FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-25                5/1/03

NFL QUARTERBACKS TAKE CENTER STAGE

How important is the quarterback position in the NFL?  How about, “More than ever.”

For the first time in NFL Draft history, a quarterback last Saturday was chosen with the No. 1 overall pick for the third consecutive year, and for the fifth time in the past six years – another NFL Draft first.  The Cincinnati Bengals did the honors with the first pick, selecting Southern California quarterback (and Heisman Trophy winner) CARSON PALMER. 

Palmer follows Houston Texans quarterback DAVID CARR, chosen No. 1 in 2002 from Fresno State, and the Atlanta Falcons’ MICHAEL VICK, who was the top choice in 2001 from Virginia Tech. 

“Palmer was the pick of all our scouts, all our coaches, and everyone else in this building,” said Bengals President MIKE BROWN.  “There wasn’t one of them who thought he shouldn’t be our pick.  He was a unanimous choice.”

Joining Palmer as 2003 first-round selections were quarterbacks BYRON LEFTWICH of Marshall (No. 7, Jacksonville); KYLE BOLLER of California (No. 19, Baltimore); and REX GROSSMAN of Florida (No. 22, Chicago).

According to RON WOLF, the former general manager of the Green Bay Packers who traded for a young BRETT FAVRE in 1992, “Quarterback is one position where you can never have enough.”

Thirteen quarterbacks in all were drafted last weekend, which nearly tied last year’s seven-round record of 15.  In its final season of college football, the quarterback draft class of 2003 averaged per man: 249 completions out of 421 attempts (59.1 percent) for 3,165 yards and 24 touchdowns for a passer rating of 89.4.

As the majority of NFL teams open minicamps this weekend, a listing of each club’s quarterbacks follows (* 2003 NFL Draft choice; ** Presently playing in NFL Europe League):

 

2003 NFL QUARTERBACKS
 

Quarterback

College

2003 NFL Exp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARIZONA

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff Blake

 

East Carolina

 

12

 

Josh McCown

 

Sam Houston State

 

2

 

Preston Parsons

 

Northern Arizona

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ATLANTA

 

 

 

 

 

Doug Johnson

 

Florida

 

4

 

Kurt Kittner

 

Illinois

 

2

 

David Rivers

 

Western Carolina

 

1

**

Michael Vick

 

Virginia Tech

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BALTIMORE

 

 

 

 

 

Kyle Boller

 

California

 

R

*

Chris Redman

 

Louisville

 

4

 

Anthony Wright

 

South Carolina

 

5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUFFALO

 

 

 

 

 

Drew Bledsoe

 

Washington State

 

11

 

Travis Brown

 

Northern Arizona

 

4

 

Jason Johnson

 

Arizona

 

R

 

Alex Van Pelt

 

Pittsburgh

 

9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAROLINA

 

 

 

 

 

Jake Delhomme

 

Louisiana-Lafayette

 

5

 

Randy Fasani

 

Stanford

 

2

 

Rodney Peete

 

Southern California

 

14

 

Chris Weinke

 

Florida State

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHICAGO

 

 

 

 

 

Henry Burris

 

Temple

 

3

**

Chris Chandler

 

Washington

 

16

 

Rex Grossman

 

Florida

 

R

*

Cory Sauter

 

Minnesota

 

4

 

Kordell Stewart

 

Colorado

 

9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CINCINNATI

 

 

 

 

 

Jon Kitna

 

Central Washington

 

7

 

Carson Palmer

 

Southern California

 

R

*

Akili Smith

 

Oregon

 

5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLEVELAND

 

 

 

 

 

Pat Barnes

 

California

 

4

 

Josh Booty

 

Louisiana State

 

3

 

Tim Couch

 

Kentucky

 

5

 

Kelly Holcomb

 

Middle Tennessee State

 

7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DALLAS

 

 

 

 

 

Quincy Carter

 

Georgia

 

3

 

Chad Hutchinson

 

Stanford

 

2

 

Tony Romo

 

Eastern Illinois

 

R

 

Clint Stoerner

 

Arkansas

 

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DENVER

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Beuerlein

 

Notre Dame

 

17

 

Brian Griese

 

Michigan

 

6

 

Jarious Jackson

 

Notre Dame

 

4

 

Jake Plummer

 

Arizona State

 

7

 

Nick Rolovich

 

Hawaii

 

1

**

 

 

 

 

 

 

DETROIT

 

 

 

 

 

Curt Anes

 

Grand Valley State

 

R

 

Ty Detmer

 

BYU

 

12

 

Joey Harrington

 

Oregon

 

2

 

Mike McMahon

 

Rutgers

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GREEN BAY

 

 

 

 

 

Eric Crouch

 

Nebraska

 

1

 

Brett Favre

 

Southern Mississippi

 

12

 

Jose Fuentes

 

Utah State

 

R

 

Zak Kustok

 

Northwestern

 

1

 

Craig Nall

 

Northwestern (La.) State

 

2

**

Doug Pederson

 

Northeast Louisiana

 

11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSTON

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Banks

 

Michigan State

 

7

 

David Carr

 

Fresno State

 

2

 

Mike Quinn

 

Stephen F. Austin

 

6

 

Dave Ragone

 

Louisville

 

R

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

INDIANAPOLIS

 

 

 

 

 

Jim Druckenmiller

 

Virginia Tech

 

4

 

James MacPherson

 

Wake Forest

 

R

 

Brock Huard

 

Washington

 

5

 

Peyton Manning

 

Tennessee

 

6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JACKSONVILLE

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Brunell

 

Washington

 

11

 

David Garrard

 

East Carolina

 

2

 

Quinn Gray

 

Florida A&M

 

1

**

Byron Leftwich

 

Marshall

 

R

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

KANSAS CITY

 

 

 

 

 

Todd Collins

 

Michigan

 

9

 

Trent Green

 

Indiana

 

10

 

Jonathan Quinn

 

Middle Tennessee State

 

6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MIAMI

 

 

 

 

 

Josh Blankenship

 

Eastern Washington

 

R

 

Jay Fiedler

 

Dartmouth

 

8

 

Sage Rosenfels

 

Iowa State

 

3

 

Lon Sheriff

 

San Diego State

 

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MINNESOTA

 

 

 

 

 

Daunte Culpepper

 

Central Florida

 

5

 

Gus Frerotte

 

Tulsa

 

10

 

Shaun Hill

 

Maryland

 

2

**

Kevin Thompson

 

Penn State

 

2

 

Juston Wood

 

Portland State

 

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW ENGLAND

 

 

 

 

 

Tom Brady

 

Michigan

 

4

 

Rohan Davey

 

Louisiana State

 

2

 

Damon Huard

 

Washington

 

7

 

Kliff Kingsbury

 

Texas Tech

 

R

*

Shane Stafford

 

Connecticut

 

1

**

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW ORLEANS

 

 

 

 

 

Todd Bouman

 

St. Cloud State

 

6

 

Aaron Brooks

 

Virginia

 

4

 

Chris Finlen

 

Northern Illinois

 

1

**

J.T. O’Sullivan

 

Cal-Davis

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NY GIANTS

 

 

 

 

 

Kerry Collins

 

Penn State

 

9

 

Jason Garrett

 

Princeton

 

10

 

Jesse Palmer

 

Florida

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NY JETS

 

 

 

 

 

Brooks Bollinger

 

Wisconsin

 

R

*

Todd Husak

 

Stanford

 

4

 

Chad Pennington

 

Marshall

 

4

 

Vinny Testaverde

 

Miami (Fla.)

 

17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OAKLAND

 

 

 

 

 

Bret Engemann

 

BYU

 

R

 

Rich Gannon

 

Delaware

 

16

 

Tee Martin

 

Tennessee

 

3

 

Rick Mirer

 

Notre Dame

 

11

 

Marques Tuiasosopo

 

Washington

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHILADELPHIA

 

 

 

 

 

Koy Detmer

 

Colorado

 

7

 

A.J. Feeley

 

Oregon

 

3

 

Tim Hasselbeck

 

Boston College

 

2

 

Donovan McNabb

 

Syracuse

 

5

 

 

PITTSBURGH

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie Batch

 

Eastern Michigan

 

6

 

Tim Levcik

 

Robert Morris

 

1

 

Tommy Maddox

 

UCLA

 

7

 

Brian St. Pierre

 

Boston College

 

R

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

ST. LOUIS

 

 

 

 

 

Marc Bulger

 

West Virginia

 

2

 

Scott Covington

 

Miami (Fla.)

 

4

 

Kirk Farmer

 

Missouri

 

R

 

Kurt Warner

 

Northern Iowa

 

7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAN DIEGO

 

 

 

 

 

Rob Adamson

 

Mount Union

 

R

 

Drew Brees

 

Purdue

 

3

 

Seth Burford

 

Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo

 

2

**

Doug Flutie

 

Boston College

 

10

 

Cleo Lemon

 

Arkansas State

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO

 

 

 

 

 

Brandon Doman

 

BYU

 

2

 

Ken Dorsey

 

Miami

 

R

*

Jeff Garcia

 

San Jose State

 

4

 

Cade McNown

 

UCLA

 

5

 

Tim Rattay

 

Louisiana Tech

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEATTLE

 

 

 

 

 

Trent Dilfer

 

Fresno State

 

10

 

Matt Hasselbeck

 

Boston College

 

5

 

Jeff Kelly

 

Southern Mississippi

 

2

 

Wes Pate

 

Stephen F. Austin

 

1

**

Seneca Wallace

 

Iowa State

 

R

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAMPA BAY

 

 

 

 

 

Brad Johnson

 

Florida State

 

12

 

Jim Miller

 

Michigan State

 

10

 

Shaun King

 

Tulane

 

5

 

Chris Simms

 

Texas

 

R

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

TENNESSEE

 

 

 

 

 

Jason Gesser

 

Washington State

 

R

 

Steve McNair

 

Alcorn State

 

9

 

Billy Volek

 

Fresno State

 

4

 

Tyler Watts

 

Alabama

 

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON

 

 

 

 

 

Brad Banks

 

Iowa

 

R

 

Gibran Hamdan

 

Indiana

 

R

*

Rob Johnson

 

USC

 

9

 

Patrick Ramsey

 

Tulane

 

2

 

 

QUARTERBACKS ON 2002 REGULAR-SEASON ROSTERS WHO REMAIN 2003 FREE AGENTS     

Quarterback

 

2002 NFL Team

 

2002 NFL Exp.

Jeff George

 

Seattle

 

12

 

Joe Germaine

 

Cincinnati

 

4

 

Kent Graham

 

Jacksonville

 

11

 

Jamie Martin

 

St. Louis

 

8

 

Neil O’Donnell

 

Tennessee

 

13

 

Danny Wuerffel

 

Washington

 

6