Chris Redman
Encyclopedia
Chris James Redman is an American football
quarterback
for the Atlanta Falcons
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens
in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at the University of Louisville
.
Redman earned a Super Bowl ring
with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV
. He has also been a member of the New England Patriots
, Tennessee Titans
and Austin Wranglers
.
at Louisville Male High School
, where his father, Bob Redman, was the veteran head coach
. Chris helped lead the Bulldogs to the 1993 state championship in Class 4A (Kentucky's largest class at the time). He was a two-time all-state quarterback and Parade
's National Player of the Year in 1994 after setting national high school records for most touchdown passes in a season (57) and most touchdown passes in a half (8, twice), the latter of which still has not been broken according to NFLHS.com.
as the NCAA Division I-A career leader in passing completions (1,031) and attempts (1,679). His 12,541 career passing yards ranked third behind Brigham Young
's Ty Detmer
(15,031 yards) and Louisiana Tech
's Tim Rattay
(12,746). Redman threw 84 touchdown passes and 51 interceptions and still holds virtually every single game, single season and career passing record at the University of Louisville
.
As a senior in 1999, Redman started
every game and completed 317 of 489 passes for 3,647 yards with 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He became the first quarterback in Division I-A history to complete more than 1,000 passes in a career, and he matched the I-A record for most seasons (three) with at least 3,000 passing yards. Redman received the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
(named for the former University of Louisville and Baltimore Colts
star), which is presented each year to the nation's top senior quarterback. Redman was the Conference USA
Offensive Player of the Year, guiding Louisville to seven come-from-behind wins and helping the Cardinals make their second consecutive bowl appearance
.
In 1998, under the guidance of Bobby Petrino
and new Louisville head coach John L. Smith
, Redman started 10 of 11 regular-season games as a junior and established Conference USA and Louisville season records for attempts (473), completions (309), yards (4,042) and touchdowns (29) despite missing a game because of a knee injury. His 404.2 yards-per-game average was the fifth highest in I-A history. On November 14, 1998, Redman torched East Carolina
by completing 44 of 56 passes (with six touchdown passes) for 592 yards—the 10th-best single-game yardage total of all time. The Cardinals had a huge turnaround from the season before, going 7-4 in the regular season and participating in a bowl game for the first time since 1993.
As a sophomore in 1997, Redman started all 11 games and shattered single-season school passing marks in attempts (445), completions (261), yards (3,079) and total offense (2,958). Louisville struggled to a 1–10 record and head coach Ron Cooper was fired.
Redman played in 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 1996, starting the final five, and earned Conference USA all-freshman honors after he threw for more than 1,700 yards. In his first legitimate college action, coming off the bench to replace injured starter Jason Payne, Redman amassed 325 yards and three touchdowns in Louisville's come-from-behind win at Michigan State
.
by the Baltimore Ravens
. He was one of several quarterbacks selected ahead of Marc Bulger
and Tom Brady
. Redman threw just 19 yards that year as he backed up Tony Banks and Trent Dilfer
. Redman earned a Super Bowl ring that year when the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV
. In 2001, despite Banks and Dilfer both leaving, Redman didn’t play at all that year as veterans Elvis Grbac
and Randall Cunningham
took the snaps.
On October 6, 2002, Redman had arguably his best outing as a pro, completing 19 of 30 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in a victory at division-rival Cleveland
on ESPN
's Sunday Night Football
. He clearly outshined Browns starting quarterback Tim Couch
, the No. 1 pick in the 1999 draft
and a longtime rival of Redman's in high school and college.
Redman served as Baltimore's backup in 2003 after recovering from back surgery. In a November 9, 2003, nationally-televised game at St. Louis
, Redman replaced injured starter Kyle Boller
during the game and was injured himself, suffering a torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder. The season-ending injury was not diagnosed until after the game.
on January 6, 2005, but he was waived on June 1. Incidentally, had he made the team, he would have backed up Tom Brady
, a quarterback who was taken three rounds later in the same draft.
on August 23, 2005, but was waived on September 4.
of the Arena Football League announced that they had signed Redman to a contract. However, shortly into his arena football
career, Bobby Petrino
, the Atlanta Falcons
new head coach, sought after his former college quarterback to be a backup.
to the Houston Texans
in exchange for two second-round picks and an agreement to switch first-round picks for the 2007 NFL Draft
. Redman began fall practice as the third-string quarterback but moved to No. 2 on the depth chart
before Atlanta's first preseason game. His backup role was solidified when D. J. Shockley
suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Falcons' first preseason game.
On September 18, 2007, Redman was moved to No. 3 on the depth chart after the Falcons signed former Jacksonville Jaguars
quarterback Byron Leftwich
. With Leftwich battling a leg injury throughout the season and Harrington
playing inconsistently, Coach Petrino kept rotating both Leftwich and Harrington into the starters role, hoping that either one of them would get the offense flowing. After months of unfulfilling results, Redman would finally get his chance to show what he could do.
In Week 12 on December 2, 2007, Redman replaced an ineffective Joey Harrington
against the St. Louis Rams and completed 16 of 24 passes for 172 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, all in the fourth quarter, nearly bringing Atlanta back from a 21-3 deficit. He was named the starter on December 6, and in his first start in five years completed 23 of 40 passes for a career-high 298 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a Monday Night Football
loss to the New Orleans Saints
on December 10. Redman had a disastrous Week 14, going 4 of 15 for 34 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble against Tampa Bay's strong defense. He rebounded in a big way in his third start for the Falcons by completing 28 of 42 for a career-high 315 yards with two touchdowns and one pick in an overtime loss to Arizona. In the season finale, Redman completed 17 of 27 passes for 251 yards with a career-high four touchdowns in the Falcons' 44-41 victory over the Seattle Seahawks
on December 30, winning his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. While playing in six games, four of them being starts, Redman had career highs in completion percentage (59.7), passing yards (1,079), touchdowns (10) and passer rating (90.4).
Following the 2007 season, Atlanta signed Redman to a two-year deal.
In Week 12 of the 2009 season, filling in for the injured Matt Ryan
and playing for the first time since December 30, 2007, Redman led the Falcons to a dramatic comeback win against the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. In the final seconds he threw a pass to Roddy White
for the go-ahead touchdown on 4th and goal. Despite shaking off some rust, he was 23 of 41 for 243 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. As the starter for Ryan in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles
, Redman was 23 of 44 for 235 yards with one TD and two picks, one returned for a touchdown by the Eagle's strong defense. In a second consecutive start filling in for Ryan against the undefeated Saints, Redman was much sharper, completing 23 of 34 passes for 303 yards with one touchdown (a 50-yard post pattern to Michael Jenkins) and one interception in a 26-23 loss.
Following the 2009 season, Redman signed a two-year extension worth $5.6 million.
er and avid fisherman
. He is married to high school sweetheart Ashley Britt, who gave birth to their first child, Britt Tyler, in early 2007. Their second daughter, Josie May, was born in the spring of 2009.
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...
for the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of 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...
. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft
2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000...
. 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 the University of Louisville
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...
.
Redman earned a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
. He has also been a member of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
and Austin Wranglers
Austin Wranglers
The Austin Wranglers were an arena football team based in Austin, Texas. They played four seasons in the Arena Football League from 2004 to 2007 and spent one season in AF2, the AFL's developmental league, in 2008. They made playoff appearances in the AFL in 2006 and in AF2 in 2008...
.
Early years
Redman played high school footballHigh 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....
at Louisville Male High School
Louisville Male High School
Louisville Male Traditional High School is a public secondary school serving students in grades 9 through 12 in the southside of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It is part of the Jefferson County Public School District....
, where his father, Bob Redman, was the veteran head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
. Chris helped lead the Bulldogs to the 1993 state championship in Class 4A (Kentucky's largest class at the time). He was a two-time all-state quarterback and Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
's National Player of the Year in 1994 after setting national high school records for most touchdown passes in a season (57) and most touchdown passes in a half (8, twice), the latter of which still has not been broken according to NFLHS.com.
College career
Redman completed his college careerCollege 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...
as the NCAA Division I-A career leader in passing completions (1,031) and attempts (1,679). His 12,541 career passing yards ranked third behind Brigham Young
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
's Ty Detmer
Ty Detmer
Ty Hubert Detmer is a former National Football League and NCAA quarterback. He starred at Brigham Young University, where he set many records and won the Heisman Trophy in 1990...
(15,031 yards) and Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
's Tim Rattay
Tim Rattay
Timothy F. Rattay [] is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
(12,746). Redman threw 84 touchdown passes and 51 interceptions and still holds virtually every single game, single season and career passing record at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
.
As a senior in 1999, Redman started
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...
every game and completed 317 of 489 passes for 3,647 yards with 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He became the first quarterback in Division I-A history to complete more than 1,000 passes in a career, and he matched the I-A record for most seasons (three) with at least 3,000 passing yards. Redman received the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
(named for the former University of Louisville and Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
star), which is presented each year to the nation's top senior quarterback. Redman was the Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Offensive Player of the Year, guiding Louisville to seven come-from-behind wins and helping the Cardinals make their second consecutive bowl appearance
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
.
In 1998, under the guidance of Bobby Petrino
Bobby Petrino
Bobby Petrino is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arkansas, a position he has held since the 2008 season...
and new Louisville head coach John L. Smith
John L. Smith
John L. Smith is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the special teams coach at the University of Arkansas, under head coach Bobby Petrino...
, Redman started 10 of 11 regular-season games as a junior and established Conference USA and Louisville season records for attempts (473), completions (309), yards (4,042) and touchdowns (29) despite missing a game because of a knee injury. His 404.2 yards-per-game average was the fifth highest in I-A history. On November 14, 1998, Redman torched East Carolina
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
by completing 44 of 56 passes (with six touchdown passes) for 592 yards—the 10th-best single-game yardage total of all time. The Cardinals had a huge turnaround from the season before, going 7-4 in the regular season and participating in a bowl game for the first time since 1993.
As a sophomore in 1997, Redman started all 11 games and shattered single-season school passing marks in attempts (445), completions (261), yards (3,079) and total offense (2,958). Louisville struggled to a 1–10 record and head coach Ron Cooper was fired.
Redman played in 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 1996, starting the final five, and earned Conference USA all-freshman honors after he threw for more than 1,700 yards. In his first legitimate college action, coming off the bench to replace injured starter Jason Payne, Redman amassed 325 yards and three touchdowns in Louisville's come-from-behind win at Michigan State
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
.
Baltimore Ravens
Redman's professional career began when he was selected in the third round (75th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000...
by the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. He was one of several quarterbacks selected ahead of Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
and Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
. Redman threw just 19 yards that year as he backed up Tony Banks and Trent Dilfer
Trent Dilfer
Trent Farris Dilfer is a former football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sixth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football...
. Redman earned a Super Bowl ring that year when the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
. In 2001, despite Banks and Dilfer both leaving, Redman didn’t play at all that year as veterans Elvis Grbac
Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac is a retired American football quarterback who played in the NFL. During his career he was a starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens...
and Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
took the snaps.
On October 6, 2002, Redman had arguably his best outing as a pro, completing 19 of 30 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in a victory at division-rival Cleveland
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is a weekly American football game held throughout most of the season by the National Football League. Sunday night games have been played regularly since 1987 and have thus far aired on three different television outlets:...
. He clearly outshined Browns starting quarterback Tim Couch
Tim Couch
Timothy Scott "Tim" Couch is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Kentucky...
, the No. 1 pick in the 1999 draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 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 17-18, 1999...
and a longtime rival of Redman's in high school and college.
Redman served as Baltimore's backup in 2003 after recovering from back surgery. In a November 9, 2003, nationally-televised game at St. Louis
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, Redman replaced injured starter Kyle Boller
Kyle Boller
Kyle Bryan Boller is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at The University of California.Boller has also played for the St...
during the game and was injured himself, suffering a torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder. The season-ending injury was not diagnosed until after the game.
New England Patriots
After recovering from shoulder surgery in 2004, Redman was signed to play with the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
on January 6, 2005, but he was waived on June 1. Incidentally, had he made the team, he would have backed up Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
, a quarterback who was taken three rounds later in the same draft.
Tennessee Titans
He was then signed by the Tennessee TitansTennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
on August 23, 2005, but was waived on September 4.
Austin Wranglers
On January 4, 2007, the Austin WranglersAustin Wranglers
The Austin Wranglers were an arena football team based in Austin, Texas. They played four seasons in the Arena Football League from 2004 to 2007 and spent one season in AF2, the AFL's developmental league, in 2008. They made playoff appearances in the AFL in 2006 and in AF2 in 2008...
of the Arena Football League announced that they had signed Redman to a contract. However, shortly into his arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
career, Bobby Petrino
Bobby Petrino
Bobby Petrino is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arkansas, a position he has held since the 2008 season...
, the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
new head coach, sought after his former college quarterback to be a backup.
Atlanta Falcons
Redman was signed by the Falcons on March 23, 2007, after Atlanta traded backup quarterback Matt SchaubMatt 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:...
to the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in exchange for two second-round picks and an agreement to switch first-round picks for the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. Redman began fall practice as the third-string quarterback but moved to No. 2 on the depth chart
National Football League depth chart
An NFL depth chart is a contextually enhanced player roster published by each National Football League franchise.-Format:The first column of players listed are part of the starting lineup. Each week in the NFL head coaches are required to submit a list of the players who will start the game in...
before Atlanta's first preseason game. His backup role was solidified when D. J. Shockley
D. J. Shockley
Donald Eugene "D. J." Shockley is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia....
suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Falcons' first preseason game.
On September 18, 2007, Redman was moved to No. 3 on the depth chart after the Falcons signed former 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...
quarterback Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
. With Leftwich battling a leg injury throughout the season and Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. 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...
playing inconsistently, Coach Petrino kept rotating both Leftwich and Harrington into the starters role, hoping that either one of them would get the offense flowing. After months of unfulfilling results, Redman would finally get his chance to show what he could do.
In Week 12 on December 2, 2007, Redman replaced an ineffective Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. 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...
against the St. Louis Rams and completed 16 of 24 passes for 172 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, all in the fourth quarter, nearly bringing Atlanta back from a 21-3 deficit. He was named the starter on December 6, and in his first start in five years completed 23 of 40 passes for a career-high 298 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
loss to the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on December 10. Redman had a disastrous Week 14, going 4 of 15 for 34 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble against Tampa Bay's strong defense. He rebounded in a big way in his third start for the Falcons by completing 28 of 42 for a career-high 315 yards with two touchdowns and one pick in an overtime loss to Arizona. In the season finale, Redman completed 17 of 27 passes for 251 yards with a career-high four touchdowns in the Falcons' 44-41 victory over the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle 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...
on December 30, winning his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. While playing in six games, four of them being starts, Redman had career highs in completion percentage (59.7), passing yards (1,079), touchdowns (10) and passer rating (90.4).
Following the 2007 season, Atlanta signed Redman to a two-year deal.
In Week 12 of the 2009 season, filling in for the injured Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for Villacher SV of the Austrian Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and playing for the first time since December 30, 2007, Redman led the Falcons to a dramatic comeback win against the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. In the final seconds he threw a pass to Roddy White
Roddy White
Sharod Lamor White is an American football wide receiver playing for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League...
for the go-ahead touchdown on 4th and goal. Despite shaking off some rust, he was 23 of 41 for 243 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. As the starter for Ryan in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Redman was 23 of 44 for 235 yards with one TD and two picks, one returned for a touchdown by the Eagle's strong defense. In a second consecutive start filling in for Ryan against the undefeated Saints, Redman was much sharper, completing 23 of 34 passes for 303 yards with one touchdown (a 50-yard post pattern to Michael Jenkins) and one interception in a 26-23 loss.
Following the 2009 season, Redman signed a two-year extension worth $5.6 million.
Personal
Redman is a skilled golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er and avid fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
. He is married to high school sweetheart Ashley Britt, who gave birth to their first child, Britt Tyler, in early 2007. Their second daughter, Josie May, was born in the spring of 2009.