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Joey Harrington

Joey Harrington with the Saints in 2008.
No. 3, 13
Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1978-10-21) October 21, 1978 (age 33)
Place of birth: Portland, Oregon
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight: 210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
College: Oregon
NFL Draft: 2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
Debuted in 2002 for the Detroit Lions
Last played in 2007 for the Atlanta Falcons
Career history
Detroit Lions (2002–2005) Miami Dolphins (2006) Atlanta Falcons (2007) New Orleans Saints (2008)
Career highlights and awards
Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year (2001) 1x NFL FedEx Air Player of the Week
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2008
TD-INT 79-85 Passing yards 14,693 Passer rating 69.4 Stats at NFL.com

John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, where he played for most of his professional career. He ranks third all-time in Detroit history in pass completions, with 986. He played college football at the University of Oregon.

Harrington also played briefly for the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints.

Early years[link]

Harrington was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where he has resided his entire life. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in Portland, and finished his high school career with more than 4,200 yards and 50 TDs rushing and passing.

His grandfather and father played quarterback for the universities of Portland and Oregon, respectively, and upon hearing of Joey's birth, legendary Oregon Ducks' coach Len Casanova jokingly sent his parents a letter-of-intent.^{[citation needed]}

College career[link]

Harrington is a graduate of the University of Oregon, and was a three year starter on the Oregon Ducks football team. In his senior season at Oregon, he threw for 2,415 yards and 23 touchdowns, and he finished his college career with a 25-3 record (including bowl wins against 12th-ranked Texas and 3rd-ranked Colorado), 512 completions in 928 attempts (55.2%), 6911 passing yards, 59 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, and 210 rushing yards and 18 scores on 145 carries. A Business Administration major with a 3.23 GPA (twice earning honors with a 3.34 GPA),^[1][2] Harrington's 7,121 yards of total offense rank third in University of Oregon history.

Harrington's worst collegiate game came during the 2000 Civil War game against the Oregon State Beavers, Oregon's arch rival. Harrington threw 5 interceptions (and fumbled once), earning the Ducks a 23-13 defeat and costing them a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Harrington finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy in 2001, following a campaign for the award that included a billboard in Times Square promoting him as "Joey Heisman."^[3] He earned numerous honors, including first-team All-American, Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Year, and second-team honors from The Sporting News. He was one of five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 2001. EA Sports selected him for the cover of the 2003 edition of their NCAA Football video game series.

Harrington's best collegiate game was arguably the 2002 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona when he threw for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns and led the Ducks to a 38-16 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes. Harrington was named offensive player of the game.

Professional career[link]

Detroit Lions[link]

Harrington was selected by the Detroit Lions with the third pick overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. Harrington took over for incumbent Mike McMahon late in the Lions' week 1 loss against the Miami Dolphins and became the Lions' starting quarterback shortly thereafter, finishing that year with a 50.1 completion percentage, a ratio of 12 touchdowns to 16 interceptions, and a 59.9 quarterback rating; the Lions finished the season with a 3-13 record.

Harrington's career in Detroit was largely unsuccessful. Front office mismanagement, woeful offensive line protection, lack of talent at other skill positions, and an erratic philosophical change in the team's identity to a conservative West Coast Offense (WCO) oriented attack under Head Coach Steve Mariucci may have played a factor in Harrington not realizing his potential professionally. Harrington's best season as a Lion came in 2004 where he threw for 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Lions started the season with a 4-2 record, but Harrington would lead the team to only two more wins the rest of the season. They finished 6-10 and missed the playoffs for the fifth season in a row.

On October 23, 2005, Mariucci chose to bench Harrington in favor of Jeff Garcia for the team's game against the Cleveland Browns to try and provide a spark to the team's 2-3 start. The Lions won 13-10, and Garcia rushed for Detroit's only touchdown. After yet another dismal offensive performance, Mariucci declared that Garcia would remain the starter. This marked the first time since the 2002 season that Harrington did not appear in a Lions' game, breaking a string of 37 consecutive appearances. Harrington regained the starting role the week after Garcia threw a game ending interception returned for a touchdown in overtime against Chicago. Harrington started again for Detroit on November 13, 2005, against the Arizona Cardinals, throwing for three touchdowns without an interception in the Lions' 29-21 win. Harrington was voted by Lions fans as their Offensive Player of the Year, according to the Lions' official website. Despite his difficult times in Detroit, he remained unwaveringly optimistic and was thus dubbed "Joey Blue-Skies" and "Joey Sunshine" by sarcastic Lions' fans and beat writers who grew tired of his predictable post-game commentary as the losses continued to mount.

Trade[link]

After the 2005 season, Detroit signed free agents Jon Kitna and Josh McCown, and traded Harrington to the Miami Dolphins on May 12, 2006, for a 5th or 6th round draft pick, depending on performance stipulations in Miami. Harrington started the 2006 season as a backup behind new Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper. During his tenure with the Lions, Harrington started 55 games and had a record of 18 wins and 37 losses.^[4] Without Harrington, the Lions compiled a record of 1 win and 8 losses during those years.^[5]

Miami Dolphins[link]

In 2006, Harrington did not play in the Dolphins' first four games, backing up Culpepper. Culpepper injured his shoulder prior to Miami's fifth game against the New England Patriots, forcing Harrington into the starting role. Harrington lost his first three starts, before leading Miami to a 31-13 win over the previously unbeaten (7-0 at the time) Chicago Bears. Harrington followed that game with four consecutive victories. In perhaps his most memorable game professionally, Harrington capped off this winning streak in front of a national television audience on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit with a 27-10 victory at Ford Field against his former team. Harrington passed for 3 touchdowns and 213 yards against Detroit, compiling a passer rating of 107.4, his highest single game rating for 2006. Harrington struggled after the Lions' game. Against the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, Harrington went 5-for-17 for a mere 20 yards, throwing 2 interceptions. His passer rating for the game was 0.0, the minimum possible under the complex NFL formula. Harrington was pulled midway through Miami's next game against the New York Jets, replaced in the 13-10 Christmas night loss by Cleo Lemon. Harrington did not appear in Miami's Week 17 finale against the Indianapolis Colts. Overall, Harrington played in and started eleven games, leading Miami to a 5-6 record (Miami finished 6-10 for the season as a whole).

Atlanta Falcons[link]

On April 9, 2007, Harrington agreed to a two-year, $6 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons to compete with D. J. Shockley and Chris Redman to back up Michael Vick.^[6]

Harrington was elevated to starting QB after the suspension of Michael Vick for the 2007 NFL season. Harrington performed well in the preseason, but after going 0-2, Atlanta signed former Jacksonville starting quarterback Byron Leftwich as a possible replacement for Harrington. During Week 3 Atlanta home opener against division rivals the Carolina Panthers Harrington completed 31/44 passes with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions for a 110.1 passer rating in a 27-20 loss. In Week 4 Harrington improved on his numbers with a 121.7 passer rating where he completed 23/29 passes for two touchdowns with no interceptions, leading the Falcons to their first win of the 2007 season.

On March 5, 2008, the Atlanta Falcons released Harrington in a salary cap move. He was re-signed by the team seven days later^[7] but was again released in August after the Falcons completed their preseason schedule.^[8]

New Orleans Saints[link]

Harrington signed with the New Orleans Saints on September 19, 2008.^[9] He was the third-string quarterback behind Drew Brees and Mark Brunell for one game against the Denver Broncos. He was released only five days later on September 24, 2008, due to increasing injuries on the Saints roster.^[10] After the Saints' injury situation became more manageable, Harrington was re-signed on October 1, but was cut again on October 6.^[11] He was once again re-signed with the Saints on October 12, 2008, as an inactive third quarterback.^[11]

On March 30, 2009, Harrington was re-signed to a one-year deal by the Saints. He was released yet again on September 5, 2009.

Performance questions[link]

When Lions head coach Steve Mariucci was fired by general manager Matt Millen, Lions Pro Bowl cornerback and team captain Dré Bly told Rich Eisen in an NFL Total Access interview that he blamed Harrington for the dismissal of Mariucci.^[12] Bly later apologized to the Lions, but not to Harrington, leading many to speculate whether or not Detroit's locker room was divided – as few players spoke publicly in Harrington's defense.^[13]

Some fingers were also pointed at the Lions' management and coaching for Harrington's woes in Detroit, which have collectively produced only one playoff victory since the team's last championship in 1957. Jeff Garcia publicly questioned the Lions' front office, saying on WXYT that "You start to question whether the organization has the people in place who can go about making the proper selections."^[14] Howie Long, analyst for Fox Sports, said that Matt Millen made a mistake by drafting Harrington, and then again in the offseason before the 2005 season by signing Garcia instead of Brad Johnson.

Career statistics[link]

Personal[link]

Harrington married Emily Hatten on March 10, 2007. They have known each other since high school but did not begin dating until after he had graduated from college. They have one son, John "Jack" Patrick Harrington, born in 2009. Emily is a nurse practitioner, and Harrington spoke about them opening a medical clinic to serve the homeless in Portland, after he retired from football.^[15] One of Harrington's nicknames is "Piano Man," referring to the fact that he is an accomplished jazz pianist who has occasionally performed with artists such as Jason Mraz, Blues Traveler, and Third Eye Blind.^[16] On February 1, 2008, Harrington appeared as a guest chef on a special Super Bowl episode of The Rachael Ray Show.^[17] Harrington is a distant cousin of professional golfer Pádraig Harrington and professional poker player Dan Harrington.^[18] Harrington's brother, Michael, played football at the University of Idaho, and was also a quarterback.

Joey Harrington was the guest on the February 2, 2008, episode NPR's Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!, as a guest during the 'Not My Job' segment.^[19]

Harrington and his family moved back to Portland after his release from the Saints in September 2009. He is spending more time with his wife, Emily, and son, Jack, and the numerous charities in which he is involved.^[20]

On July 31, 2011, Harrington was struck by an SUV while riding his bicycle in Portland, Oregon. Harrington suffered a broken collarbone and a punctured lung due to the accident.^[21]

Broadcasting[link]

In 2009 Harrington worked as an NFL and college football commentator for Fox Sports Radio. In 2010 he served as a color analyst for Oregon Ducks football games on Oregon Sports Network.

Philanthropy[link]

Harrington established the Harrington Family Foundation in 2003 as a nonprofit organization with the goal of supporting youth education and activities as well as other miscellaneous benefits. Busy with a professional football career, his parents, John and Valerie Harrington run the foundation.^[22]

The foundation began with a portion of Joey’s signing bonus with the Detroit Lions. It raises further money by selling memorabilia items and booking events. After being given the New York Times Square "Joey Heisman" billboard by the former Oregon Ducks Athletic Director Bill Moos, he proceeded to cut it up and sell the pieces for charity. All the proceeds from the sales went toward scholarships for the University of Oregon.^[23]

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Harrington Family Foundation
• ESPN Profile

Akili Smith

Akili Smith at the Calgary Stampeders 2007 training camp.
No. 11, 17
Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1975-08-21) August 21, 1975 (age 36)
Place of birth: San Diego, California
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Weight: 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school: Abraham Lincoln
College: Oregon
NFL Draft: 1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
Debuted in 1999 for the Cincinnati Bengals
Last played in 2007 for the Calgary Stampeders
Career history
Cincinnati Bengals (1999–2002) Green Bay Packers (2003)* Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2005)* Frankfurt Galaxy (2005) Calgary Stampeders (2007) *Offseason/practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics as of 2002
Pass attempts 461 Pass completions 215 Percentage 46.6 TD-INT 5-13 Passing yards 2,212 QB Rating 52.8 Stats at NFL.com

Kabisa Akili Maradufu Smith (born August 21, 1975 in San Diego, California) is a former professional American and Canadian football quarterback. He was selected in the first round (3rd overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, the third quarterback in the first three choices, behind Tim Couch (Cleveland Browns), and Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles). Smith played college football at the University of Oregon.

In his career, Smith has also played for the Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Frankfurt Galaxy, and Calgary Stampeders.

College career[link]

Smith attended Abraham Lincoln High School in San Diego, the alma mater of Marcus Allen and Terrell Davis,^[1] before choosing to go Grossmont College, a junior college in the San Diego area for two years, prior to transferring to University of Oregon. Smith came to the foreground of draft discussions because of his performance in his senior season at Oregon, throwing 32 touchdown passes in only 11 starts in college.

Professional career[link]

1999 Draft[link]

In the 1999 NFL Draft, a year when five quarterbacks would be drafted in the first round, Smith was the third quarterback and third player selected overall, by the Cincinnati Bengals.

National Football League (1999 - 2005)[link]

Cincinnati Bengals[link]

Prior to the draft, there was an effort by New Orleans Saints' head coach Mike Ditka and management to get the Cincinnati Bengals' high draft position so the Saints could get Ricky Williams. The final offer, which was refused by Bengals management, was for nine draft picks, several extra in that year as well as many the next year. Instead of taking the trade, the Bengals stayed with their initial decision to draft Smith, who, while athletic, (he had also played two years of minor-league baseball and ran a 4.66 40-yard dash^[2]) was still largely unproven, having only succeeded at the college level for one season.

Smith missed large periods of 1999 training camp due to contract disputes; many pundits^[who?] later speculated that his absence from this part of training camp hurt him in the seasons to come^{[citation needed]}. Despite showing athleticism in his early games, he failed to grasp the Bengals playbook fully, and never established himself with the team. During the four years he was with the Bengals, he would only start in 17 games and throw just five TD passes next to 13 interceptions, eventually leading to his release in 2002, after riding the bench mostly during the previous two years.

Green Bay Packers/Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Frankfurt Galaxy[link]

In 2003, Smith tried out for the Green Bay Packers, as Brett Favre's backup. He was, however, unsuccessful there and was later released.^[3] In 2005, he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a stint in NFL Europe where he started four games for the Frankfurt Galaxy.

Canadian Football League (2007)[link]

Calgary Stampeders (2007)[link]

In 2007, Smith signed a two-year contract with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, where he was expected to compete for the starting quarterback position with another former NFL player, Henry Burris. After an unimpressive debut in an exhibition against the Edmonton Eskimos, Smith played well in the final exhibition against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Though listed going into the game as the third-string quarterback, he completed three touchdown passes in only one half of play, including one to former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marc Boerigter.

In his first regular season action, replacing Burris in the second quarter on July 12, Smith struggled against the Toronto Argonauts. He finished 6-of-10 for 63 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. He also lost one fumble. He was then pulled at the end of the half.

After an unimpressive showing against the Roughriders on October 8, 2007, going 4-of-12, for 37 yards, along with the impending return of a healthy Burris, the Stampeders released Smith on October 10, 2007.

After football[link]

After retiring from football, he was the quarterbacks coach for Grossmont College. Smith is a deacon at Missionary Baptist Church and plays football for God's House, a flag football team.^[4]

In March 2010 Smith joined the University of California's football staff as a graduate assistant to work with the offense. Cal head coach Jeff Tedford previously coached Smith at Oregon when he was offensive coordinator.^[5]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Cal bio
• Akili Smith at The Football Database
• CNNSI.com Draft Video