Billy Joe Hobert

Billy Joe Hobert
No. 9, 12, 8, 14
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1971-01-08) January 8, 1971
Place of birth: Puyallup, Washington
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school: Puyallup High School, Puyallup, WA
College: Washington
NFL draft: 1993 / Round: 3 / Pick: 58
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
TD–INT: 23–25
Passing yards: 3,371
QB Rating: 67.0
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Billy Joe Hobert (born January 8, 1971) is a former professional American football quarterback.[1] While at the University of Washington, he led the Huskies to a national championship in 1991, during his redshirt sophomore season. He was elevated to the starting position after junior Mark Brunell suffered a serious knee injury during spring drills, causing him to miss much of the 1991 season.

After the success of the 1991 season, Hobert became implicated in a major NCAA scandal when it was revealed he had received a series of loans totaling $50,000 made by the father-in-law of a friend[2] while Hobert himself had no assets and no specific payment schedule.[3] This would cost Hobert his college eligibility, and was an aggravating factor in the University receiving NCAA sanctions for lack of institutional control, in turn leading to head coach Don James resigning in protest.[3] Although several other Huskies players were implicated in improprieties, Hobert became the most well-known face of the sanctions, leading to him receiving death threats.[3]

Hobert was the 58th pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, selected by the Los Angeles Raiders, 60 picks ahead of teammate Mark Brunell. Hobert was the third quarterback selected in the draft, behind the top two overall picks, Drew Bledsoe and Rick Mirer. Hobert was also drafted in the 16th round (453rd overall) of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago White Sox but choose to seek a career in the NFL.[5] Hobert was a back-up quarterback for four seasons with the Raiders, then went on to play for the Buffalo Bills in 1997. He was initially expected to compete with Alex Van Pelt and Todd Collins for the starting quarterback position made vacant by Jim Kelly's retirement; however, after a notorious incident in Buffalo where he publicly admitted that he was unprepared to play, he was promptly released.[3] He was acquired later that season by the New Orleans Saints, where he remained until 1999. The Saints traded him in 2000 to the Indianapolis Colts. While on the Colts roster for two years, he did not play a snap during the regular season.

Personal life

Hobert grew up in Orting, Washington.

Hobert's first marriage ended in divorce and he then married a former college soccer player named Danielle who worked in Al Davis' Raiders office. He has five children between the two. After years of hard partying and infidelity, Hobert became a born again Christian during the Saints pre-season camp in 1998.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Billy Hobert. databasefootball.com
  2. ↑ New York Times Archives
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Les Carpenter, Billy Joe Hobert: Villain, hero? Debate rages, Seattle Times, June 20, 2002, accessed January 2, 2012.
  4. ↑ "1991 Washington Football Stats".
  5. ↑ "1993 MLB Draft, 16th round".
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