Kirby Freeman
Encyclopedia
Kirby Freeman is an American football
quarterback
who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
at Miami
and Baylor
.
As a high school punter he averaged 43.7 yards.
As a junior in 2002 he passed for 1,487 yards while completing 87 of 150 passes, 14 for touchdowns, with eight interceptions, as the team advanced to the Class 4A Division I state semifinals. As a senior in 2003 he passed for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns with four interceptions on 71 of 123 passing also running for 956 yards and 14 touchdowns on 128 carries. Despite missing four games due to injury, Freeman led Brownwood to an 11-1 season in 2003, reaching the Class 4A Area round.
Freeman chose the University of Miami
over Purdue University
, Oklahoma State, Arizona
, Arizona State
, Nebraska, Texas and UCLA.
During his freshman year Freeman was named the Hurricanes Offensive Rookie of the Year, completing 15 of 31 passes (48.4 percent) for 183 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also showed his running ability with eight rushes for 38 yards.
Freeman served as the team's No. 2 quarterback behind Kyle Wright
for much of the 2006 season. In a game against Virginia Tech, Freeman replaced an injured Wright in the second quarter and led the team to its first touchdown of the game.
Freeman played in nine games as a redshirt freshman, gaining valuable experience. Going into his sophomore year he competed with Wright for the starting role during spring practice, ultimately becoming number two.
With Wright suffering a season-ending thumb injury, Freeman started the final four games of the 2006 season and led the Hurricanes to a 17-14 victory over Boston College
in the regular season finale. The win made Miami bowl-eligible
. In the 2006 MPC Computers Bowl
, Freeman completed 11 of 19 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns in Miami's 21-20 win over Nevada
. Freeman also rushed for a touchdown en route to being named MVP of the game.
On August 28, 2007, Head Coach Randy Shannon
named Freeman the starting quarterback over Kyle Wright for the season-opening game against Marshall
. Freeman, despite going 9-for-21 for 81 yards with one touchdown, one interception, and 20 yards rushing in his first start, drew praise from Shannon for "controlling" the game, a 31-3 Miami win. The following week, Freeman struggled to complete only 3 of 10 passes for 17 yards and was replaced by Kyle Wright for part of the third quarter in a 51-13 loss to Oklahoma
. In Freeman's two starts, Miami ranked 118th out of 119 major college schools in passing offense both in average yards per game and yards per attempt. On September 11, Shannon announced that Wright would reclaim his starting role for the September 15th game against FIU
.
On October 20, Freeman threw the go-ahead touchdown pass against Florida State. Against NC State the following week, Freeman went 1-for-14 with one touchdown and three interceptions.
Freeman finished his final season with Miami by passing for 256 yards and throwing for 3 touchdowns. Freeman transferred to Baylor after the season, citing differences with head coach Randy Shannon
.
in spring practice, Kirby Freeman started against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons
in the first game and proceeded to go 4-11 for 31 yards and 2 costly interceptions. He was later replaced by Robert Griffin
as the starting quarterback.
, Freeman signed with the San Francisco 49ers
as an undrafted free agent on April 30. The 49ers waived Freeman on May 12.
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 is currently 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....
. He was signed by 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...
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. 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 Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
and Baylor
Baylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
.
Early years
Freeman played his High School football at Brownwood High School, Brownwood Texas under his father, the Brownwood High School head coach. Freeman played on his varsity football team all four years he was in High School. He was a SuperPrep All-American and was rated the No. 12 quarterback in the nation and the No. 13 overall prospect in Texas by SuperPrep.As a high school punter he averaged 43.7 yards.
As a junior in 2002 he passed for 1,487 yards while completing 87 of 150 passes, 14 for touchdowns, with eight interceptions, as the team advanced to the Class 4A Division I state semifinals. As a senior in 2003 he passed for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns with four interceptions on 71 of 123 passing also running for 956 yards and 14 touchdowns on 128 carries. Despite missing four games due to injury, Freeman led Brownwood to an 11-1 season in 2003, reaching the Class 4A Area round.
Freeman chose the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
over 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...
, Oklahoma State, Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, Arizona State
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, Nebraska, Texas and UCLA.
Miami
Freeman graduated from high school in Brownwood, Texas early in order to enroll in UM for the 2004 spring semester and attend spring practices. He played in nine games as a redshirt freshman, gaining valuable experience that keeps him always ready.During his freshman year Freeman was named the Hurricanes Offensive Rookie of the Year, completing 15 of 31 passes (48.4 percent) for 183 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also showed his running ability with eight rushes for 38 yards.
Freeman served as the team's No. 2 quarterback behind Kyle Wright
Kyle Wright
Kyle Wright is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
for much of the 2006 season. In a game against Virginia Tech, Freeman replaced an injured Wright in the second quarter and led the team to its first touchdown of the game.
Freeman played in nine games as a redshirt freshman, gaining valuable experience. Going into his sophomore year he competed with Wright for the starting role during spring practice, ultimately becoming number two.
With Wright suffering a season-ending thumb injury, Freeman started the final four games of the 2006 season and led the Hurricanes to a 17-14 victory over Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
in the regular season finale. The win made Miami bowl-eligible
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 the 2006 MPC Computers Bowl
MPC Computers Bowl
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game that has been played annually at 33,500-seat Bronco Stadium on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, since 1997...
, Freeman completed 11 of 19 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns in Miami's 21-20 win over Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
. Freeman also rushed for a touchdown en route to being named MVP of the game.
On August 28, 2007, Head Coach Randy Shannon
Randy Shannon
Randy Lennard Shannon is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Miami from 2007 to 2010. Shannon played football at Miami and then with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL....
named Freeman the starting quarterback over Kyle Wright for the season-opening game against Marshall
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
. Freeman, despite going 9-for-21 for 81 yards with one touchdown, one interception, and 20 yards rushing in his first start, drew praise from Shannon for "controlling" the game, a 31-3 Miami win. The following week, Freeman struggled to complete only 3 of 10 passes for 17 yards and was replaced by Kyle Wright for part of the third quarter in a 51-13 loss to Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. In Freeman's two starts, Miami ranked 118th out of 119 major college schools in passing offense both in average yards per game and yards per attempt. On September 11, Shannon announced that Wright would reclaim his starting role for the September 15th game against FIU
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
.
On October 20, Freeman threw the go-ahead touchdown pass against Florida State. Against NC State the following week, Freeman went 1-for-14 with one touchdown and three interceptions.
Freeman finished his final season with Miami by passing for 256 yards and throwing for 3 touchdowns. Freeman transferred to Baylor after the season, citing differences with head coach Randy Shannon
Randy Shannon
Randy Lennard Shannon is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Miami from 2007 to 2010. Shannon played football at Miami and then with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL....
.
Baylor
After winning the quarterbacking job at Baylor UniversityBaylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in spring practice, Kirby Freeman started against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Originally, Wake Forest's athletic teams were known as the Fighting Baptists, due to its association with the Baptist Convention...
in the first game and proceeded to go 4-11 for 31 yards and 2 costly interceptions. He was later replaced by Robert Griffin
Robert Griffin (American football)
Robert Lee Griffin III is the starting quarterback for the Baylor Bears college football team. As a true freshman, he earned Big 12 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year honors.-Early life and high school career:...
as the starting quarterback.
San Francisco 49ers
After going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft2009 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...
, Freeman signed with 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...
as an undrafted free agent on April 30. The 49ers waived Freeman on May 12.