Jim Everett
Encyclopedia
James Samuel Everett III (born January 3, 1963 in Emporia, Kansas
) is a retired professional American football
quarterback
who played for twelve seasons in the National Football League
(NFL).
Everett attended Purdue University
and was selected in the first round of the 1986 NFL Draft
. He was selected as the third pick in the first round by the Houston Oilers, and was the first quarterback taken that year. Unable to work out a contract agreement with Everett, the Oilers traded his rights to the Los Angeles Rams, with whom Everett played from 1986
-93
. He then played with the New Orleans Saints
from 1994
-96
and ended his career with a stint with the San Diego Chargers
in 1997
.
to play either safety or quarterback for Purdue University
. He was soon slotted into the quarterback role where he narrowly missed out on being a four-year starter at Purdue, as a game day decision before his first game as a freshman led to Scott Campbell
getting the nod over Everett. Campbell held off Everett for three years, one of which Everett was able to redshirt
to gain an extra year of eligibility. Upon Campbell's graduation to a seven-year career in the NFL, Everett took over the reins of the pass-oriented Boilermaker offense.
As a junior, Everett led the Boilermakers to the 1984 Peach Bowl
, where he passed for 253 yards and three touchdowns. Purdue lost the game to Virginia
, quarterbacked by future Green Bay Packer
Don Majkowski
, 27-24. Everett is also the only Purdue quarterback to ever beat Michigan
, Notre Dame
, and Ohio State
all in the same season.
During the 1985 season, Everett led the NCAA
in total offense (3,589 yards), which at the time was a school record (since broken by Drew Brees
). He finished sixth in balloting for the 1985 Heisman Trophy
.
Everett earned regular membership on the Distinguished Students list at Purdue, and graduated with a degree in industrial management. During his time at Purdue, Everett regularly tutored fellow Purdue athletes in courses such as calculus
and statistical analysis. He was also initiated into the Sigma Chi
fraternity during his time as an undergraduate.
game, played in Honolulu, Hawaii
.
The 1993 season
was a low point in Everett's career. He played in only ten games but managed to throw twelve interceptions. He only threw eight touchdown
passes, tying the lowest amount in his career and matching his rookie total when he only played in six games. The next season in New Orleans he turned his performance around. In three years with the Saints, he threw 22, 26, and 12 touchdowns.
Over his career, Everett managed to perform well enough to be among league leaders in several passing categories. His 203 touchdown passes rank 25th all-time, and his 34,837 passing yards are good enough for 14th all-time. He also ranks 15th all-time in completions and 16th all-time in pass attempts. On a year to year basis, he was among the top ten league leaders in the following categories: pass attempts (seven times), completions (eight times), pass yards (seven times), and passing touchdowns (six, including leading the league twice).
regular season, Everett was reportedly "shellshocked" from the numerous times he was sacked
and hit in the NFC Championship Game
against the San Francisco 49ers
(the 49ers won, 30-3). At one point in the game, Everett was so rattled that he collapsed to the ground in the pocket in anticipation of yet another sack, even though the 49ers' defensive players actually had not yet reached him – a play now known as Everett's "Phantom Sack". From then on he was perceived to shy away from hits, and later acknowledged that his confidence was never fully restored.
This eventually led to a confrontation in 1994
with then Talk2
host Jim Rome
. Rome had regularly mocked Everett's aversion to taking hits on the field by addressing him as "Chris" Everett (a reference to female tennis player Chris Evert
). When Everett appeared as a guest on Talk2, Rome wasted no time, applying the insult twice within the show's first 30 seconds. Everett warned Rome not to do so again, implying that physical confrontation would ensue otherwise. When Rome did, Everett overturned the table between them and shoved Rome to the floor while still on the air.
. He received an MBA degree from Pepperdine University
and started his own asset management business.
Emporia, Kansas
Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,916. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 and 35 on the Kansas Turnpike...
) is a retired professional American football
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 twelve seasons in 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...
(NFL).
Everett attended Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
and was selected in the first round of the 1986 NFL Draft
1986 NFL Draft
The 1986 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 29–30, 1986...
. He was selected as the third pick in the first round by the Houston Oilers, and was the first quarterback taken that year. Unable to work out a contract agreement with Everett, the Oilers traded his rights to the Los Angeles Rams, with whom Everett played from 1986
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
-93
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
. He then played with 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 ....
from 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
-96
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
and ended his career with a stint with the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
.
College career
Everett was recruited out of Eldorado High School in Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
to play either safety or quarterback for Purdue University
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
. He was soon slotted into the quarterback role where he narrowly missed out on being a four-year starter at Purdue, as a game day decision before his first game as a freshman led to Scott Campbell
Scott Campbell (American football)
Robert Scott Campbell is a former professional American football player who played quarterback for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons. He played collegiately at Purdue University. He is currently a real estate broker and owner of Brownstone Realty in Hershey,...
getting the nod over Everett. Campbell held off Everett for three years, one of which Everett was able to redshirt
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...
to gain an extra year of eligibility. Upon Campbell's graduation to a seven-year career in the NFL, Everett took over the reins of the pass-oriented Boilermaker offense.
As a junior, Everett led the Boilermakers to the 1984 Peach Bowl
1984 Peach Bowl
The 1984 Peach Bowl featured the of the Big Ten against the of the ACC. Virginia defeated Purdue 27-24.Purdue jumped out to a 24-14 halftime lead, However, Virginia scored the only points of the second half with a touchdown and two field goals in order to pull out the win...
, where he passed for 253 yards and three touchdowns. Purdue lost the game to 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...
, quarterbacked by future Green Bay Packer
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...
Don Majkowski
Don Majkowski
Donald Francis Vincent Majkowski, "Majik", is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions.-College career:...
, 27-24. Everett is also the only Purdue quarterback to ever beat Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, and Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
all in the same season.
During the 1985 season, Everett led the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
in total offense (3,589 yards), which at the time was a school record (since broken by Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
). He finished sixth in balloting for the 1985 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...
.
Everett earned regular membership on the Distinguished Students list at Purdue, and graduated with a degree in industrial management. During his time at Purdue, Everett regularly tutored fellow Purdue athletes in courses such as calculus
Calculus
Calculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem...
and statistical analysis. He was also initiated into the Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
fraternity during his time as an undergraduate.
NFL career
Everett had a productive NFL career, especially with the Rams, where he was a statistical leader in several passing categories. His Rams teams were successful early in his career, earning playoff berths in 1986, 1988, and 1989. However, after losing the 1989 NFC Championship Game, he would not find himself back in the playoffs for the remainder of his career. Despite that he continued to produce fine statistics, and was rewarded with a trip to the 1991 Pro Bowl1991 Pro Bowl
The 1991 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 3, 1991 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final Score was AFC 23, NFC 21. There were 50,345 people in attendance. Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Bills was the game's MVP. The referee was Gordon McCarter....
game, played in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
.
The 1993 season
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
was a low point in Everett's career. He played in only ten games but managed to throw twelve interceptions. He only threw eight 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:...
passes, tying the lowest amount in his career and matching his rookie total when he only played in six games. The next season in New Orleans he turned his performance around. In three years with the Saints, he threw 22, 26, and 12 touchdowns.
Over his career, Everett managed to perform well enough to be among league leaders in several passing categories. His 203 touchdown passes rank 25th all-time, and his 34,837 passing yards are good enough for 14th all-time. He also ranks 15th all-time in completions and 16th all-time in pass attempts. On a year to year basis, he was among the top ten league leaders in the following categories: pass attempts (seven times), completions (eight times), pass yards (seven times), and passing touchdowns (six, including leading the league twice).
Jim Rome controversy
Following the 19891989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
regular season, Everett was reportedly "shellshocked" from the numerous times he was sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
and hit in the NFC Championship Game
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
against 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...
(the 49ers won, 30-3). At one point in the game, Everett was so rattled that he collapsed to the ground in the pocket in anticipation of yet another sack, even though the 49ers' defensive players actually had not yet reached him – a play now known as Everett's "Phantom Sack". From then on he was perceived to shy away from hits, and later acknowledged that his confidence was never fully restored.
This eventually led to a confrontation in 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
with then Talk2
Talk2
Talk2 was a talk show hosted by Jim Rome on ESPN2 from 1993 to 1998.-The Everett incident:Jim Rome's show achieved the ultimate in notoriety when he welcomed Jim Everett onto the show in 1994. Jim Everett claimed for the past few years Rome had been calling him "Chris"...
host Jim Rome
Jim Rome
Jim Rome is an American sports radio talk show host syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications....
. Rome had regularly mocked Everett's aversion to taking hits on the field by addressing him as "Chris" Everett (a reference to female tennis player Chris Evert
Chris Evert
Christine Marie "Chris" Evert is a former world number 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open. She was the year-ending World No...
). When Everett appeared as a guest on Talk2, Rome wasted no time, applying the insult twice within the show's first 30 seconds. Everett warned Rome not to do so again, implying that physical confrontation would ensue otherwise. When Rome did, Everett overturned the table between them and shoved Rome to the floor while still on the air.
Post-NFL
After his NFL career ended, Everett settled in Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. He received an MBA degree from Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
and started his own asset management business.