ten-time All-Pro and 12-time Pro Bowl selection, Seau was a member of the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.

He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker". He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft, later played for the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots, and retired from pro football in 2010.

Seau was found dead in his Oceanside, California, home on May 2, 2012, of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Early years[link]

Tiaina Baul Seau, Jr., was the fifth child of Tiaina Seau, Sr., and Luisa Mauga Seau of Aunu'u, American Samoa. Tiaina Sr.'s grandfather was a village chief in Pago Pago. Tiaina worked at a rubber factory and was a school custodian, and Luisa worked at the commissary of Camp Pendleton and a laundromat. After Junior Seau was born, the family returned to American Samoa for several years before returning to San Diego; Junior Seau spoke English only from age seven. At home, Junior and his three brothers had to sleep in the family's one-car garage. Seau attended Oceanside High School, where he lettered in football, basketball, and track and field. As a football player, Seau was a starter at linebacker and tight end, and as a senior, he was named the Avocado League offensive MVP and led the 18-member Oceanside Pirates team to the San Diego 2A championship. ''Parade'' selected Seau to its high school All-American team. In basketball, as a senior, he was named the California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Section Player of the Year. He helped his team win the 1987 Lt. James Mitchell Tournament and make third place in the Mt. Carmel Invitational. In track and field, he was the Avocado League champion in the shot put.

College career[link]

After graduating from high school, Seau attended the University of Southern California (USC). He had to sit out his freshman season because he got only a 690 on his college entrance exam, the SAT, 10 points short of USC's required minimum score for freshman eligibility. Seau told ''Sports Illustrated'': "I was labeled a dumb jock. I went from being a four-sport star to an ordinary student at USC. I found out who my true friends were. Nobody stuck up for me—not our relatives, best friends or neighbors. There's a lot of jealousy among Samoans, not wanting others to get ahead in life, and my parents got an earful at church: 'We told you he was never going to make it.'" This prompted him to apologize to his coaches, teachers, and principal at Oceanside High. He lettered in his final two seasons, 1988 and 1989, posting 19 sacks in 1989 en route to a unanimous first-team All-American selection.

At USC, Seau wore jersey number 55, a number also worn by other USC linebackers, including player and NFL coach Jack Del Rio, Chris Claiborne, Willie McGinest, Keith Rivers and most recently, USC linebacker Lamar Dawson. Like USC jersey number 58 (worn by Lofa Tatupu and Rey Maualuga), USC jersey number 55 is celebrated by the USC team and Trojan fans (and studied by NFL scouts) -- it means membership in the exclusive USC linebacker group widely known as "Club 55" and connotes "future NFL linebacker star". Though not a "retired" jersey number, it carries a tradition and a wearing-player's obligation to excel, and, thus, is issued to incoming rookie linebacker players on a very thoughtful and selective basis by the USC coaching staff.

Seau is considered the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker". In the decades that followed Seau, the USC football program has mentored a widely-recognized linebacker development program ("USC Linebacker U."). Noteworthy NFL-USC linebacker alumni include three-season All-American and NFL player Richard Wood, Junior Seau, Jack Del Rio, Willie McGinest, Chris Claiborne, Lofa Tatupu, Thomas Williams, Oscar Lua, Dallas Sartz, Keith Rivers, Brian Cushing, Kaluka Maiava, Clay Matthews III and Rey Maualuga.

Professional career[link]

San Diego Chargers[link]

After three years as a Trojan, Seau entered the NFL draft after his junior season and was chosen in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft by Bobby Beathard's San Diego Chargers as the fifth overall draft selection. Seau quickly became one of the most popular players on the Chargers, receiving the nickname "Tasmanian Devil".

Seau started 15 of the 16 games he played in during his rookie season, and was named an alternate to the 1991 Pro Bowl after recording 85 tackles. In 1991, he picked up 129 tackles and seven sacks and was named to the 1992 Pro Bowl, the first of 12 consecutive Pro Bowls for Seau. He started no fewer than 13 games for the Chargers over each of the ensuing 11 seasons, registering a career high with 155 tackles in 1994. That year, Seau assisted his team to a championship appearance in Super Bowl XXIX and logged 19 tackles in the AFC Championship Game. In 2002, his final year with the Chargers, he logged a then-career low 84 tackles and missed his final Pro Bowl with an ankle injury.

Miami Dolphins[link]

On April 16, 2003, Seau was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a conditional draft choice. He started 15 games that season for the Dolphins, making 133 tackles on the year. However, in 2004, a torn pectoral muscle limited Seau to eight games, 68 tackles, and one sack. He started five of the first seven games he played in with the Dolphins in 2005, but was placed on injured reserve on November 24 with an achilles tendon injury. On March 6, 2006, Seau was released by the Dolphins.

First retirement[link]

Seau announced his retirement at an emotional press conference on August 14, 2006, after signing a one-day contract with the San Diego Chargers. He called it his "graduation", because he was not going to stop working. He contended that he was merely moving on to the next phase of his life.

New England Patriots[link]

Seau returned to football just four days later, signing with the New England Patriots. He started 10 of the first 11 games for the Patriots, recording 69 tackles before breaking his right arm while making a tackle in a game against the Chicago Bears. He was placed on injured reserve on November 27.

On May 21, 2007, Seau re-signed with the New England Patriots for the 2007 season. In September 2007 Seau was named one of the Patriots' seven captains. He would go on to start four of the 16 games he played in for the Patriots in 2007, and then started the Patriots' two playoff games before Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants. The Patriots, who had not lost a game in the season to that point, fell to the Giants in the game, with Seau's first Super Bowl ring still eluding him.

Seau re-signed with the Patriots on December 5, 2008, replacing linebacker Adalius Thomas, who was placed on injured reserve earlier in the season. On December 22, 2008, a fan was arrested for trespassing and assault and battery for tackling Seau as he stood on the New England sideline during a home game against the Arizona Cardinals. Seau stated that he did not feel threatened by the fan; he thought that the fan was happy and excited and got carried away.

On October 7, 2009, NFL Network reported that the New England Patriots had an "agreement in principle" with Seau for a fourth one-year deal; Seau took physicals and worked out with the team. He officially signed on October 13. He was active for 7 games for the Patriots in 2009, recording 14 tackles as a reserve linebacker.

Second retirement[link]

Seau announced his intention to retire for a second time on the television program ''Inside the NFL'' on January 13, 2010, although he never officially retired from professional football.

Post-retirement[link]

Seau was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame on November 27, 2011, as part of Alumni Day ceremonies in Sunday's sold-out game against the Denver Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium. Fellow Chargers Hall of Famer Dan Fouts introduced Seau before a crowd of nearly 71,000.

Other work[link]

Seau owned a clothing line, Say-Ow Gear, as well as Seau's The Restaurant in Mission Valley, San Diego.

''Sports Jobs with Junior Seau'' premiered on December 2, 2009 on Versus. The show followed Seau as he did the jobs that make sports work. Ten episodes aired through January 27, 2010.

Seau was actively involved with community work through Samoan "sister city" projects within San Diego county.

Junior Seau Foundation[link]

In 1992, Seau created the Junior Seau Foundation with the mission to educate and empower young people through the support of child abuse prevention, drug and alcohol awareness, recreational opportunities, anti-juvenile delinquency efforts and complimentary educational programs.

The 20th Anniversary Junior Seau Celebrity Golf Classic was held March 10–12, 2012 at the world famous La Costa Resort and Spa.

The Foundation gives out an annual award to the individual who exemplifies the mission statement of the Junior Seau Foundation.

2000–– Legend of the Year — Sid Brooks

2001–– Legend of the Year — Lance Alworth

2002–– Legend of the Year — Sid Gillman

2003–– Legend of the Year — Don Coryell

2004–– Legend of the Year — Marcus Allen

2005–– Legend of the Year — Deacon Jones

2006–– Legend of the Year — Bobby Ross

2007–– Legend of the Year — Warren Moon

2008–– Legend of the Year — Marshall Faulk

2009–– Legend of the Year — Charlie Joiner

2010–– Legend of the Year — John Lynch

2011–– Legend of the Year — Bill Walton

Personal[link]

Seau married Gina Deboer in 1991 and divorced in 2002. He had three children with Deboer: daughter Sydney Beau (born 1993) and sons Jake Ryan (1995) and Hunter Tiaina (2000).

On January 31, 2011, Seau's nephew, Ian Seau, committed to play at Kansas State, and another nephew, Micah Seau, committed to play for San Diego State University.

Death[link]

On May 2, 2012, Seau was found by his girlfriend at his home with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

References[link]

External links[link]

Junior Seau Foundation

New England Patriots bio

Category:1969 births Category:2012 deaths Category:All-American college football players Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players Category:American football linebackers Category:American people of Samoan descent Category:Miami Dolphins players Category:New England Patriots players Category:Parade High School All-Americans (football) Category:Sportspeople from San Diego, California Category:Players of American football from California Category:San Diego Chargers players Category:USC Trojans football players Category:Players of American football from American Samoa Category:Suicides by firearm in California

es:Junior Seau fr:Junior Seau simple:Junior Seau

Name	Don Coryell
|birth date	October 17, 1924
Birth place	Seattle, Washington
Death date	July 01, 2010
Death place	La Mesa, California
College	Washington
Position	Head Coach
Coach	yes
Coachingyears	1953–19541957–19591961–19721973–19771978–1986
Coachingteams	University of British ColumbiaWhittier CollegeSan Diego StateSt. Louis CardinalsSan Diego Chargers
Stats	yes
Databasefootballcoach	CORYEDON01
Career highlights	yes
Record	111–83–1
Honors	San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team
Collegehof	60092 }}

Donald David Coryell (October 17, 1924 – July 1, 2010) was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973 to 1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell". Coryell was the first coach ever to win more than 100 games at both the collegiate and professional level. He was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame in 1986. Coryell is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Early career[link]

Don Coryell enlisted in the Army in 1943 and spent 3½ years as a paratrooper. He played defensive back for the University of Washington from 1949 to 1951. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Washington. He was a high school coach in Hawaii where his teams ran a version of the I formation running game. He would also coach at the University of British Columbia (where he compiled a 2 win, 16 loss reord), Wenatchee Valley College, and a military team at Fort Ord. As head coach at Whittier College from 1957 to 1959, Whittier won conference championships in each of Coryell's three years. He would also rely on the I formation at Whittier. In 1960, he was an assistant coach under John McKay for the USC Trojans, where the I formation would be its signature offense for decades. While the origin of the I formation is unclear, Coryell was one of its pioneers.

San Diego State University[link]

Coryell coached 12 seasons with the San Diego State University (SDSU) Aztecs, using the philosophy of recruiting only junior college players. There, he compiled a record of 104 wins, 19 losses and 2 ties including three undefeated seasons in 1966, 1968 and 1969. His teams would enjoy winning streaks of 31 and 25 games, and would win three bowl games during his tenure. Coryell helped lead SDSU from an NCAA Division II to an NCAA Division I program in 1969.

It was at SDSU that Coryell began to emphasize a passing offense. Coryell recounted, “We could only recruit a limited number of runners and linemen against schools like USC and UCLA. And there were a lot of kids in Southern California passing and catching the ball. There seemed to be a deeper supply of quarterbacks and receivers. And the passing game was also open to some new ideas.” Coryell adds, "Finally we decided it's crazy that we can win games by throwing the ball without the best personnel. So we threw the hell out of the ball and won some games. When we started doing that, we were like 55–5–1."

John Madden served as Coryell's defensive assistant at SDSU. Madden had first met Coryell attending a coaching clinic on the I formation led by McKay. "We'd go to these clinics, and afterward, everyone would run up to talk to McKay," said Madden. "Coryell was there because he introduced (McKay). I was thinking, 'If (McKay) learned from him, I'll go talk to (Coryell).' "

At San Diego State, Coryell helped develop a number of quarterbacks for the NFL, including Don Horn, Jesse Freitas, Dennis Shaw and future NFL MVP Brian Sipe. Wide receivers who went on to the NFL include Isaac Curtis, Gary Garrison, and Haven Moses. Coryell also coached two players who later became actors: Fred Dryer and Carl Weathers.

St. Louis Cardinals[link]

The Cardinals under Coryell had three consecutive seasons (1974–1976) with double-digit victories and won two consecutive division titles (1974–1975). Those were the only division titles the Cardinals ever won while in St. Louis. Prior to 1974, the Cardinals had not been in the playoffs in 26 years since 1948 when they were the Chicago Cardinals. In 1975, the "Cardiac Cardinals" won seven times in the game's last minute. Multi-purpose back Terry Metcalf set an NFL all-purpose yards record at the time in 1975. When St. Louis did not re-sign Metcalf and he left for the Canadian Football League after 1977, Coryell departed also The Chargers 9–7 record was their first winning season since 1969.

He won three straight division titles (1979, 1980, 1981) with the Chargers, reaching the playoffs four consecutive times. Previously, the Chargers had not been to the playoffs since 1965. With Dan Fouts as quarterback, San Diego's "Air Coryell" was among the greatest passing offenses in NFL history. The Chargers led the league in passing yards an NFL record 6 consecutive years from 1978 to 1983 and again in 1985. They also led the league in total yards in offense 1980–1983 and 1985. The Pro Football Hall of Fame called Coryell's offenses "one of the most explosive and exciting offenses that ever set foot on an NFL field." Fouts, wide receiver Charlie Joiner, and tight end Kellen Winslow would all be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame from those Charger teams.

Fouts was only the 2nd player to pass for 4,000 yards in a season in 1979 before establishing a new record for total passing yards in a season in 1980 and again in 1981. In a nine-game strike-shortened 1982 season, Fouts averaged 320 yards passing per game, an NFL record that stood until Drew Brees averaged 342 in 2011. With Winslow, Coryell redefined the tight end position into a deep, pass-catching threat too fast for a linebacker and too big for a defensive back. Coryell was astute to realize that "If we're asking Kellen to block a defensive end and not catch passes, I'm not a very good coach ."

In San Diego, Coryell groomed another set of all-purpose backs in James Brooks and later Lionel James, a mere 5'6" and 171 pound running back, who broke Metcalf's record in 1985 while also setting a record of 1,027 receiving yards by a running back . A rookie in 1978, John Jefferson went on to become the first receiver in league history to gain 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons while also grabbing 36 touchdowns. Traded away from Air Coryell by ownership because of a contract dispute, Jefferson never reached 1,000 yards again in his career. Wes Chandler was acquired to replace Jefferson. In the 1982 strike year, Chandler, set the record of 129 yards receiving per game that is still an NFL record.

Detractors of Coryell point to the Chargers' defensive shortcomings given that his defenses were in the bottom ten league-wide from 1981 to 1986. However in 1979, the Chargers allowed the fewest points (246) in the AFC. In 1980 their defense led the NFL with 60 sacks spearheaded by a frontline of All-Pros in Fred Dean, Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Louie Kelcher. The group was locally nicknamed "the Bruise Brothers", coined from a popular act at the time, The Blues Brothers. However, in 1981, Dean, like Jefferson, was traded away due to a contract dispute with ownership. Dean contends he was making the same amount of money as his brother-in-law who was a truck driver. The Chargers' defense would never be the same afterwards as it surrendered the most passing yards in the NFL in both 1981 and 1982. Meanwhile, Dean would go on in the same year to win UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year (while playing in only 11 games) and help lead the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl that year and again in 1984. Dean was inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame in 2008.

"I can't say how much it affected us, because we did make it to the AFC championship game," said Johnson of the loss of Dean. "But I could say if we had more pass rush from the corner, it might've been different."

Tom Bass, who was a defensive coordinator for Coryell with both SDSU and the Chargers, said Coryell focused on offense during practice. He left the coaching of defensive players and the defensive game plan to Bass."In planning and designing defense, he simply had no interest," said Bass.

Hall of Fame Consideration[link]

Coryell's failure to lead his teams to a Super Bowl has presumably kept him out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Voters have cited his 3-6 postseason record as further evidence. His teams' defenses were not as strong as its offenses, which could be attributed to the offensive unit scoring quickly and not providing the defensive side sufficient rest. Tony Dungy, a Super Bowl head coach, says that "If you talk about impact on the game, training other coaches -- John Madden, Bill Walsh, Joe Gibbs to name a few -- and influencing how things are done, Don Coryell is probably right up there with Paul Brown. He was a genius." ''Sports Illustrated'' writer Jim Trotter, who votes on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors, said selectors are hesitant to vote for coaches when there is a backlog of deserving players.

Coryell's direct development of future coaches included Super Bowl head coaches Madden and Gibbs, Super Bowl offensive coordinators Ernie Zampese and Al Saunders, as well as Jim Hanifan and Rod Dowhower. Adding to the Coryell coaching tree, Super Bowl offensive coordinator Norv Turner tutored under Zampese, and another Super Bowl offensive coordinator Mike Martz studied under both Zampese and later Turner. Dan Henning coached under Gibbs.

Fouts says, "He influenced offensive and defensive football because if you are going to have three or four receivers out there, you better have an answer for it on the other side of the ball. If it wasn't for Don, I wouldn't be in the Hall of Fame." "Whoever heard of the nickel or dime pass defense before “Air Coryell” forced opponents to come up with strategies to combat Coryell’s aerial assault?" wrote Fouts to Hall of Fame voters in support of Coryell's induction.

In Madden's Hall of Fame induction speech, he mentioned his time at San Diego State "with a great coach that someday will be in here, Don Coryell. He had a real influence on my coaching. Joe Gibbs was on that staff, too."

Gibbs also lobbied for Coryell's induction into the Hall of Fame, stating "(Coryell) was extremely creative and fostered things that are still in today's game because he was so creative. I think he's affected a lot of coaches, and I'd like to see him get in. " Mike Martz, who won a Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator of the "Greatest Show on Turf" with the St. Louis Rams and advanced to another Super Bowl as the Rams' head coach: "Don is the father of the modern passing game. People talk about the 'West Coast' offense, but Don started the 'West Coast' decades ago and kept updating it. You look around the NFL now, and so many teams are running a version of the Coryell offense. Coaches have added their own touches, but it's still Coryell's offense. He has disciples all over the league. He changed the game," adds Martz. "I'm not sure why that hasn't been acknowledged by the Hall of Fame."

Winslow points out that Coryell had an indirect hand in the 49ers', Washington Redskins' and St. Louis Rams' Super Bowl teams. "They call it the West Coast offense because San Francisco won Super Bowls with it, but it was a variation of what we did in San Diego. Joe Gibbs' itty-bitty receivers on the outside and two tight ends in the middle, (that's) a variation of Coryell's offense in San Diego. It's just a personnel change, but it's the same thing. When the Rams won their Super Bowl, it was the same offense, same terminology. For Don Coryell to not be in the Hall of Fame is a lack of knowledge of the voters. That's the nicest way that I can put that. A lack of understanding of the legacy of the game. "

"In the offense we won the Super Bowl with in 1999, the foundation was Don Coryell," former Rams coach Dick Vermeil said. "The route philosophies, the vertical passing game ... everything stemmed from the founder, Don Coryell. The genius."

In 2010, Coryell for the first time was among the 15 finalists considered by the Hall of Fame selection committee on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. He was not selected. After Coryell's passing later that year, Chargers President Dean Spanos said "He revolutionized the game of football, not only in San Diego, but throughout the entire NFL. Don Coryell was a legend not only with the Chargers but throughout San Diego. Though unfortunately he did not live long enough to see it, hopefully one day his bust will find its proper place in Pro Football’s Hall of Fame." Delivering a eulogy at Coryell's funeral, Madden noted, "You know, I'm sitting down there in front, and next to me is Joe Gibbs, and next to him is Dan Fouts, and the three of us are in the Hall of Fame because of Don Coryell." Choking up and then pausing, he continued, "There's something missing."

Coaching personality[link]

Coryell was adored by his players. "The most important thing to me about Don Coryell is him as a person. He actually cared about us as players. A lot of coaches don't even know who you are," said Fouts. Coryell did not want to intimidate his players and instead treated his players with respect, allowing them to showcase their strengths. "I don't think a coach has to be a son of a bitch to be successful. I think you can treat men like men," he said.

Death[link]

Don Coryell died on July 1, 2010 at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, California. The cause of death has not been officially released, but Coryell had been in poor health for some time.

References [link]

Category:1924 births Category:2010 deaths Category:National Football League head coaches Category:Washington Huskies football players Category:St. Louis Cardinals head coaches Category:San Diego Chargers head coaches Category:USC Trojans football coaches Category:Whittier Poets football coaches Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:University of Washington alumni Category:People from Seattle, Washington Category:People from San Diego, California

de:Don Coryell

Position	Quarterback
Number	12, 16
Birth date	December 25, 1945
Birth place	Foley, Alabama
Debutyear	1970
Debutteam	Oakland Raiders
Finalyear	1984
Finalteam	New Orleans Saints
Draftyear	1968
Draftround	2
Draftpick	52
College	Alabama
Teams	Oakland Raiders (1968–1979) Houston Oilers (1980–1981) New Orleans Saints (1982–1984)
Highlights	4× Pro Bowl selection (1973, 1974, 1976, 1977) 2× All-Pro selection (1974, 1976) Super Bowl XI champion NFL 1970s All-Decade Team 1974 NFL MVP 1976 Bert Bell Award Led NFL in Passing Touchdowns in 1974 and 1976
Statseason	1984
Statlabel1	TD–INT
Statvalue1	194–222
Statlabel2	Yards
Statvalue2	27,938
Statlabel3	QB Rating
Statvalue3	75.3
Nfl	STA013616
Hof	}}

Kenneth "Kenny" "Ken" Michael Stabler (born December 25, 1945 in Foley, Alabama), (a.k.a. "The Snake") is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders (1970–1979), the Houston Oilers (1980–1981), and the New Orleans Saints (1982–1984). He played college football for the University of Alabama.

Biography[link]

High school career[link]

Stabler became a highly touted football player at Foley High School. He led Foley to a won-loss record of 29–1 over his high school career—the only loss coming against rival Fairhope High School. He was an all-around athlete in high school, averaging 29 points a game in basketball and excelling enough as a left-handed pitcher in baseball to receive minor-league contract offers from the Houston Astros and New York Yankees. During his high school career, he earned his nickname "the Snake" from his coach following a long, winding touchdown run.

College career [link]

Stabler was recruited by legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at the University of Alabama, joining the team in 1964. Due to NCAA regulations at the time, freshmen were ineligible to play; therefore, Stabler would sit out during the 1964 season. In that season, the Crimson Tide won the National Championship with quarterback Joe Namath.

In the 1965 season, Stabler was used sparingly as a back-up to Steve Sloan at quarterback, following Namath's departure to the AFL. That year again, the Crimson Tide won their second consecutive National Championship, finishing the season with a record of 9-1-1. The team defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Orange Bowl, 39–28.

As a junior in 1966, he took over the quarterback position full-time. He led the team to an undefeated, 11–0 season which ended in 34–7 rout of Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl. Despite the unblemished record, the Tide was snubbed by the polls, finishing in third behind Notre Dame and Michigan State.

Expectations were high in Stabler's senior season, though those expectations would not be completely fulfilled. The offense often struggled, and the defense's performance slipped. During the season, Bryant kicked Stabler off the team for cutting class and partying, though he was given a second chance. The Tide finished with an 8–2–1 record, including a loss to rival Tennessee. Though the season was lackluster, Stabler would provide a memorable moment in the Iron Bowl. Trailing 3–0 in a game drenched by rain, Stabler scampered through the mud for a 53–yard, game-winning touchdown which gave the Tide a 7–3 victory over rival Auburn at Legion Field. The play is commonly referred to as the "Run in the Mud" in Alabama football lore.

Stabler finished his career at Alabama with a 28–3–2 record as a starter.

Career statistics [link]

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan=2|Season !! colspan=6|Passing !! colspan=4|Rushing |- ! Comp !! Att !! Yards !! Pct. !! TD !! Int !! Att !! Yards !! Avg !! TD |- | 1965 | 3 || 11 || 26 || 27.3 || 0 || 0 || 61 || 328 || 5.4 || 1 |- | 1966 | 74 || 114 || 956 || 64.9 || 7 || 5 || 93 || 397 || 4.3 || 3 |- | 1967 | 103 || 178 || 1,214 || 57.9 || 9 || 13|| 111|| 113 || 1.0 || 5 |- ! Career Total ! 180 !! 303 !! 2,196 !! 59.4 !! 16!! 18!! 265!! 838 !! 3.2 !! 9 |}

NFL career [link]

Stabler was drafted in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. Stabler first attracted attention in the NFL in a 1972 playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After entering the game in relief of Daryle Lamonica, he scored the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter on a 30-yard scramble. The Steelers, however, came back to win on a controversial, deflected pass from Terry Bradshaw to Franco Harris, known in football lore as The Immaculate Reception.

After suffering severe knee injuries, Stabler became less a scrambling quarterback and more a classic, drop-back passer, known for accurate passes and an uncanny ability to lead late, come-from-behind drives. During the peak of his career, he had a receiving corps consisting of sprinter and multiple Hall of Fame finalist Cliff Branch, Hall of Fame receiver Fred Biletnikoff, and a Hall of Fame tight end Dave Casper. The Raiders' philosophy was to pound teams with their running game, then stretch them with their long passing game. Although Stabler lacked remarkable arm strength, he was a master of the long pass to Branch, and accurate on intermediate routes to Biletnikoff and Casper. As a starter in Oakland, Stabler was named AFC player of the year in 1974 and 1976, and was the NFL's passing champion in 1976. In January 1977 he guided the Raiders to their first Super Bowl victory, a 32-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings. In the 1977 AFC playoffs against the Baltimore Colts, Stabler completed a now-legendary fourth-quarter pass to Casper to set up a game-tying field goal by Errol Mann. This play, which is dubbed the "Ghost to the Post," sent the game to overtime; the Raiders won 37-31 after Stabler threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Casper.

After subpar 1978 and 1979 seasons in which the Raiders failed to make the playoffs- primarily due to the retirement and departures of key contributors during the Super Bowl run in 1976 (most notably head coach John Madden, George Atkinson, Phil Villapiano, and Biletnikoff)- Stabler was traded to the Houston Oilers for Dan Pastorini prior to the 1980 season, after a lengthy contract holdout. Stabler left the Raiders as their all-time leader in completions (1,486), passing yards (19,078), and touchdown passes (150). The Oilers, in turn, saw Stabler as the missing ingredient that could finally get them past the rival Steelers and into the Super Bowl. However Houston lacked the exceptional talent on offense that Stabler had thrived with in Oakland, as Earl Campbell and Dave Casper- who was also acquired in a trade from the Raiders- were the few potent weapons they had. Meanwhile, Pastorini lost the starting job in Oakland to Jim Plunkett after an injury, and Plunkett then led the Raiders over Stabler and the Oilers in the playoffs. Bum Phillips was fired shortly after the season. Without the popular head coach that rejuvenated an otherwise woeful Houston franchise, Stabler had a mediocre season in 1981 but re-joined Bum Phillips by signing with the New Orleans Saints in 1982. By this time, however, the 37-year-old Stabler was no longer in his prime and the Saints were also a dismal franchise. After 3 unsuccessful seasons that were plagued by injuries and a quarterback controversy with veteran Richard Todd, Stabler retired in the middle of the 1984 season.

Stabler was known for studying his playbook by the light of a nightclub jukebox and for his affinity for female fans. As Hall of Fame guard Gene Upshaw said, "When we were behind in the fourth quarter, with our backs to our end zone, no matter how he had played up to that point, we could look in his eyes and you knew, ''you knew'', he was going to win it for us. That was an amazing feeling."

Stabler was the fastest to win 100 games as a starting quarterback, having done so in 150 games, which bettered Johnny Unitas' previous mark of 153 games. Since then, only Joe Montana and Tom Brady have reached 100 wins more quickly. Stabler is also the only quarterback from the NFL's All-1970's team not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In a recent NFL feature listing the top 10 players not in the Hall of Fame, Stabler was listed at number six, partly due to his off-field scandals, which in the 1970s were less prominent, or it could be that he never emulated the success he achieved in Oakland.

In the early part of 1974, Stabler and several NFL stars agreed to join the newly created World Football League. Stabler signed a contract to play for the Birmingham Americans. "I'm as happy as can be. Getting with a super organization and the financial benefits were key factors, but the biggest thing to me is getting back home. Getting to play before the people in the South is where it's at for me. In two years I'll be in Birmingham if I have to hitchhike," he said. "If I can do for the WFL what Joe Namath did for the AFL, I will feel that I have really accomplished something. I was born in the South and raised in the South and played football in the South. Oakland could have offered me as much money as Birmingham but they couldn't have let me play in the South." The WFL would end up folding mid-way through the 1975 season, and Stabler remained in the NFL without ever playing in the WFL.

Broadcasting career[link]

Following his retirement as a player, Stabler worked as a color commentator, first on CBS NFL telecasts, and then on radio with Eli Gold for Alabama football games. Following his third DUI arrest since 1995, Stabler took a leave of absence for Alabama's 2008 season. Following his departure, he was replaced with Tom Roberts. In late October 2008, Stabler was acquitted of the DUI charge. In April 2009, the university announced that Stabler would not return to his commentator's position.

Popular culture[link]

Stabler was featured on a ''SNL'' skit as the spokesman for a fictional product called the "Lung Brush". Professional wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts adapted his nickname "The Snake" as a tribute to Stabler.

While playing for the Oilers, Stabler had his own soft drink, known as ''Snake Venom'', sold in the city. In his autobiography, Stabler stated that the drink "tasted about like its name."

He made a cameo appearance on ''Married...With Children'' ("The Bud Bowl Episode").

In September 2006, Stabler partnered with children's book publisher Mascot Books to release his first kid's book, ''Roll Tide!''.

Stabler was the grand marshal for the 2009 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway.

Stabler also appears in the book Gump and Co. A sequel to the book and movie Forest Gump as the New Orleans Saints quarterback.

Personal[link]

Stabler has been married three times. He married Isabel Clarke in 1968 and divorced in 1971, then Debbie Fitzsimmons from 1971 to 1978. In 1984 he married actress Rose Molly Burch. The two have currently filed for divorce.

Stabler has three daughters, two of whom currently attend his alma mater, the University of Alabama.

His daughter Alexa currently serves as the international sweetheart of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

See also[link]

Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame

Mobile Sports Hall of Fame

Further reading [link]

References[link]

External links[link]

KenStabler.com

Ken Stabler bio at RaidersOnline

Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Alabama Category:American football quarterbacks Category:People from Baldwin County, Alabama Category:Oakland Raiders players Category:New Orleans Saints players Category:Houston Oilers players Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football broadcasters Category:Birmingham Americans players Category:University of Alabama alumni Category:National Football League announcers Category:College football announcers

de:Ken Stabler fr:Ken Stabler ja:ケン・ステイブラー pt:Ken Stabler fi:Ken Stabler

Name	Jeffery Michael Gordon
Birth date	August 04, 1971
Birth place	Vallejo, California, United States
Height
Weight
Achievements	USAC Triple Crown champion (1990 Midget, 1991 Silver Crown)1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion1997, 1999, 2005 Daytona 500 Winner1994, 1998, 2001, 2004 Brickyard 400 WinnerSprint All-Star Race XI, XIII, and XVII Winner
Awards	1991 NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of The Year1993 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the YearNASCAR's 50 Greatest DriversNational Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame Inductee
Total cup races	662
Years in cup	21
Cup car team	No. 24 (Hendrick Motorsports)
Prev cup pos	8th
Previous year	2011
Best cup pos	1st (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001)
First cup race	1992 Hooters 500 (Atlanta)
Last cup race
First cup win	1994 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
Last cup win	2011 AdvoCare 500 (Atlanta)
Cup wins	85
Cup top tens	398
Cup poles	70
Years in busch	5
Total busch races	73
Best busch pos	4th (1992)
First busch race	1990 AC-Delco 200 (Rockingham)
Last busch race	2000 Miami 300 (Homestead)
First busch win	1992 Atlanta 300 (Atlanta)
Last busch win	2000 Miami 300 (Homestead)
Busch wins	5
Busch top tens	32
Busch poles	12
Updated	April 28, 2012 }}

Jeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He drives the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont Chevrolet Impala for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is a four-time series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the most wins in NASCAR's modern era (1972–present). In 2009, Gordon became the first driver to reach $100 million in career winnings in the Cup series.

Gordon, along with Rick Hendrick, are the co-owners of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, driven by Jimmie Johnson, who won five consecutive Cup championships from 2006 to 2010. Gordon also has an equity stake in his own No. 24 team. He was born in Vallejo, California, raised in Pittsboro, Indiana, and currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Early career[link]

Gordon began racing at the age of five, racing quarter midgets. The Roy Hayer Memorial Race Track (Previously the Cracker Jack Track) in Rio Linda, California is noted as the first track Gordon ever competed on. By the age of six Gordon had won 35 main events and set five track records. By the age of 13, Gordon took an interest in the sprint cars. Gordon and his family had to overcome an insurance hurdle. The minimum age for driving the sprint cars was 16. His persistence paid off with an all Florida speed weeks. Supporting his career choice, Gordon's family moved from Vallejo, California to Pittsboro, Indiana, where there were more opportunities for younger racers. Before the age of 18, Gordon had already won three short-track races and was awarded USAC Midget Car Racing Rookie of the Year in 1989. That season was highlighted by winning Night Before the 500 midget car race on the day before the Indianapolis 500. In 1990, Gordon won his second consecutive Night Before the 500, the Hut Hundred, and the Belleville Midget Nationals on his way to winning the USAC national Midget title. In 1991, Gordon into the USAC Silver Crown, and at the age of 20 became the youngest driver to win the season championship. He also won the 4 Crown Nationals midget car race that season. In his midget car career between 1989 and 1992, he finished in the Top 3 in 22 of 40 USAC midget car events. And he remembered, "the car is heavy"!

Busch Series career[link]

In 1990 Gordon met Hugh Connerty, who owned some Hooters restaurants and was also a partner in Outback Steakhouse. Connerty secured some sponsorship for a car through Outback, and they tested for the last few Busch Grand National races left in 1990. Ray Evernham was called in to work with Jeff in his stock car debut. His first Busch race came on October 20, 1990 at Rockingham in the AC-Delco 200. Gordon drove the No. 67 Outback Steakhouse Pontiac for Connerty. Gordon ran the second fastest lap during qualifying and started on the outside of the front row of the field. Gordon would however, get involved in a wreck on lap 33. He ended up with a 39th place finish.

In 1991 and 1992, Gordon went on to the Busch Series driving Ford Thunderbirds for Bill Davis Racing. In his first year as a Busch driver he won rookie of the year. In 1992, Gordon set a NASCAR record by capturing 11 poles in one season. His time with Bill Davis Racing introduced Gordon to Ray Evernham as his crew chief. He was sponsored by Carolina Ford Dealers in 1991 and Baby Ruth in 1992.

Cup Series career[link]

Gordon made his Winston Cup debut in the history-making 1992 Hooters 500 at Atlanta in the last race of that season; in addition to the race being Richard Petty's final race in NASCAR and the championship battle among six drivers (eventually won by Alan Kulwicki by virtue of his second place finish in the race), this was Gordon's first start in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports that he has driven for his entire Cup Series career.

Gordon began driving the No. 24 full-time in the 1993 Winston Cup season, in which he won a Daytona 500 qualifying race, the Rookie of the Year award, and finished 14th in points. Ray Evernham was placed as Jeff Gordon's first crew chief. Gordon's success in the sport reshaped the paradigm and eventually gave younger drivers an opportunity to compete in NASCAR. However, during the 1993 season, many doubted Gordon's ability to compete at such a level at such a young age because of his tendency to push the cars too hard and crash. His last-place finish at the 1993 First Union 400 was a firm example of this theory.

1994[link]

In 1994, Gordon collected his first career victory at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race on the NASCAR circuit. Additionally, Gordon scored a popular hometown victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the inaugural Brickyard 400, passing Ernie Irvan for the lead late in the race when Irvan cut down a tire. Gordon finished eighth in the Winston Cup point standings for the '94 season, as Dale Earnhardt grabbed the driving championship for his 7th and final time.

1995–2001[link]

1995 saw Gordon win his first NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. He won it by battling 7-time and defending champ, Dale Earnhardt into the final race of the season. Many see this as a symbolic passing of the torch, as Gordon collected his first championship the year after Earnhardt won his final championship. (A similar situation befell Earnhardt early in his career, as he won his first championship after Richard Petty, whose record seven titles he would eventually tie, won his last). Gordon finished the season with eight poles, and seven victories, winning at Rockingham in the second race of the season, Atlanta, Bristol (starting a streak of four consecutive wins in the spring event), Daytona (in the Pepsi 400), New Hampshire, Darlington (Starting a streak of four consecutive wins in the Southern 500 event), and Dover. The team's consistency was much better as well, having 3 DNF's in 1995, compared to 21 in his previous two seasons combined.

Gordon got off to a rocky start in 1996, but rebounded to win ten races, the series high. The 24 team collected wins at Richmond, Darlington (winning both the spring event and the Southern 500), Bristol, Dover (winning both events of the season), Pocono, Talladega, Martinsville, and North Wilkesboro (winning the final event ever at the track). This would start a three year streak of winning double digit races. He finished 2nd to teammate Terry Labonte for the championship, losing by 37 points.

Jeff Gordon won his first Daytona 500 in 1997, becoming the youngest driver in history to win the race, a record that would stand until Trevor Bayne's Daytona win in 2011. He won the second race of the season at Rockingham the following week. Later in the season he also won the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte and had a chance to become the first man since Bill Elliott in 1985 to win the "Winston Million." Gordon completed the feat by holding off a determined Jeff Burton in the final laps of the Southern 500 at Darlington. While Elliott failed to win the Winston Cup in 1985, Jeff Gordon claimed his second Winston Cup championship in 1997, completing one of the most impressive single-season performances in NASCAR history. He finished the season with 10 victories (Daytona, Rockingham, Bristol, Martinsville, Charlotte, Pocono, California, Watkins Glen, Darlington, and New Hampshire) for the second straight season. His victory at California was in the track's inaugural race, and his victory at Watkins Glen began a streak of seven consecutive road course victories. In 1998 Gordon set a modern era record with 13 victories, easily winning the Winston Cup for the third time.

In 1999, Gordon along with crew chief Evernham formed Gordon/Evernham Motorsports. Though short lived, the race team enjoyed success. The co-owned team received a full sponsorship from Pepsi and ran six races with Gordon as driver and Ray Evernham as crew chief in the NASCAR Busch Series. GEM only survived one year as Evernham was pulled away by Dodge, ending one of the most dominant driver/crew-chief combinations in NASCAR history. Jeff Gordon extended his Busch experiment one more year, through 2000 as co-owner, with Rick Hendrick buying Evernham's half. After the departure of Evernham (who left Hendrick Motorsports to begin his own team, Evernham Motorsports, reintroducing Dodge into the series), the race team was renamed JG Motorsports. While winning seven times in 1999, Gordon's season was a major disappointment, finishing 6th in the series standings. Brian Whitesell was named the interim crew-chief for remainder of the season after Evernham's departure in September. Whitesell scored back to back victories in his first two races.

2000 saw Gordon enter his first campaign with Robbie Loomis as crew-chief. Loomis had been with Petty Enterprises for years prior. The team struggled as the rebuilding process went on. Gordon scored his first victory of 2000 at Talladega in the spring event, winning his 50th career victory in the series. He went on to win at Sears Point Raceway (now Infineon Raceway) and Richmond. Gordon finished the season 9th in points.

Many people questioned Gordon's ability to win championships without longtime crew chief, Ray Evernham, especially after Gordon struggled to a 9th place points finish in 2000, winning only three races. Gordon answered those challenges in 2001 by winning 6 races (including a third Brickyard 400 win, and the inaugural event at Kansas Speedway) en route to his 4th Winston Cup championship. Jeff Gordon became the third driver to win four Cup championships in NASCAR history only second to Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt (7 times). The 24 car's paint scheme was changed for the first time this season, abandoning the 'Rainbow Warrior' scheme in favor of a flames-themed car. Both paint schemes were designed by Sam Bass.

2002–03[link]

Gordon entered the 2002 season as defending champion, but the year was far from perfect. In addition (or perhaps because of), Gordon's divorce proceedings with wife Brooke affecting his performance on the track. A strong showing in the Daytona 500 was ruined when Sterling Marlin sent Gordon spinning in the infield grass with a handful of laps remaining, while leading the race. Gordon had won his 125 qualifier, but finished ninth in the Daytona 500 after the contact with Marlin. It was announced to the media during the spring event at Darlington that Gordon's then-wife, Brooke, was filing for divorce. Many think that the addition of the 48 team with Jimmie Johnson as driver in 2002, also took away from Gordon's season as the 24 team helped to build the 48 team. Gordon did not win until the Sharpie 500 night race at Bristol in August, his first victory in the night race at Bristol. He followed that up with a fifth victory in the Southern 500 at Darlington a week later. Gordon won for the third and final time in 2002 at Kansas Speedway, his second consecutive at the track. The 24 team finished the season 4th in points.

In 2003, Jeff Gordon returned with Robbie Loomis for a third season together. Gordon won early in April, winning Martinsville, and winning Atlanta and Martinsville again in the fall. He finished the year 4th in the NASCAR standings, with 3 wins, 15 Top-5 finishes, and 20 Top-10 finishes. Gordon also was in second in rank to Matt Kenseth for the championship early in the season. In June, Gordon went to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to take part in a test with then-F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya. The two switched rides, with Gordon driving an F1 car for the first time. Montoya would eventually join the NASCAR Cup series in 2007.

2004[link]

2004 was a huge rebound for the team. Gordon won the Brickyard 400 in August 2004, obtaining his 4th Indy win (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004). He is the only NASCAR driver with four Brickyard 400 victories at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and one of only five drivers to have four victories at the historic track. Prior to this victory, Gordon won at Talladega (ending the DEI dominance on restrictor plate tracks), and followed that up with a victory the following weekend at California. He also won at Infineon Raceway, and followed that up with a victory the following weekend in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, his second consecutive restrictor plate win. He finished 3rd in the 2004 NEXTEL Cup points standing behind Kurt Busch and teammate Jimmie Johnson even though he scored the most total points throughout the whole season, a consequence of the new Chase system implemented in 2004. While the Hendrick Motorsports team enjoyed success with Johnson and Gordon finished 2nd and 3rd in the points, the team suffered a major off-track tragedy. On October 24, during the race weekend at Martinsville, a Hendrick Motorsports plane carrying engine builder Randy Dorton, team President John Hendrick (Rick Hendrick's brother), Vice President Jeff Turner, Ricky Hendrick (Rick Hendrick's 24 year old son) and more crashed on its way to the track. Everyone on board were killed. The team was clearly affected by this, but continued with impressive performances.

2005[link]

Gordon started the 2005 season with a win in the Daytona 500, his third win in the event. Inconsistency would plague him throughout the year, however. A late season (notably top 10s at Indy and Bristol) run put him in position to qualify for the Chase, but in the last race before the Chase at Richmond, Gordon made contact with the wall and failed to start for the chase. Despite this disappointment, on October 23 Gordon won the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway, his first win in 22 points races, and his 7th career victory at the track, which leads all active drivers at the facility. He went on to finish 11th in the Championship and received a $1,000,000 bonus as the top driver finishing outside the Chase. It was Gordon's first time outside the top 10 in the point standings since 1993.

On September 14, 2005 Crew Chief Robbie Loomis resigned from the No. 24 team. Loomis stayed on with Hendrick Motorsports as a consultant for Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 team through the Chase for The NEXTEL Cup in 2005. Steve Letarte, Gordon's car chief for most of the '05 season and long time member of the 24 crew, replaced Loomis as crew chief effective at New Hampshire International Speedway on September 18, 2005.

2006[link]

Gordon won his ninth road race, the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350, at the Infineon Raceway – his first win of the season and fifth at Infineon. The day before the race, he announced his engagement to Belgian model Ingrid Vandebosch.

On June 29, 2006, Gordon announced that he would participate in the Rolex 24 endurance sports car event at Daytona International Speedway, teaming up with SunTrust Racing drivers Max Angelelli and Wayne Taylor, who won the 2005 Rolex 24 race. His team went on to finish third, despite problems, two laps behind the winning team of Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Pruett, and Salvador Durán. On July 9, 2006, Gordon won his first race at the Chicagoland Speedway at the running of the USG Sheetrock 400(this was also the first win for Hendrick Motorsports at this track).

Gordon made the "Chase for the NEXTEL Cup" with his improvements on the intermediate 1.5/2-mile downforce racetracks from 2005. His consistency in the latter portions of 2006 made him competitive week-in and week-out, eventually finishing 6th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Standings.

Jeff Gordon attended the awards ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City for his top-10 finish in the NEXTEL Cup Standings. While there he collected a check for his 2006 winnings of $7,471,447 which brings his career winnings total to $82,838,526.

2007[link]

Gordon started the 2007 Cup season off by winning his Gatorade Duel qualifying race. Due to a rear shock bolt breaking during the race on his car, he failed the post-race inspection which found that the rear of his car was too low and, as a result, had to start 42nd in the 2007 Daytona 500. He went on to finish 10th in the race despite being involved in a crash during a spectacular last-lap finish.

On March 23, 2007, Gordon won his 58th career pole for the 2007 Food City 500 at Bristol, the first race for the Car of Tomorrow. He went on to a 3rd place in the race, which gave him the points lead for the first time since the 2005 Daytona 500. At Texas Motor Speedway, Gordon started on the pole because qualifying was rained out. He led the most laps before brushing the wall coming out of turn 4 and finishing 4th. On April 19, 2007 at Phoenix International Raceway, Gordon won the pole, and tied Darrell Waltrip's modern day record of 59 career poles. Two days later, at the Subway Fresh Fit 500, he won for the first time at PIR, ending also a streak of 21 races of non-pole winners at the track. With the win, he also tied Dale Earnhardt for 6th all time in overall number of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series wins (second in the modern era). After winning the race, he held a black flag with the number 3 to honor the late Dale Earnhardt.

On April 28, 2007, Gordon earned the pole at Talladega Superspeedway, his 60th career pole (and third consecutive in 2007), passing Darrell Waltrip's record of 59 to become the modern era pole leader. One day later, he passed Earnhardt for sole position of sixth on the all time wins list with 77 by winning the Aaron's 499.

On May 13, 2007, Gordon held on despite an overheating car and a late charge by Denny Hamlin to win the Dodge Avenger 500, the 78th win of his career, and his 7th at Darlington Raceway.

In the 2007 Coca-Cola 600, Gordon crashed after contact with Tony Raines and AJ Allmendinger on lap 61 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, only into the race, ending his streak of completing every lap during the season. Gordon finished 41st.

On June 11, 2007, Gordon earned his 4th win of the year and 79th of his career in a rain shortened race at Pocono Raceway. Six days later, he scored a ninth place finish at the Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan International Speedway, the 300th top-ten finish of his career. On September 8, 2007, Gordon earned a place in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. With his four wins in the first 26 races, he earned the "Regular Season" Championship, and the second seed (teammate Jimmie Johnson earned the top seed with six wins) in the chase.

On October 7, 2007, Gordon led only the final lap in winning the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway for his 80th career victory, using a strategy of staying near the end of the field until nearly the end of the race to avoid the inevitable "big one", especially with the unknowns involved in racing the Car of Tomorrow. With the win, he swept the 2007 season races at Talladega, and won his 12th race at a restrictor plate track (Daytona and Talladega), making him the all-time leader for restrictor plate wins.

On October 13, 2007, Gordon led 71 laps and, although fuel was a question near the end of the race, he was able to finish the race and earned his 81st career victory in the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Finishing fourth in the 2007 Ford 400, Gordon finished the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup 2nd in the standings to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, trailing by 77. However, Gordon's top-ten finish at Homestead left him with a total of 30 top-ten finishes for the season, setting a new modern era Cup Series record. This was the second time that Gordon lost a championship because of the Chase points system. As with 2004, he recorded the most points over the entire season, but lost the title because of the ten race championship system. Gordon has been the only driver to lose the title because of the Chase more than once.

2008[link]

Gordon finished fourth in the Budweiser Shootout and finished third in the Gatorade Duel qualifying race. He started the 50th annual Daytona 500 from the eighth position and led eight laps, some under caution, but on lap 159 suffered suspension failure and finished in 39th position.

Jeff Gordon wrecked with 5 laps to go at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), claiming that it was one of the hardest wrecks he's ever had, and leading him to call for safety improvements on the inside walls of LVMS and other similar tracks. The wreck has had drivers and owners from all around NASCAR now concerned with the lack of a SAFER barrier on the inside walls at tracks and the design of the wall where it allows access for emergency vehicles. Greg Biffle went as far to say that the wreck should be taken as seriously as the one that took Dale Earnhardt's life in 2001. Other drivers who have publicly supported Gordon's call for safety improvements include Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, and Kurt Busch.

Gordon collected his 64th career pole for the Kobalt Tools 500 on March 7, 2008, then went on to finish 5th in the race leading 3 laps.

Gordon collected his 65th career pole for the Goody's Cool Orange 500 on March 28, 2008 at Martinsville Speedway. Gordon went on to finish second in the race after being caught up in a crash caused by Aric Almirola and coming back from the tail end of the field. Gordon led 90 laps in the race.

Gordon finished 3rd in the Dodge Challenger 500 making that his 4th straight top 3 finish in that particular event.

Gordon scored a 3rd at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 making this finish his 4th top 3 finish in the last 8 events at Sonoma.

On September 7, 2008, with his 8th place finish at Richmond, Gordon will make his 4th appearance in the Chase for the Sprint Cup earning the 10th seed out of 12 drivers.

Gordon collected his 66th career pole at the Dover International Speedway for the Camping World RV 400. Gordon led 30 laps in the race and scored a top 5, while Greg Biffle won.

On October 31, 2008, Gordon earned his 67th career pole, his fourth of the 2008 season, and first ever at Texas Motor Speedway. Gordon finished 2nd to Carl Edwards.

Gordon finished 7th in the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup, 368 points out of first place. He finished winless for the first time since 1993. This was also the final season the team ran the flames paint scheme that was introduced in 2001. In 2009, the 24 car would unveil its third 'regular' paint scheme. The new scheme was not much different than the previous flames design, but the color blue was replaced with black. This was the first time in Gordon's career that his primary paint scheme did not feature the color blue.

2009[link]

Gordon started off the 2009 season by drawing the 28th and final position of the Budweiser Shootout. Gordon finished 4th at the Shootout, the same finish he had in 2008 after getting through three wrecks, including a last lap crash. He held off Tony Stewart to win his 5th Gatorade Duel. It was his first win in forty-one races. As a result of the win Gordon started 3rd in the Daytona 500 and, after overcoming a tire issue late in the race, finished 13th.

Despite leading 64 laps, Gordon finished runner-up to Matt Kenseth in the Auto Club 500. It was Gordon's 9th top-5 finish at California.

Gordon led 17 laps in the Shelby 427 but cut a tire coming into the pits and as a result he finished 6th, despite having a shredded fender. Gordon took his first points lead since 2007.

Gordon led 35 laps in the Kobalt Tools 500 and finished second to Kurt Busch for his second top five finish of the season.

Gordon finished 4th in the Food City 500 to collect his third top five of the season and extended his point lead to 77 points.

Gordon led 147 laps in the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville, but finished fourth. His teammate Jimmie Johnson won the event. Gordon extended his point lead to 90 points over Clint Bowyer.

Gordon ended his 47 race winless streak, winning the Samsung 500 for his 82nd career victory and his first at Texas Motor Speedway. With the win, Gordon has won at every track that currently hosts a Cup race except Homestead-Miami Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. He held off teammate Jimmie Johnson for the win and extended his points lead to 162 points. Gordon also led 105 of the 334 laps, earning him 10 bonus points.

Gordon scored a 5th place in the Southern 500; despite a loose wheel in the beginning of the race. It was Gordon's 5th straight top 5 finish at the track. He extended his point lead to 31 points over Tony Stewart. Gordon scored second place finishes behind teammate Mark Martin, in both the June LifeLock 400 at Michigan and the July LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Because Martin and Gordon finished 1–2 in both races, LifeLock will pay a $1 million bonus to a Colorado family.

Gordon qualified for the 2009 Chase by virtue of his second place standing in the points following the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. Reseeding dropped him to sixth in the points.

Gordon scored two consecutive second place finishes at the Kansas Speedway and the Auto Club Speedway. He finished second to Tony Stewart and teammate Jimmie Johnson in those races and sits 3rd in points behind by 112 points. (After Texas) He was behind 169 points after Phoenix. He finished 3rd in points giving Hendrick Motorsports the first team ever to finish 1–2–3 in the points. He finished behind teammate Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson. Johnson became the first driver to win four straight titles, but under the new Chase points system. Gordon's four came under the season long points standings. Had this system still been in place, instead of the Chase, Gordon's Cup total would be at six championships, as he scored the most season long points in both 2004 and 2007.

2010[link]

Gordon started off the season slow, starting with a 26th place finish at Daytona and a 19th place finish at Auto Club Speedway. However, at Las Vegas, Gordon dominated, leading 219 of the race's 267 laps. Unfortunately for Gordon, crew chief Steve Letarte opted to take two tires instead of four, arguably costing Gordon the win, as his teammate Jimmie Johnson in the 48 car passed him on four fresh tires. Gordon finished 18th at the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta. Gordon was leading with 2 laps to go at Martinsville in the spring, but a bump from Matt Kenseth and a charge from Denny Hamlin relegated the No. 24 DuPont team to a 3rd place finish. Gordon scored a runner-up finish in the Subway Fresh Fit 600 to eventual winner Ryan Newman. Gordon led 124 laps at Texas, but was involved in a multi-car wreck late in the race. Gordon went on to lead 4 laps at Talladega but was caught up in a wreck with Jeff Burton near the end of the race and dropped him down to a 22nd place finish. Gordon was leading on the final restart of the Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400, but was passed by the winner of the race, Kyle Busch. This was Gordon's eighth second place finish since his last win came at Texas a year ago. At the Southern 500 at Darlington, Gordon led a race-high 110 laps, but was shuffled back to the end of the lead lap as a result of being on pit road when a caution came out. He eventually worked his way up in the last 20 laps to finish fourth. In Dover, Gordon finished 11th after he was a top 15 car all day in a 400 lap event. Gordon recorded a 6th place finish at Charlotte, after opting for track position over pitting with 20 laps to go. Gordon did not have a very fast car, but managed to hold on to a top-10 finish. Gordon made his 600th career NASCAR Sprint Cup start in the 2010 Lifelock.com 400 on July 10, 2010 at the Chicagoland Speedway and finished 3rd. Gordon cut a right front tire late at the Carfax 400 at Michigan, resulting in a 27th place finish, but remained 2nd in the points standings. Gordon finished 13th at the Emory Healthcare 500 in Atlanta, and remained 2nd in the points standings. The Chase started well for Gordon. He finished 6th at Loudon. after struggling at Dover, he finished 5th at Kansas, and 9th at Fontana. He earned his first pole of the season at Charlotte and he was the pick to win the race, but unfortunately, he had battery issues and he was caught speeding on pit road finished a disappointing 23rd place finish. At Martinsville, he got wrecked by rival Kurt Busch, ending his championship hopes. At Texas, he was running well, until an incident occurred between him and Jeff Burton. Gordon wrecked under caution, and he was very upset with Burton, causing them to have a shove and a physical fight. He would finish 37th. In the Ford 400, he started 11th and finished 37th, due to an engine failure. He went winless again, and it would be the third time in his career he went winless (also in 1993 and 2008).

2011[link]

Gordon started the 2011 season in Daytona driving the No. 24 "Drive to End Hunger" Chevrolet Impala, plus new crew chief Alan Gustafson. He started the race in the 2nd position but after an unfortunate multi-car accident, finished the race in 28th, right behind teammate Jimmie Johnson. The following week at Phoenix, Jeff started 17th. He dominated the race, leading 138 of the 312 laps. With eight laps to go, Jeff came up beside Kyle Busch, Gordon got loose and slid up and into Busch. Gordon drove away to a half-second lead. He held off Busch in the remaining 7 laps to win. It was Jeff's first win since Texas in April 2009, and his 2nd win in the previous 3 seasons. But the momentum wouldn't last long. He ran inside the top 5 at Las Vegas, but blew a tire and hit the wall and finished 36th with his first DNF of 2011. He struggled at Bristol and Fontana, finishing outside the top 10 in both. At Martinsville, he led a few laps and finished 5th, his first top 10 since his Phoenix win. He ran out of fuel with a lap to go at Texas while running inside the top 10, finishing 23rd. Gordon won his 70th pole at Talladega, breaking a 3rd-place tie with Cale Yarborough for most poles. At Talladega he 2-car drafted with Mark Martin almost the entire race. He led a few laps at the beginning of the race, but then purposely fell outside the top 30 to avoid any trouble. With about 10 to go, Gordon and Martin started their charge to the front, taking the lead at the white flag. Then, while side-by-side with Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick, coming through the tri-oval, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. squeezed to their inside. Jr. rubbed fenders with Martin, killing his and Gordon's momentum. Gordon finished third, in a 3-wide photo-finish won by Johnson over Bowyer by 0.002 seconds. The following week at Richmond, Gordon stayed in the top 3 all night long, and looked to be a serious contender for the win. But battling back in the pack from a 4-tire call, Matt Kenseth squeezed up on Clint Bowyer and turned Jeff into an inside wall opening. He finished 39th and had his second DNF of the season. The following week at Darlington, Gordon was consistently running in the top 5, a green-white-checkered moved him from 6th to a 12th-place finish. After Darlington, Gordon was 17th points, but due to the new Wild-Card in the Chase, he would be in the Chase due to his Phoenix win. Jeff finished outside the top 10 at Dover and Charlotte. He had a top-5 run going at Charlotte, but being caught a lap down late relegated him to a 20th-place finish. Kansas, the following week. Gordon finished 4th behind some fuel-strategy winners. Coming off a great run at Kansas, Gordon and the #24 team looked to continue the success at Pocono. After starting third, Gordon never lost sight of the leaders, staying in the top 3 all day. With 41 to go, Gordon beat Kurt Busch off pit road, but restarted second to Juan Pablo Montoya, who took 2 tires. Jeff quickly assumed the lead on the restart. After a round of green-flag pit stops, Jeff passed Landon Cassill, for the lead and never looked back. He had his 2nd win of the year, 84th career win, tying him 3rd all-time with Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison, and his fifth win at Pocono, tying him with Bill Elliott for all-time wins at the racetrack. Following his Pocono win, Jeff again struggled with his 1.5–2 mile tracks, finishing 17th at Michigan. Everyone had high expectations for Gordon at Infineon. But the entire race showed Gordon mired back in the 22nd position. But a call from Gustafson put Jeff 7th with about 20 to go. Gordon muscled his way through the field, avoiding and staying ahead of wrecks. He grabbed second coming to the white flag, and ran out of time to catch leader Kurt Busch. The second place finish put Gordon in 9th place in the standings.

The Coke Zero 400 at Daytona weekend started out well for Gordon, starting 4th. His drafting buddy Mark Martin started on pole, and chose the outside line at the start, and that quickly put him and Gordon out front. Jeff and Mark approached this race the same as Talladega, as they hung out at the back for the entire race. A green flag run of about 100 laps caused the Hendrick duos to be many seconds behind the leader. Gordon and Martin charged to the front and caught the leaders with 3 to go. But a bunched up field in turn 3 caused Gordon to slide up and into Kyle Busch and spin. A save by Gordon minimized his damage. He restarted 18th behind Kyle Busch. With Gordon pushing, Kyle moved by most of the field before a final last-turn, last-lap wreck took out top contenders. Gordon finished 6th and complimented Kyle on his ability to make moves through the pack. The 6th-place finish put Gordon in 8th place in points.

The next week marked the first-ever Sprint Cup Series race held at the Kentucky Speedway. Gordon was fast in the practice sessions, and when qualifying was rained out, but would start 14th. However, the handling of the 24 DuPont Chevrolet was not to Gordon's liking. At one point, he said that Kentucky was "one of the most frustrating places I've ever driven." For much of the race, Gordon ran in the mid 20s, even falling one lap down to then race leader, and eventual winner, Kyle Busch. After a caution for debris came out, Crew Chief Alan Gustafson opted to not pit and take the wave around to make up the lost lap. A late caution, pit strategy, and a bit of luck enabled Gordon to pit and run inside the top 10 for the final 50 laps. He would salvage a tenth-place finish, moving him up to 7th place in the points.

At Loudon, he led 19 laps but had electric issues. He worked his way up to fourth, but cut a tire on the last lap and was forced to settle for eleventh. Two weeks later at Indianapolis, Gordon led 36 laps but lost to Paul Menard's fuel strategy. He finished a very close second. At the next race at Pocono, Gordon would finish 6th. He placed 13th at Watkins Glen International a week later. At Michigan, he led 50 laps, but finished sixth after simply losing the car late. He led a race-high 206 laps at Bristol the next week, and finished third to Martin Truex, Jr. and Brad Keselowski.

The following Sunday race at Atlanta was delayed due to rain, and was moved to Tuesday, due to a tropical storm (Lee) on the track on Monday. In that race Jeff Gordon led the majority of the laps at the beginning of the race. However, with tightness and tire issues as well as cautions and a red flag being thrown out due to rain, he was placed in a tough situation as far as the race strategy. The race continued and Jeff marched his way up to the lead once again. His car gradually became loose, and he eventually lost the lead to Matt Kenseth as well as several more positions. But several more cautions enabled Jeff to complete adjustments and furthermore take better care of his tires, in fear of wearing them out early. He charged back up to the leader Jimmie Johnson and passed him, but as the race led to 10–15 laps to go, Jeff was starting to become loose again in the long run. This allowed Jimmie Johnson to catch Jeff and pass him once, but Jimmie was loose too, enabling Jeff to reclaim the lead. Both drivers battled side-by-side and battled looseness issues. Coming to the white flag, Jimmie was excessively loose off turn 4 behind him, allowing Jeff some breathing room. Jeff held off Jimmie for the final lap and took his 3rd victory of the season as well as his 85th career win, placing 3rd on the all-time win list, behind Richard Petty and David Pearson, beating Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip. He then moved up to 5th in points.

At Richmond (September 10, 2011), Jeff Gordon had a poor qualifying run of 17th at the Wonderful Pistachios 400. He had a fast car at the beginning, but suddenly the car experienced tightness issues and he dropped back to the 20's in position. He missed an opportunity to pit and make some adjustments under caution, due to communication errors between him and his crew chief. However, coming to 250 laps, the caution between his teammate Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch gave him a chance to pit and make such adjustments, and eventually he climbed back up to the front and took the lead. He led the field in for service under the caution on Lap 384. He came out of the pits second and had a bad restart, but shot back with a finish of 3rd at Richmond, with Kevin Harvick winning the race, and Carl Edwards in second. Jeff Gordon commented on how it was interesting that Paul Menard, a Richard Childress teammate of Harvick's, caused the caution by just spinning into the grass.

Gordon's summer hot streak made him a top pick for the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. He was seeded 3rd for the chase, because of his 3 wins.

Gordon's Chase started off with a disappointing 23rd Qualifying effort at Chicagoland Speedway. He would run near that position all day, going even a lap down during the midpoint of the race. He started his climb late i the race, before fuel milage came into play. He made it to 17th when he ran out of gas with 2 laps to go and finished 24th, making a deep hole to climb out of early in the Chase.

The second race in the Chase, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, looked to be a rebound race for Gordon, as he ran well in the spring race. He started out the good weekend qualifying 7th, and looked fast in practice. Gordon started the race and quickly clawed his way to the front, grabbing the lead at lap 164. He opened gaps of 4+ seconds on the field, and was clearly the car to beat. But, while trying to stretch fuel for the last pit stop, Jeff ran out of gas under green coming to pit road, and took a long time getting re-fired, erasing his 9 second lead. What made matters worse, there was a problem during the exchange of fuel cans and they didnt get enough fuel in the car as they would've liked. He charged back up to 3rd, but then got word of the fuel mishap, he fell to 6th. While conserving in 7th, leaders started to pit for fuel. Hamlin, Kahne, and Bowyer run out of fuel. Greg Biffle also ran out of fuel, but beat Jeff by inches for 3rd. Gordon's 4th place finish boosted him to 5th in points. A great rebound from Chicagoland.

Dover International Speedway, the third race in the Chase, going in, was going to be a questionable weekend for the 24 team, as they struggled in the spring race. Finishing practice sessions in the top 5 showed promise for the race. But, a 34th starting position quickly changed the mood in the 24 camp. The day looked up for the 24 team after moving through the field quickly. Gordon stayed most of the day near 10th position. A very uneventful day for the 24 team ended with a solid 12th place finish. But, most of the chasers ran in the top 5, but some ran in the back 20s. Gordon gained points on the Championship leader, but fell to ninth in points, 19 points behind. A very reasonable margin.

Kansas Speedway looked like the best track for Gordon in the Chase. The past 5 attempts at Kansas being top 5's, and an average finish of 8th (best among chasers), backed up the mood of the team. He qualified a decent 10th, after finishing the practice sessions in the top 5 and 10. The race started very well for Gordon, moving into the top 5 in a matter of about 25 laps. Gordon had a top 3 car all day long, Jimmie Johnson only being faster, as the leader. Gordon's pit stops were flawless all day, gaining many spots, besides the handfuls that took 2 tires. On a restart with 45 laps to go, Gordon restarted fifth behind Ku Busch, Harvick, Johnson and Keselowski, with Tony Stewart behind him, in seventh. When the green dropped, Stewart dove below Gordon into turn 1 and moved him up the track. The contact quickly threw Gordon from 5th to 17th. While in the back, Gordon reported seeing smoke inside the car. While, the car looked to be slow, Gordon inched up to 14th, before the engine let go with 2 to go. Gordon dropped to 34th, and with most of the Chase contenders having good days, put him 10th in points, 47 behind the leaders. The point margin was a very difficult hole for Gordon to climb out of, especially at a track that would possibly be his best shot at a win.

The next week at Martinsville Speedway Jeff looked strong, and led a handful of laps throughout the race. He finished Third after avoiding a few last lap mistakes by front runners, he finished behind Johnson and Stewart.

2012[link]

In the Budweiser Shootout, Gordon flipped his car on the penultimate lap. According to Jeff, this was the first time that he ever flipped a race car. During the 2012 Daytona 500, his engine overheated and blew on lap 82, leaving him out of the race. He rebounded with an 8th place finish the following week at Phoenix.

Other racing[link]

Gordon has also participated in some off-road events, including a winning drive with Team USA at the 2002 Race of Champions. He was slated to run it again in 2004 against Formula One Champion Michael Schumacher but was sidelined by the flu, and Casey Mears took his place. In 2005, Gordon competed in the Race of Champions event again, this time held in Paris, France, where he was partnered with famed motocross racer/X Games winner Travis Pastrana. In 2007, Gordon competed in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona for the first time. He raced the No. 10 Pontiac for Wayne Taylor racing. His teammates consisted of: Max Angelelli, Jan Magnussen, and Wayne Taylor. The team placed third in Gordon's first ever Rolex 24.

Gordon won one race in IROC, in 1998.

Career NASCAR statistics[link]

Races 1 30 31 31 31 32 33 34 34 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 7 660

Season	|	Wins	Poles	Top 5	Top 10	DNF	Position	Team(s)
1992	|	0	0	0	0	1	79th	Hendrick Motorsports
1993	|	0	1	7	11	11	14th	Hendrick Motorsports
1994	|	2	1	7	14	10	8th	Hendrick Motorsports
1995	|	7	8	17	23	3	1st	Hendrick Motorsports
1996	|	10	5	21	24	5	2nd	Hendrick Motorsports
1997	|	10	1	22	23	2	1st	Hendrick Motorsports
1998	|	13	7	26	28	2	1st	Hendrick Motorsports
1999	|	7	7	18	21	7	6th	Hendrick Motorsports
2000	|	3	3	11	22	2	9th	Hendrick Motorsports
2001	|	6	6	18	24	2	1st	Hendrick Motorsports
2002	|	3	3	13	20	3	4th	Hendrick Motorsports
2003	|	3	4	15	20	5	4th	Hendrick Motorsports
2004	|	5	6	16	25	3	3rd	Hendrick Motorsports
2005	|	4	2	8	14	9	11th	Hendrick Motorsports
2006	|	2	2	14	18	7	6th	Hendrick Motorsports
2007	|	6	7	21	30	1	2nd	Hendrick Motorsports
2008	|	0	4	13	19	6	7th	Hendrick Motorsports
2009	|	1	1	16	25	1	3rd	Hendrick Motorsports
2010	|	0	1	11	17	4	9th	Hendrick Motorsports
2011	|	3	1	13	18	3	8th	Hendrick Motorsports
2012*	|	0	0	1	1	2	17th*	Hendrick Motorsports
colspan=12 bgcolor=#808080 height="5px"
Totals	|	85	70	288	397	88

Season in progress.

Data as of April 1, 2012.

Sponsorship and paint[link]

Jeff Gordon and his team have carried the nickname "The Rainbow Warriors" throughout the years. Jeff has always carried DuPont as a sponsor. From 1993 to 2000, Gordon carried a rainbow scheme that got the team their nickname. Throughout the years, Gordon has sometimes carried different paint, such as ''Jurassic Park'' the ride in 1997, ''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace'' in 1999, and Snoopy in the 2000 Brickyard 400, and a Superman theme. In 1997, Gordon signed a long-term contract with Pepsi that is still in place today. Every year Gordon has driven a car with the Pepsi scheme (he almost always has car with a Pepsi paint scheme at a night race, particularly Daytona International Speedway in July). In 2001, Gordon debuted a new scheme designed by NASCAR artist Sam Bass, which kept a blue base but changed the rainbow pattern to flames. In 2006, Gordon acquired a new sponsor, Nicorette. In 2007, Gordon increased his partnership with Nicorette, and ran the paint scheme in 4 races. At Talladega in 2007, Gordon had a fan design contest. The design got a real treat, as Gordon won the race. Since 2007, Gordon has had the same design with different colors. (e.g. Nicorette scheme, green and yellow flames). Gordon will occasionally run a scheme that will support a different type of DuPont paint such as Cromax Pro.

Gordon announced that the primary scheme of the DuPont No. 24 Chevrolet was to change for 2009 & beyond on the QVC show ''For Race Fans Only''. The 2009 scheme kept the flames format but the colors were radically changed to red and orange flames on a black base color. The new 2009 DuPont paint scheme was unveiled on NBC's ''Today'' show. In 2009, National Guard signed a contract with Gordon, replacing Nicorette. National Guard was the primary sponsor on Gordon's car for 6–8 races per season through 2010. Occasionally, a one-race sponsor steps in to sponsor Gordon's car for one race. For example, Gordon ran a Megatron scheme at Charlotte in the Fall of 2009 to promote the movie ''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' that was soon to come out on .

Hendrick Motorsports owner, Rick Hendrick, said in November 2009 that he is working on signing a contract extension with DuPont, Gordon's primary sponsor since the beginning of his career. DuPont's current contract with Jeff Gordon expires at the end of 2010, and Hendrick said he wants it to be Gordon's primary sponsor for the rest of his career. In 2010 reports surfaced that Hendrick Motorsports was in talks with Walmart to be a sponsor for the No. 24 car, the deal never materialized. In October 2010, Hendrick Motorsports announced a scaled-down three-year extension of its sponsorship agreement with DuPont: DuPont will be Gordon's primary sponsor for 14 races, with AARP picking up 22 of the remaining races and long-term sponsor Pepsi continuing as primary sponsor for 2 races.

Personal life[link]

Gordon's parents are Carol Ann Bickford (''née'' Houston) and William Grinnell Gordon of Vacaville, California. He has an older sister named Kim.

Gordon met first wife Brooke Sealey after he won a Busch race. Sealey was then a college student and had been present as Ms. Winston in the victory lane in 1992. The pair began dating in secret, due to a rule that did not allow drivers to date Ms. Winston, and they were married in 1994. In 2003, Gordon's divorce from Sealey became tabloid fodder. In court papers, she asked for "exclusive use of the couple's oceanfront home, valued at $9 million, as well as alimony, two cars and periodic use of their boats and an airplane."

Gordon was introduced to Ingrid Vandebosch by a mutual friend in 2002, but they did not begin dating until 2004. Jeff announced their engagement on June 24, 2006, at a croquet event at Meadowood Resort in St. Helena, California. According to Gordon, they had kept the engagement secret for the following 30 days. Gordon and Vandebosch were married in a small, private ceremony in Mexico on Nov. 7, 2006. On June 20, 2007, Vandebosch gave birth to their first child, Ella Sofia Gordon in New York City. On February 4, 2010, Gordon revealed that he and his wife are expecting their second child in August, and on March 16, 2010, he revealed that the baby is a boy. Gordon had Scott Pruett ready to step into the 24 at Watkins Glen because his wife was due to give birth the weekend of August 8, 2010. On August 9, 2010, Vandebosch delivered their son, Leo Benjamin Gordon, at 8:53 am. He weighed 7 lbs., 2 oz., and was 19 inches long.

Gordon owns a private jet, a British Aerospace BAE-125-800, also known as a Hawker 800, with a tail number on this jet matching his car number, N24JG and also owns a Lazzara 106 yacht called the ''24 Karat''.

In 1999, Jeff Gordon established The Jeff Gordon Foundation to help support children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses. In 2007, Jeff Gordon along with Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Warrick Dunn, Mia Hamm, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning, and Cal Ripken, Jr. founded Athletes for Hope, a charitable organization which helps professional athletes get involved in charitable causes and inspires millions of non-athletes to volunteer and support the community.

It was announced in 2009 that Gordon would receive the Silver Buffalo Award, the Boy Scouts of America's highest award for his work as a Scout Recruiter and humanitarian work.

Gordon is a Christian. He has talked about how in the early nineties he got curious and followed some drivers to the weekly chapel one week, which is how he first started to learn more about God.

Career awards[link]

He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame at the January 10, 2009, Chili Bowl Nationals race at Tulsa. Most recently Jeff was inducted into the Watkins Glen International Hall of Fame because of his outstanding success on the track.

In popular media[link]

Gordon occasionally appears on television shows. He has co-hosted ''Live with Regis and Kelly'' ten times on days when Regis Philbin was unavailable. In January 2003, Gordon became the first NASCAR driver to host NBC's ''Saturday Night Live''. In 2005, he played himself in ''Herbie Fully Loaded''. In 2009 he voiced a character on the animated series Speed Racer/Next Generation. On April 11, 2010, Jeff was the guest celebrity on an episode of ABC's ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''.

He was mentioned in Nelly's song E.I. in 2000.

He provides his voice as Jeff Gorvette, a Chevrolet Corvette C6.R no. No. 24, in Pixar's 2011 animated movie, Cars 2.

Jeff appears in PlayStation 3 videogame ''Gran Turismo 5'' as himself, providing tutorials on racing in NASCAR.

He also appears on the cover of NASCAR Thunder 2002 and NASCAR 09. He is also on the cover of NASCAR 06: Total Team Control with Jimmie Johnson.

In the movie "Couple's Retreat", Jeff was mentioned when Jason Bateman said: "If Jeff Gordon told you the oil was low, you'd want to change it."

In 2003 he appeared in the movie ''Looney Tunes: Back in Action'' in Las Vegas doing a give away contest for his race car before Yosemite Sam steals the car.

Jeff was shown in an episode of The Red Green Show as an example in Handyman's Corner.

He was shown in the 2009 documentary film ''Racing Dreams''.

In the King of The Hill episode "Life In The Fast Lane, Bobby's Saga", Jeff Gordon is portrayed less than favorably, screaming "Daddy!" in a nasal tone when his cars spins out and hits a wall, alluding to earlier comments in the episode about how the main cast doesn't care for him because his father pulled strings to get him the car.

See also[link]

List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards

Further reading[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Jefff Godon's Twitter Account

Official team website

Jeff Gordon at NASCAR.com

Jeff Gordon Racing School

The Jeff Gordon Foundation

NPR story about Gordon

''Men's Vogue'' article on Gordon from April 2008 issue

Category:Living people Category:1971 births Category:People from the San Francisco Bay Area Category:People from Vallejo, California Category:Racing drivers from California Category:24 Hours of Daytona drivers Category:NASCAR drivers Category:NASCAR Cup Series champions Category:NASCAR Rookies of the Year Category:NASCAR team owners Category:Daytona 500 winners Category:Brickyard 400 winners Category:International Race of Champions drivers Category:Grand-Am drivers Category:American Christians Category:People from Pittsboro, Indiana Category:Racing drivers from Indiana

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