Former Mizzou Players In The NFL: Blaine Gabbert

Sep 9, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert (11) yells during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-US PRESSWIRE

This weeks version of Mizzou Players In The NFL we will be catching up with QB Blaine Gabbert to see how he has done in the first few games of the 2012 season.

First, let me take you through a little history. Gabbert was born in Chesterfield, MO where he played football at Parkview West High School. As a first-year starter he threw for 1,100 yards and 11 TDs. Promising young talent was in the making.

What really caught many of the scouts eyes was the junior year of  his high school football career. Of which he completed 119 of 231 passes for 1,523 yards and 20 TDs (ran for an extra 458 yards and scored 8 TDs on the ground). As a senior there, he threw for 623 yards and 4 touchdowns before he was cut short by a foot injury that sidelined him most of the season.

Ranked as a 5-star recruit on Rivals.com coming out of high school this young man had the whole world ahead of him. Rated as the number one pro-style quarterback in the nation. He committed to Missouri eventually after he de-committed from Nebraska because of coaching changes. Gabbert was going to be red-shirted his freshman year but Coach Pinkel eventually changed his mind and made him the third-string QB.

In 2009, he made his debut game in his college career against the Arch-Rival Illinois Fighting Illini where he posted a 313/3 TD/O INT line with a rushing TD to go with it. Blaine had two very strong years with Mizzou. In the 2009 season, he completed 262/445 passes which would be a 58.8% completion rate for 3,593 yards, 24 TDs, and 9 picks. In the 2010 season, he completed 301/475 passes which would be a 63.4% completion rate for 3,186, 16 TDs, and also 9 picks. In January of 2011, he announced that he would be forgoing his senior season at Mizzou to enter the 2011 NFL Draft.

He was a great college quarterback and after a strong bowl-game Gabbert had reports by scouts and ESPN analysts that he would be one of the first 3 quarterbacks taken off the board. On April 28th, 2011 the draft came around and he fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars at pick 10, but living up to NFL expectations is a whole other realm than being a Big 12 (now in the SEC) quarterback.

His NFL debut game was against the New York Jets (5-6 for 52 yards),  and was immediately named the starter for the following week at the Carolina Panthers. He ended his first full NFL game going 12-21 139 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. The rest of Gabbert’s 2011 season was one to forget. The offensive line for the Jacksonville Jaguars was absolutely horrific allowing 40 sacks (third-most of any quarterback in the league), and he also had trouble holding on to the ball which he fumbled 14 times that season (most in the league by any quarterback). With more than 200 attempts he only had a 50.8% completion percentage and was second-worst in that category. Throwing for 2,214 yards, 12 TDs, and 11 INTs as a rookie.

So far in the 2012 season he has been up and down from week one to week two. His best game of his NFL career came in a losing effort week one against the Minnesota Vikings slinging the ball for 260 yards , 2 TDs, and zero picks. Ended the night with a 96.1 rating. That is insanely good for a year one player.  Week 2 was completely different. Going back to his rookie ways against a great Houston Texans team he only completed 7 of 19 passes for 53 yards (fewest yards in his short NFL career). He hurried throws, missed open receivers, and showed little pocket presence. Gabbert ended his day sidelined by a hamstring injury that could keep him out of future games.

So the roller-coaster ride continues for our former Tigers QB. The beginning of his 2012 campaign is pretty shaky considering he has had the best/worst game of his career back-to-back. Kind of crazy huh?

Moral Of The Story:

He can make it

rain

“Blain” at anytime. (Sorry, had to do it)

Really though, he truly is a polarizing mystery thus far in his career. I wouldn’t know how to react to this quite yet if I was a Jaguars fan. Of course, we have our own problems over here in Kansas City. Damn it.

Stay tuned next week we will be looking into a few former TEs including Martin Rucker and Michael Egnew! Don’t forget… M-I-Z! Z-O-U!

– Jordan Pollock, Lead Editor, Zoulogy.com