Drew Stanton
Encyclopedia
Drew Emeric Stanton is a quarterback
for the Detroit Lions
of the National Football League
. He played collegiately for the Michigan State Spartans
.
, a large suburb of Lansing which borders the campus of Michigan State. His family moved to Lake Oswego, Oregon, where he played peewee-football and continued to play until his Sophomore year at Lake Oswego High School
. Eventually the Stanton family moved to Farmington Hills, Michigan
, where he graduated from Harrison High School.
Stanton was ranked as a 4 star prospect coming out of high school by Rivals.com
, and was also ranked the #6 Pro-Style Quarterback in the country.
Stanton also played baseball batting at .561 as a Junior at Harrison High School.
in 2003. In 2003, he also played on special teams where he made several impressive open field tackles. However, Stanton injured his knee in the Alamo Bowl
against the University of Nebraska while covering a punt and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. After becoming the starter in 2004, Drew received regional and national praise for his play on the field and was also named an Academic All-American.
Going into his senior season (2006), Stanton had been mentioned as a potential Heisman Trophy
candidate and visited New York twice for the presentation. He had been listed as high as the #2 QB in the 2007 NFL Draft
by ESPN
. Despite not having any substantial injuries in his high school and early college years, Stanton suffered at least one significant injury in each of 2005, 2006 and 2007.
In 2006, Drew led the Spartans to the largest point margin comeback in NCAA Division I-A history
. Against conference foe Northwestern University
, he accounted for 331 total yards and three touchdowns, coming back from a 35 point third quarter deficit. He began his prime time performance with an 18-yard TD pass that touched off the improbable comeback. He later ran for a 12-yard score, and completed six straight passes before capping the game-tying march with a 9-yard strike with 3:43 remaining. Stanton eventually directed the drive that resulted in a game-winning field goal to complete a 41-38 victory.
For his career at MSU, Stanton completed 64% of his passes throwing for 6,524 yards, with 42 touchdowns and 28 interceptions while also rushing for another 1,512 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Stanton participated as a QB in the 2007 Senior Bowl
, where he helped lead the North to victory. He was named the Offensive MVP for the North.
during training camp on August 3, 2007 after having knee surgery.
In 2008, Stanton sprained his thumb on his throwing arm during preseason, keeping him out the remainder of the preseason. After Jon Kitna
was placed on IR, Stanton moved up to 2nd string QB, behind Dan Orlovsky
.
Stanton made his NFL debut in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars
(entering in relief of Daunte Culpepper
, whom the Lions had signed only days earlier after Orlovsky suffered a thumb injury). He threw a 1-yard touchdown on his first career passing attempt and finished the game having completed 6 of 8 pass attempts for 94 yards.
The 2009 Season
began with Stanton as 3rd string QB behind 2009 NFL Draft
first overall choice Matthew Stafford
and previous starter Daunte Culpepper. With Stafford injured for the Week 6 game against the Green Bay Packers
, Stanton relieved Culpepper who was also injured during the game. He threw 2 interceptions in a 0-26 loss for the Lions. Stanton appeared again in relief of Culpepper in Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals
. He was 10/19 passing with 1 interception, however he scored on a 1-yard rushing TD on a Draw play
- with Arizona winning 24-31. Stanton made his first career start week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers, and promptly threw 3 interceptions.
During the 2010 season, Drew Stanton saw action again as Matt Stafford and Shaun Hill went down with injuries. He came in as relief for Shaun Hill against the Giants and went 19 for 34 for 222 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He made his second career start against the Bears in week 13 and went 16 for 24 for 178 yards and one touchdown. He started the next game against the Green Bay Packers and lead the Lions to a victory with a 13 yard TD pass to Will Heller. Drew also got the Lions their first road win in over 3 years, leading them to a 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
at Michigan State University. His agent is Mike McCartney. Married to Kristin Schrock on June 27, 2009. He graduated with a major in kinesiology.
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 Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
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 played collegiately for the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
.
Early life
Drew grew up in Okemos, MichiganOkemos, Michigan
Okemos is an unincorporated community in Meridian Charter Township, Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any separate legal existence as a municipality. Local government is provided by the township...
, a large suburb of Lansing which borders the campus of Michigan State. His family moved to Lake Oswego, Oregon, where he played peewee-football and continued to play until his Sophomore year at Lake Oswego High School
Lake Oswego High School
Lake Oswego High School is a public high school in Lake Oswego, Oregon. LOHS is accredited through the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges.-History:...
. Eventually the Stanton family moved to Farmington Hills, Michigan
Farmington Hills, Michigan
Farmington Hills is a community in southeastern Michigan. It is the largest city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its population was 79,740 at the 2010 census...
, where he graduated from Harrison High School.
Stanton was ranked as a 4 star prospect coming out of high school by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, and was also ranked the #6 Pro-Style Quarterback in the country.
Stanton also played baseball batting at .561 as a Junior at Harrison High School.
Collegiate career
Stanton redshirted through Michigan State's 2002 campaign before serving as the #2 QB behind Jeff SmokerJeff Smoker
Jeff Smoker is an American football quarterback who played for the National Football League's St. Louis Rams from 2004 to 2005. He was also the starting quarterback for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League.-Michigan State:Jeff Smoker attended Michigan State University...
in 2003. In 2003, he also played on special teams where he made several impressive open field tackles. However, Stanton injured his knee in the Alamo Bowl
Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...
against the University of Nebraska while covering a punt and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. After becoming the starter in 2004, Drew received regional and national praise for his play on the field and was also named an Academic All-American.
Going into his senior season (2006), Stanton had been mentioned as a potential Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
candidate and visited New York twice for the presentation. He had been listed as high as the #2 QB in 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...
by 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....
. Despite not having any substantial injuries in his high school and early college years, Stanton suffered at least one significant injury in each of 2005, 2006 and 2007.
In 2006, Drew led the Spartans to the largest point margin comeback in NCAA Division I-A history
2006 Michigan State vs. Northwestern football game
The 2006 edition of the Michigan State Spartans / Northwestern Wildcats football game featured the biggest comeback in NCAA history. The Spartans, after falling behind to the Wildcats 38-3 with 9:54 remaining in the 3rd quarter, rallied to score 38 unanswered points to defeat the Wildcats...
. Against conference foe Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, he accounted for 331 total yards and three touchdowns, coming back from a 35 point third quarter deficit. He began his prime time performance with an 18-yard TD pass that touched off the improbable comeback. He later ran for a 12-yard score, and completed six straight passes before capping the game-tying march with a 9-yard strike with 3:43 remaining. Stanton eventually directed the drive that resulted in a game-winning field goal to complete a 41-38 victory.
For his career at MSU, Stanton completed 64% of his passes throwing for 6,524 yards, with 42 touchdowns and 28 interceptions while also rushing for another 1,512 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Stanton participated as a QB in the 2007 Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
, where he helped lead the North to victory. He was named the Offensive MVP for the North.
Stats
| YEAR | CMP | ATT | YDS | CMP% | LNG | TD | INT | SACKED |
| 2003 | 2 | 3 | 39 | 66.7 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2004 | 141 | 220 | 1,601 | 64.1 | 57 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| 2005 | 236 | 354 | 3,077 | 66.7 | 75 | 22 | 12 | 23 |
| 2006 | 164 | 269 | 1,807 | 61 | 46 | 12 | 10 | 19 |
| TOTAL | 543 | 846 | 6,524 | 64 | 75 | 42 | 28 | 47 |
Professional career
Stanton was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 43rd overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He was placed on season-ending Injured ReserveInjured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
during training camp on August 3, 2007 after having knee surgery.
In 2008, Stanton sprained his thumb on his throwing arm during preseason, keeping him out the remainder of the preseason. After Jon Kitna
Jon Kitna
Jon K. Kitna is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
was placed on IR, Stanton moved up to 2nd string QB, behind Dan Orlovsky
Dan Orlovsky
Daniel John Orlovsky is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. The Detroit Lions drafted Orlovsky in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
.
Stanton made his NFL debut in a game against 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...
(entering in relief of Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
, whom the Lions had signed only days earlier after Orlovsky suffered a thumb injury). He threw a 1-yard touchdown on his first career passing attempt and finished the game having completed 6 of 8 pass attempts for 94 yards.
The 2009 Season
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
began with Stanton as 3rd string QB behind 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
first overall choice Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia....
and previous starter Daunte Culpepper. With Stafford injured for the Week 6 game against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Stanton relieved Culpepper who was also injured during the game. He threw 2 interceptions in a 0-26 loss for the Lions. Stanton appeared again in relief of Culpepper in Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was 10/19 passing with 1 interception, however he scored on a 1-yard rushing TD on a Draw play
Draw play
A draw play, or simply draw for short, is a type of American football play. The draw appears to be a passing play, but is actually a running play; in this way, it can be considered the opposite of the play action pass. The idea behind a draw play is to attack aggressive, pass-rushing defenses by...
- with Arizona winning 24-31. Stanton made his first career start week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers, and promptly threw 3 interceptions.
During the 2010 season, Drew Stanton saw action again as Matt Stafford and Shaun Hill went down with injuries. He came in as relief for Shaun Hill against the Giants and went 19 for 34 for 222 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He made his second career start against the Bears in week 13 and went 16 for 24 for 178 yards and one touchdown. He started the next game against the Green Bay Packers and lead the Lions to a victory with a 13 yard TD pass to Will Heller. Drew also got the Lions their first road win in over 3 years, leading them to a 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Personal
Stanton is the son of Gaylord and Christine Stanton. He hosts his own website with a personal blog at www.drewstanton5.com. He is committed to charity work and created the High 5ive Foundation in support of the Special Olympics and the Children's Miracle Network, his two favorite charities, among others. The name came from the number (5) on his Lions jersey and he says his goal is to have five major fundraisers per year. "This is truly a passion for me, and I try to get involved in the community as much as possible," he says. He is a member of the national fraternity Sigma Alpha EpsilonSigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
at Michigan State University. His agent is Mike McCartney. Married to Kristin Schrock on June 27, 2009. He graduated with a major in kinesiology.