Jeff Smoker
Encyclopedia
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.
. While at Michigan State, he set many of the Spartans' passing records and when he finished his collegiate career
he was the fifth leading passer-by yards in Big Ten history.
Smoker appeared in two bowl game
s during his career, winning the Silicon Valley Football Classic
44-35 vs. Fresno State University as a Sophomore, and losing against Nebraska
17-3 as a Senior in the Alamo Bowl
.
Smoker also played in the "Clockgate" game against the Michigan Wolverines
on November 3, 2001. In the game Smoker threw the winning touchdown
with 1 second remaining.
due to a violation of team rules. It was later revealed that Smoker was dealing with substance abuse
issues. His story and comeback was profiled in a front page story in Sports Illustrated
.
Williams was fired toward the end of the 2002 season. Incoming coach John L. Smith
reinstated Smoker in August 2003.
Career Records
Season Records
Single Game Records
year as the team's third quarterback. In his second year he was beaten out of that position by former Harvard University
quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick
and was cut from the Rams at the end of the 2005 training camp.
' practice squad in 2005.
on the club's practice squad and roster due to injuries to the Ram's starter
, Marc Bulger
and his back-up, Jamie Martin
Due to the Rams' signing of former Miami Dolphins
quarterback Gus Frerotte
in the 2006 offseason
, Smoker was cut from the Rams roster at the beginning of the 2006 training camp.
as insurance for their first preseason game since injuries limited the Chiefs to only 2 healthy quarterbacks on their roster. Smoker was subsequently cut from the team on August 28.
of the Arena Football League on November 21, 2006.
He got his first start with the Kats on March 18, 2007 versus the Utah Blaze
in Nashville
. As of March 27, 2007, Smoker had replaced original starting QB Clint Stoerner
as the first stringer. He led the Kats to a 7-9 record where they just barely missed the playoffs. He was released from the team at the end of the 2007 season.
, where he was their starting quarterback until the league folded in 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...
who played for 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...
's St. Louis Rams
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,...
from 2004 to 2005. He was also the starting quarterback for the Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
of the Arena Football League.
Michigan State
Jeff Smoker attended Michigan State UniversityMichigan 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,...
. While at Michigan State, he set many of the Spartans' passing records and when he finished his collegiate career
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...
he was the fifth leading passer-by yards in Big Ten history.
Smoker appeared in two bowl game
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...
s during his career, winning the Silicon Valley Football Classic
Silicon Valley Football Classic
The Silicon Valley Football Classic , sometimes referred to as the Silicon Valley Bowl or Silicon Valley Classic, was an NCAA-certified Division I-A post-season college football bowl game that was played at Spartan Stadium on the South Campus of San Jose State University in San Jose, California,...
44-35 vs. Fresno State University as a Sophomore, and losing against Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
17-3 as a Senior 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...
.
Smoker also played in the "Clockgate" game against the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
on November 3, 2001. In the game Smoker threw the winning 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:...
with 1 second remaining.
Struggles with Substance Abuse
Smoker was suspended for the last five games of the 2002 season by coach Bobby WilliamsBobby Williams
- External links :* at RollTide.com...
due to a violation of team rules. It was later revealed that Smoker was dealing with substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
issues. His story and comeback was profiled in a front page story in 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...
.
Williams was fired toward the end of the 2002 season. Incoming 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...
reinstated Smoker in August 2003.
Michigan State Passing Records
As of 2006 he held the following Michigan State passing records as denoted in the 2006 Michigan State Media Guide.Career Records
- Passing Yards - 8,932
- Touchdown passes - 61
- Pass Attempts - 1,150
- Pass Completions - 685
- Most 200 yard passing games - 23
- Interceptions - 39
Season Records
- Passing Yards - 3,395 (2003)
- Pass Attempts - 488 (2003)
- Pass Completions - 302 (2003)
- Passing Efficiency Rating (min 75 attempts)- 166.4 (2001)
- Total Offense yards per attempt (min 100 attempts) - 7.35 (2001)
Single Game Records
- Pass Attempts - 55 vs Ohio State (2003)
- Completions - 35 vs Ohio State (2003)
Pre-draft
First stint with the St. Louis Rams (2004-2005)
Smoker was drafted in the 6th round by the St. Louis Rams, and he made the Rams' roster in his rookieRookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
year as the team's third quarterback. In his second year he was beaten out of that position by former Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
and was cut from the Rams at the end of the 2005 training camp.
Philadelphia Eagles (2005)
Smoker spent a brief time on the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia 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...
' practice squad in 2005.
Second stint with the St. Louis Rams (2005-2006)
He spent the 2005 season2005 St. Louis Rams season
The 2005 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 68th year with the National Football League and the 11th season in St. Louis.-Schedule:-Standings:...
on the club's practice squad and roster due to injuries to the Ram's starter
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...
, 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 his back-up, Jamie Martin
Due to the Rams' signing of former Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback Gus Frerotte
Gus Frerotte
Gustave Joseph "Gus" Frerotte is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa....
in the 2006 offseason
2006 St. Louis Rams season
The 2006 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 69th year with the National Football League and the 12th season in St. Louis. The season began with the Rams trying to improve on their 6-10 record from 2005 under new head coach Scott Linehan.-Offseason:...
, Smoker was cut from the Rams roster at the beginning of the 2006 training camp.
Kansas City Chiefs (2006)
On August 10, 2006 he was signed by the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
as insurance for their first preseason game since injuries limited the Chiefs to only 2 healthy quarterbacks on their roster. Smoker was subsequently cut from the team on August 28.
Nashville Kats
Smoker was signed by the Nashville KatsNashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
of the Arena Football League on November 21, 2006.
He got his first start with the Kats on March 18, 2007 versus the Utah Blaze
Utah Blaze
The Utah Blaze is a professional arena football team based in Salt Lake City, Utah and competes in the West division of the Arena Football League. Home games are played at the EnergySolutions Arena.-The original Utah Blaze :...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. As of March 27, 2007, Smoker had replaced original starting QB Clint Stoerner
Clint Stoerner
Clinton Jacob Stoerner is an American football quarterback. He is currently a free agent.-High school years:...
as the first stringer. He led the Kats to a 7-9 record where they just barely missed the playoffs. He was released from the team at the end of the 2007 season.
Arizona Rattlers
Smoker was signed by the Arizona RattlersArizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
, where he was their starting quarterback until the league folded in 2009.
External links
- http://www.azrattlers.com/team/roster/index.html?player_id=85 - Jeff Smoker on the Arizona Rattler's website
- http://www.arenafan.com/players/?page=players&player=10313 - Jeff Smoker's ArenaFan.com Player Profile