Omar Jacobs
Encyclopedia
Omar T. Jacobs is an American football
quarterback
, who is currently a member of the Jacksonville Sharks
of the Arena Football League
. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers
in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Bowling Green State University
.
Jacobs has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
and Kansas City Chiefs
.
, Delray Beach, Florida. His senior year (2002), he led his team to Florida's state semifinals, throwing for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns in a loss. He was also awarded Palm Beach County player of the year honors and 2nd team All-State honors.
-to-interception ratio in NCAA
Division I-A history (10.25:1). In 2005, Jacobs was expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy
, awarded to the year's best college football player, but an injury to his non-throwing shoulder considerably reduced his productivity.
Jacobs skipped his senior season at Bowling Green to enter the NFL draft. Jacobs left Bowling Green State University as the school's all-time leader in touchdown passes (71) and third in career passing yards (6,938).
2005
2008
, with the 164th overall pick, by the Pittsburgh Steelers
. At the end of the preseason, he was sent to the practice squad. Jacobs was released from the practice squad and cut from the team following training camp.
practice squad and cut on January 3, 2007.
and allocated to NFL Europe
where he was to play for the Berlin Thunder
. However, prior to the start of the season, Jacobs was injured and spent the entire preseason on injured reserve
. He was cut by the Chiefs on September 2.
2008 season, Jacobs was signed to the roster where he would be the starting quarterback. Jacobs completed 208-362 passes for over 3,000 yards with 56 touchdowns and 12 interceptions to lead the Phantoms to their first ever AIFA Championship Bowl win. He also won the AIFA Championship Bowl II MVP Award, and the AIFA League MVP Award. Jacobs had planned to move to the Arena Football League to play for the Tampa Bay Storm
for the 2009 season, but when the AFL was canceled, he returned to Florence.
of the Arena Football League
. He didn't see any playing time in 2010, and in 2011, he spent the season as the backup to Aaron Garcia. He will return in 2012 to compete with Chris Leak
for the starting quarterback spot.
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 member of the Jacksonville Sharks
Jacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They competed for part of the 1974 season in the World Football League, a failed attempt to launch a major professional football league in the United States in competition with the National Football...
of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. 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 Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green Falcons
The Bowling Green Falcons are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Bowling Green State University, located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The Falcons participate in NCAA Division I in the Mid-American Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. BGSU is one of only 13 universities in the...
.
Jacobs has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia 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...
and Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas 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...
.
Early years
Jacobs graduated from Atlantic Community High SchoolAtlantic Community High School
Atlantic Community High School is a public high school located in Delray Beach, Florida. It is part of the School District of Palm Beach County. Known for its academics, many students attend due to the school's International Baccalaureate program and its ranking as a top-rated school for many...
, Delray Beach, Florida. His senior year (2002), he led his team to Florida's state semifinals, throwing for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns in a loss. He was also awarded Palm Beach County player of the year honors and 2nd team All-State honors.
College career
In 2004, his sophomore season, Jacobs set the record for the best touchdownTouchdown
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:...
-to-interception ratio in 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...
Division I-A history (10.25:1). In 2005, Jacobs was expected to contend for the 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...
, awarded to the year's best college football player, but an injury to his non-throwing shoulder considerably reduced his productivity.
Jacobs skipped his senior season at Bowling Green to enter the NFL draft. Jacobs left Bowling Green State University as the school's all-time leader in touchdown passes (71) and third in career passing yards (6,938).
Awards and honors
2004- CNNSI.com honorable mention All-American
- MVP of the 2004 GMAC BowlGMAC BowlThe GoDaddy.com Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played annually at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama since 1999. It currently matches teams from the Sun Belt Conference and the Mid-American Conference, and...
- First-team All-MAC
- MAC Offensive Player of the Year
- Led the nation in touchdown passes with a MAC-record 41
- Led the nation in points responsible for per game (22.5)--his 45 touchdowns responsible for also was a MAC record
- Second nationally in total yards per game (358.5)--his 4,002 yards passing was the second highest total in the country
- Third nationally in passing efficiency (165.47)
- 41 touchdowns to four interceptions thrown was the best ratio in NCAA I-A history
2005
- Davey O'Brien AwardDavey O'Brien AwardThe Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
semifinalist - Two-time MACMid-American ConferenceThe Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
East Offensive Player of the Week - Second-team preseason All-American choice by The Sporting NewsThe Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
- Preseason candidate for the Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
and the Walter Camp AwardWalter Camp AwardThe Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
2008
- MVP of the AIFA Championship Bowl II
- AIFA League MVP
- All-AIFA
Pittsburgh Steelers
He was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
, with the 164th overall pick, by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. At the end of the preseason, he was sent to the practice squad. Jacobs was released from the practice squad and cut from the team following training camp.
Philadelphia Eagles
On November 21, 2006, he was signed to 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 and cut on January 3, 2007.
Kansas City Chiefs
On February 12, 2007, he was signed to 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...
and allocated to NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
where he was to play for the Berlin Thunder
Berlin Thunder
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe, which was a springtime American football league serving primarily as a developmental league for the National Football League. Most of the players were young American professional players assigned by NFL teams to receive...
. However, prior to the start of the season, Jacobs was injured and spent the entire preseason on injured reserve
Injured 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...
. He was cut by the Chiefs on September 2.
Florence Phantoms
Before the Florence PhantomsFlorence Phantoms
The Florence Phantoms was a professional arena football team based out of Florence, South Carolina, in the United States. They are a 2006 expansion member of the American Indoor Football Association, and the current AIFA Champions as of the 2008 season's end...
2008 season, Jacobs was signed to the roster where he would be the starting quarterback. Jacobs completed 208-362 passes for over 3,000 yards with 56 touchdowns and 12 interceptions to lead the Phantoms to their first ever AIFA Championship Bowl win. He also won the AIFA Championship Bowl II MVP Award, and the AIFA League MVP Award. Jacobs had planned to move to the Arena Football League to play for the Tampa Bay Storm
Tampa Bay Storm
The Tampa Bay Storm are an Arena Football League team based in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. They play their home games in the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa....
for the 2009 season, but when the AFL was canceled, he returned to Florence.
Jacksonville Sharks
In 2010, Jacobs signed with the Jacksonville SharksJacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They competed for part of the 1974 season in the World Football League, a failed attempt to launch a major professional football league in the United States in competition with the National Football...
of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. He didn't see any playing time in 2010, and in 2011, he spent the season as the backup to Aaron Garcia. He will return in 2012 to compete with Chris Leak
Chris Leak
Christopher Patrick Leak is an American professional football player who is currently a quarterback for the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League. He played college football for the University of Florida, and led the Florida Gators to victory in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game...
for the starting quarterback spot.