Jason Fife
Encyclopedia
Jason Fife is an American football
quarterback
with the Dallas Desperados
in the Arena Football League. He was originally signed as a free agent by the Detroit Lions
in 2004. He played college football
at Oregon
.
at the University of Oregon
, backing up Joey Harrington
until Harrington left for the 2002 NFL Draft
and Fife became the starter. In 2002 Fife was ranked the #2 QB in the nation. In 2003 Fife shared the starting QB position with Kellen Clemens
. Fife is most notably known for leading the Twenty-third ranked Oregon Ducks in upsetting the Third ranked University of Michigan Wolverines on September 20, 2003; this upset earned Fife his picture on the cover of Sports Illustrated
for September 29, 2003 (Volume 99, Issue 13).
. He signed with the Detroit Lions
as a Free Agent
, but was cut from the team during training camp. Fife played for the New Orleans Saints from 2006-2007. Late 2007 he played for the Washington Redskins for a short period of time.
Fife also played for a time in the Arena Football League for the Las Vegas Gladiators, and in 2008 with the Dallas Desperados.
.
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 Dallas Desperados
Dallas Desperados
The Dallas Desperados were a professional Arena Football team. The Desperados played in the Southern Division of the now-defunct Arena Football League from 2002 to 2008....
in the Arena Football League. He was originally signed as a free agent by 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...
in 2004. 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 Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
.
College career
Fife played college footballCollege 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 Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, backing up 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...
until Harrington left for the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
and Fife became the starter. In 2002 Fife was ranked the #2 QB in the nation. In 2003 Fife shared the starting QB position with Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
. Fife is most notably known for leading the Twenty-third ranked Oregon Ducks in upsetting the Third ranked University of Michigan Wolverines on September 20, 2003; this upset earned Fife his picture on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
for September 29, 2003 (Volume 99, Issue 13).
Professional career
Fife was not drafted in the 2004 NFL draft2004 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 signed with 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...
as a Free Agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, but was cut from the team during training camp. Fife played for the New Orleans Saints from 2006-2007. Late 2007 he played for the Washington Redskins for a short period of time.
Fife also played for a time in the Arena Football League for the Las Vegas Gladiators, and in 2008 with the Dallas Desperados.
Continuing Education
Fife is now in Dental School at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, one of the top dental schools in the country, where he is "tackling" the subject of anatomy, along with a team full of other ridiculously hard science classes.Coaching
Fife has also coached in various positions for different high school programs. Most recently, he was an assistant coach for the Cottage Grove High School Lions football team in Cottage Grove, OregonCottage Grove, Oregon
Cottage Grove is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It received its name from its first postmaster, G. C. Pierce, in September 1861. Pierce's home at the time was in an oak grove. The population was 9,686 at the 2010 census.-History:...
.