Bryson Spinner
Encyclopedia
Bryson A. Spinner is an American football
quarterback
with the Maryland Maniacs of the Indoor Football League
. He entered the National Football League
as free agent when he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars
after the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Virginia
and then transferred to Richmond
.
in Woodbridge, Virginia
and was the starting
quarterback as a freshman that season. In the spring of 1996, he transferred to Episcopal High School
in Alexandria, Virginia. Spinner lettered all 3 years in football
, basketball
, and track
and was the Senior Captain
of all three sports. He helped take the basketball team to three state championships, and was the MVP
all three years. His senior year of football he threw for 1388 yards and 16 touchdown
s, ran
for 888 yards for 21 touchdowns. He led the team to an undefeated season, 9-0. Spinner was first team All-League, All-District, All-Met, IAC
First Team basketball and football. He was ranked as the #1 quarterback in Virginia by The Washington Post
his senior year and ranked 12th in the country. In 2007 he returned to Episcopal High School as a quarterback and defensive end coach.
in the fall of 1999 and redshirted
his true freshman season. In 2000, starter Dan Ellis missed some time due to injury and Spinner started over fellow redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Schaub
, receiving the bulk of playing time in relief. After the 2000 season, coach George Welsh retired and was replaced by Al Groh
. During the 2001 season Spinner and Schaub split quarterbacking duties; Spinner was 5-1 as the starter that season. Before the 2002 season, Spinner transferred to the University of Richmond Spiders, coached by Jim Reid. Spinner underwent surgery and returned for the 2003 season.
His most memorable performance at Virginia was in a 39-38 victory over Georgia Tech
in 2001. Spinner completed 32-of-46 passes for a season-high 327 yards and five touchdowns. The 6-2 sophomore also ran 10 times for 86 yards as the Cavaliers improved to 11-12-1 all-time against the Yellow Jackets. The Cavaliers won the game on a dramatic hook-and-ladder play in which Spinner passed the ball to Billy McMullen
who then lateraled the ball to Alvin Pearman
who ran in for a touchdown in the game's closing seconds.
a week later, completed preseason training camp, and was released before the 2004 season
. In 2005, he signed with the Washington Redskins
, completed training camp and was released before the season opener. In January 2006, Spinner signed with the San Francisco 49ers
, and was allocated to the Frankfurt Galaxy
in NFL Europa. Spinner split time with two other quarterbacks, Jeff Otis
and Craig Ochs
, leading the Galaxy to a 7-3 season, and winning World Bowl XIV
. Spinner injured his shoulder in the second quarter of the World Bowl.
. The Maniacs finished the regular season 10-4 and won the Atlantic Division championship, but lost their playoff game to the RiverCity Rage.
The IFL transactions page reports that Spinner will be returning to the Maniacs for the 2010 season.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
with the Maryland Maniacs of the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
. He entered the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
as free agent when he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
after the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and then transferred to Richmond
Richmond Spiders football
The Richmond Spiders are a college football team representing the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond was the Division I Football Championship Subdivision champion for the 2008 season. Richmond currently competes in the Colonial Athletic Association of the NCAA's Division I...
.
High school years
Spinner attended Gar-Field Senior High SchoolGar-Field Senior High School
Gar-Field Senior High School is a Senior High School in Woodbridge in unincorporated Prince William County, Virginia, USA, with students in grades 9 through 12....
in Woodbridge, Virginia
Woodbridge, Virginia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,047.8 people per square mile . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of 1,052.1/sq mi...
and was the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback as a freshman that season. In the spring of 1996, he transferred to Episcopal High School
Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia)
Episcopal High School , founded in 1839, is a private boarding school located in Alexandria, Virginia. The Holy Hill's campus houses 435 students from 30 states, the District of Columbia and 17 different countries...
in Alexandria, Virginia. Spinner lettered all 3 years in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and was the Senior Captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of all three sports. He helped take the basketball team to three state championships, and was the MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
all three years. His senior year of football he threw for 1388 yards and 16 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, ran
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
for 888 yards for 21 touchdowns. He led the team to an undefeated season, 9-0. Spinner was first team All-League, All-District, All-Met, IAC
Interstate Athletic Conference
The Interstate Athletic Conference is an all-boys high school sports league made up of six private high schools in the Washington, D.C., area, competing in twelve varsity sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track...
First Team basketball and football. He was ranked as the #1 quarterback in Virginia by The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
his senior year and ranked 12th in the country. In 2007 he returned to Episcopal High School as a quarterback and defensive end coach.
College career
Spinner enrolled at the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in the fall of 1999 and redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his true freshman season. In 2000, starter Dan Ellis missed some time due to injury and Spinner started over fellow redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Schaub
Matt Schaub
Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:...
, receiving the bulk of playing time in relief. After the 2000 season, coach George Welsh retired and was replaced by Al Groh
Al Groh
Al Groh is the defensive coordinator of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team. He is also a former head coach of the University of Virginia football team, a former head coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team and the former head coach of the New York Jets of the NFL...
. During the 2001 season Spinner and Schaub split quarterbacking duties; Spinner was 5-1 as the starter that season. Before the 2002 season, Spinner transferred to the University of Richmond Spiders, coached by Jim Reid. Spinner underwent surgery and returned for the 2003 season.
His most memorable performance at Virginia was in a 39-38 victory over Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in 2001. Spinner completed 32-of-46 passes for a season-high 327 yards and five touchdowns. The 6-2 sophomore also ran 10 times for 86 yards as the Cavaliers improved to 11-12-1 all-time against the Yellow Jackets. The Cavaliers won the game on a dramatic hook-and-ladder play in which Spinner passed the ball to Billy McMullen
Billy McMullen
Wilbur "Billy" Anthony McMullen, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
who then lateraled the ball to Alvin Pearman
Alvin Pearman
Francis Alvin Pearman, II is an American football running back who is currently a free agent, having last played for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
who ran in for a touchdown in the game's closing seconds.
NFL career
In 2004, Spinner signed as a free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then was released. He was soon picked up by the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
a week later, completed preseason training camp, and was released before the 2004 season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
. In 2005, he signed with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, completed training camp and was released before the season opener. In January 2006, Spinner signed with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, and was allocated to the Frankfurt Galaxy
Frankfurt Galaxy
The Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
in NFL Europa. Spinner split time with two other quarterbacks, Jeff Otis
Jeff Otis
Jeff Otis is an American football quarterback who is a currently a free agent. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as a street free agent in 2006. He played college football at Columbia....
and Craig Ochs
Craig Ochs
Craig Ochs was an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills in the NFL and was also assigned to the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europa in the 2006 season.-Biography:...
, leading the Galaxy to a 7-3 season, and winning World Bowl XIV
World Bowl XIV
World Bowl XIV was NFL Europe's 2006 championship game. It was played at the LTU Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany on Saturday, May 27, 2006.The game was between the 7-3 Frankfurt Galaxy and the defending World Bowl Champion Amsterdam Admirals . 36,286 people were in attendance, as the Galaxy stripped...
. Spinner injured his shoulder in the second quarter of the World Bowl.
Maryland Maniacs
For the 2009 season, Spinner was the starting quarterback for the Maryland Maniacs of the Indoor Football LeagueIndoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
. The Maniacs finished the regular season 10-4 and won the Atlantic Division championship, but lost their playoff game to the RiverCity Rage.
The IFL transactions page reports that Spinner will be returning to the Maniacs for the 2010 season.