Matthew Stafford (football player)
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| Matthew Stafford | |
|---|---|
| College | Georgia |
| Conference | SEC |
| Sport | Football |
| Position | QB |
| Class | Sophomore |
| Career | 2006 – present |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 237 lb (108 kg) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | February 7, 1988 (age 19) Tampa, Florida |
| High School | Highland Park High School, Dallas, Texas |
| Awards | |
| 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl Offensive MVP | |
John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is a quarterback for the University of Georgia football team. He is in his sophomore year of college, having enrolled at the school in January 2006. He is majoring in Speech Communications.
Contents |
[edit] Early Life and High School Career
Stafford was born in Tampa, Florida to John and Margaret Stafford. He lived in Dunwoody, Georgia, for several years while his father attended graduate school at the University of Georgia. His family then moved to Dallas, Texas, where Stafford attended Highland Park High School, (the alma mater of Bobby Layne and Doak Walker), and where he was widely considered to be one of the best high school quarterbacks in the United States in the class of 2006.
He made his varsity debut in the 2002 playoffs against Sulphur Springs High. His first varsity start was against the Stephenville Yellow Jackets in 2003, and he led the Highland Park Scots to a 13-2 record that season. He threw for 3,161 yards, 38 TDs and 5 INTs. After a disappointing junior season in which he threw for only 1,748 yards, 18 TDs and 11 INTs, Stafford quit the baseball team to concentrate on football. In the summer of 2005, he injured his knee during summer workouts and had to miss the first two games of the season. After coming back from his injury, Stafford led his team to a 15-0 record and threw for 4,018 yards, 38 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in winning the Texas UIL 4-A Division 1 state football championship, Highland Park's first state football championship in 48 years. Stafford is the only quarterback in Highland Park history to lead his team to a 15-0 season.
He received numerous accolades including being named to the Parade Magazine All-America Team and the USA Today Pre-Season Super 25.[1] He also won the MVP and Best Arm awards at the 2005 EA Sports Elite 11 Quarterback Camp and was named the 2005 EA Sports National Player of the Year.[2] Famed American football analyst, Mel Kiper, Jr., predicted that Stafford, before he had even started one game at the collegiate level, would eventually be the first pick in the NFL draft. [3]
[edit] College Career
[edit] 2006 Season
Stafford played in his first college game when he came off the bench in the 4th quarter of Georgia's 48-12 victory over the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers in the first game of Georgia's 2006 season.
In Georgia's second game of the season, senior starting quarterback Joe Tereshinski III was injured early in the game. Stafford replaced him for the remainder of the game and, despite three interceptions, led Georgia to an 18-0 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks. Incidentally, this marked the first time Gamecocks head coach - and Georgia's arch-nemesis - Steve Spurrier had had his offense shut out in a football game since 1987, when he was head coach at Duke University. With Tereshinski out with an ankle injury for the next several weeks, Stafford was named the starting quarterback after the game.
In his first game as the starting quarterback, Georgia's third game of the 2006 season, Stafford threw for 107 yards and rushed for one touchdown in the Bulldogs 34-0 victory over the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers. He was the first true freshman starter for Georgia since Quincy Carter.
In his second game as a starter, Georgia's fourth game of the 2006 season, Stafford and the offense struggled, falling behind the Colorado Buffaloes, 13-0. Stafford was 8-of-16 for 76 yards with 1 lost fumble. He was replaced late in the 3rd quarter by Joe Cox who went 10-of-13 for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter, leading Georgia to a 14-13 win.
In Georgia's 5th game of the season, against Ole Miss, Joe Cox started at quarterback and went 4-10 for 24 yards. Stafford came off the bench to share time with Cox in the first half and did well enough that Georgia coach Mark Richt decided to let Stafford play the entire second half. Stafford led two touchdown drives in the second half and finished 7-18 for 91 yards with zero interceptions, and Georgia won the game, 14-9.
It was decided on October 4, 2006 that Joe Tereshinski III would start against the Tennessee Volunteers. Stafford was appointed his backup as second on the depth chart. He came into the game late in the fourth quarter after UGA had gone down by 17 points. Stafford went 2-of-5 for 11 yards with an interception. The Bulldogs would go on to lose their first game of the season.
Tereshinski again started in Georgia's 7th game of the season, against the Vanderbilt Commodores, but he was replaced by Stafford late in the 3rd quarter, with Georgia trailing, 21-13. Stafford went 9-13 for 86 yards, but Georgia lost the game on a last-second Vanderbilt field goal, 24-22. After the Vanderbilt game, Richt announced that Stafford had regained the starting position.
Against Mississippi State, Stafford completed 20 of 32 passes, with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Georgia won the game, 27-24. Stafford was named the SEC freshman of the week for his performance.
In Georgia's 9th game of the season, against the Florida Gators, Stafford was 13-of-33 for 151 yards, with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Stafford ran for a 13-yard touchdown in the 2nd half, but Georgia lost the game, 21-14, to fall to a 6-3 record for the season.
In Georgia's 10th game of the season, against the Kentucky Wildcats, Stafford was 16-of-28 for 230 yards, with 1 touchdown, 1 lost fumble and 3 interceptions. Stafford's season-long problem with turning the ball over continued, with his third interception of the day (12th on the season) ending Georgia's last chance to win the game. Kentucky won, 24-20.
In Georgia's 11th game of the season, against the #5-ranked Auburn Tigers, Stafford was 14-of-20 for 219 yards, with 1 touchdown, 2 lost fumbles and 0 interceptions. Stafford also had 83 yards rushing and another touchdown on 7 carries. Georgia upset the heavily-favored Tigers, 37-15, and Stafford was named the SEC freshman of the week for the 2nd time.
In Georgia's 12th game of the season, against the #15-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Stafford was 16-of-29 for 171 yards with 0 interceptions and 1 touchdown. Stafford threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Mohammed Massaquoi with 1:45 left in the game. [4] The game marked the first time an unranked Georgia team had beaten a ranked Georgia Tech team in the 100-year-old rivalry between the two schools.
In Georgia's 13th and final game of the season, against the #14-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Stafford was 9-of-21 for 129 yards with 1 interception and 1 touchdown. Stafford overcame a poor first half to help lead Georgia to a 31-24 win, despite the team's trailing by 18 points (21-3) at halftime. The game was Georgia's 3rd consecutive win over a ranked opponent, a first in school history. [5]
[edit] Awards
- Named SEC Freshman of the Week twice during the 2006 season.
- Named Rivals.com's National Freshman of the Week for his performance against Auburn on November 11, 2006.
- Received the University of Georgia's 2006 Offensive Newcomer of the Year Award.
- Named to the SEC Coaches' All-Freshman Team. [6]
- Named Offensive MVP of the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl
[edit] References
- ^ Stafford Bio from GeorgiaDogs.com
- ^ 2005 EA Sports All-American Team
- ^ "Some Things Will Be Different with Freshman QB"
- ^ Video of Stafford TD pass to Massaquoi, UGA/GT 2006
- ^ Georgia 31, No. 14 Virginia Tech 24
- ^ 2006 SEC Football All-Freshmen Team Announced
[edit] External Links
- ESPN.com Player information
- UGA Roster
- CBS Sportsline Player Card
- Matthew Stafford's 2005 Season Highlights at YouTube
| Preceded by Joe Tereshinski III 2006 |
Georgia Bulldogs Starting Quarterbacks 2006-current |
Succeeded by current |
