Jeff Kemp

Last updated

Jeff Kemp
No. 9, 15, 16
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1959-07-11) July 11, 1959 (age 64)
Santa Ana, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:201 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school: Winston Churchill (Potomac, Maryland)
College: Dartmouth (1977–1980)
Undrafted: 1981
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Pass attempts:916
Pass completions:479
Percentage:52.3
TDINT:39–40
Passing yards:6,230
Passer rating:70.0
Player stats at PFR

Jeffrey Allan Kemp (born July 11, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football for the Dartmouth Big Green in the Ivy League, [1] and was not selected in the 1981 NFL draft. In 1984, Kemp led the Rams with thirteen touchdown passes and a trip to the playoffs. As a back-up to the injured Joe Montana in 1986, he threw eleven touchdown passes for the 49ers.

Contents

Kemp is the son of late former AFL quarterback and American politician Jack Kemp (1935–2009), [1] and brother of former Canadian Football League quarterback Jimmy Kemp (b. 1971). Kemp and his wife, Stacy, have four sons: Kyle, Kory, Kolby, and Keegan. He graduated from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland. [2]

College career

At Dartmouth College in 1979, Jeff Kemp was named the starting quarterback for the Big Green, winning the job over Joe McLaughlin. That season, Dartmouth, led by head coach Joseph Yukica went 4–3 in Ivy League play (4–4–1 overall). Dartmouth finished fifth in the Ivy League, just behind Cornell and ahead of Harvard. Playing in all nine games that season, Kemp completed 81 passes on 182 attempts for 915 yards. He threw six touchdown passes and five interceptions. His primary target was wide receiver Dave Shula, who was the son of then Dolphins head coach Don Shula. [2]

The 1980 season started with a 40–7 win over a very weak University of Pennsylvania team. [3] Dartmouth would also score a decisive win over Columbia as well, 48–0. While Dartmouth, led by Kemp scored 207 points, they yielded 170 and ended up going 4–3 in the league, and 4–6 overall. Kemp's college career ended with a 27–24 loss to Princeton. [4]

Professional career

In 1981, Kemp signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent. Kemp was one of four quarterbacks the Rams carried on the roster that season. When former starter Vince Ferragamo bolted the Rams to sign with Montreal of the Canadian Football League, the Rams inserted Pat Haden as the full time starter, with Raiders cast off Dan Pastorini as the second string and former draft pick Jeff Rutledge as the third stringer quarterback. Pastorini drew the start against the Washington Redskins and was ineffective, going 8 for 21 and two interceptions. With the Rams down 30–7, Kemp made his NFL debut late in the game. He went two for six with an interception. [5]

Kemp would not see the field at all during the strike shortened 1982 season and made a handful of appearances during the 1983 season. One of those was a token appearance to do a kneel down during the Rams 41–17 blow out win against the Buffalo Bills, a team his father starred for and won a championship with in the American Football League during the 1960s. That season the Rams made the playoffs and faced the Redskins in the Divisional playoff game. Ferragamo played one of the worst games of his career, throwing three interceptions. He was benched in favor of Kemp later in the eventual 51–7 loss. In 1984, after Ferragamo went 1–3 as a starter to begin the season, head coach John Robinson made the switch, benching the one-time Rams star in favor of Kemp. Kemp started the rest of the season, and finished with a 9–4 record as a starter, completing 143 passes out of 284 attempts for 2,021 yards, with thirteen touchdown passes against seven interceptions. The Rams finished 10–6 but lost to the New York Giants in the Wild Card Round.

The following season, the Rams traded Ferragamo to the Buffalo Bills for tight end Tony Hunter. Despite Ferragamo being gone, Kemp was not assured to be the starter. Despite the poise and ability to start he showed during the 1984 season, the Rams signed Canadian League star Dieter Brock to be the team's starting quarterback. Kemp only made one start that season, a 24–17 loss to the Giants. The Rams cast their luck with Brock, who did manage to lead the team to the playoffs, where they were trounced by the Chicago Bears and their vaunted 4–6 defense in the NFC Championship. The following season, the Rams revamped their quarterback rotation again as Brock suffered an injury during preseason that later led to him retiring, while the Rams signed former Falcon star Steve Bartkowski and acquired Jim Everett from the Houston Oilers. Kemp was not re-signed and played the 1986 season with the Rams rival San Francisco 49ers, where he backed-up Joe Montana. When Montana was injured, Kemp started six games, going 3–2–1 during that period. One of those games was a 31–16 win over the Miami Dolphins, coached by Don Shula, father of Dave Shula, one of Kemp's teammates at Dartmouth.

The next season, Kemp was with the Seattle Seahawks and was one of the players who crossed the picket lines. He won his only start that year, a 32–17 victory over a Detroit Lions team made up of mainly replacement players. Kemp would play with the Seahawks for the bulk of his remaining years in the NFL. He was released during the 1991 season, but quickly found a job with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles struggled at quarterback that season, mainly with injuries. Starter Randall Cunningham went down, followed by backup Jim McMahon. Rookie Brad Goebel was inserted, but quickly too was a victim of the injury bug. The Eagles signed Kemp, and then coaxed former New York Jets quarterback Pat Ryan out of retirement. Kemp started two games for the Eagles, going one and one.

The 1991 season was Kemp's last as an NFL player. He finished with a 16–12–1 record as a starter, and 39 touchdowns versus 40 interceptions. [6]

Post NFL career

In the years following the conclusion of his playing career, Jeff Kemp became a motivational speaker and wrote a book called "Facing the Blitz". [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Garcia</span> American football player (born 1970)

Jeffrey Jason Garcia is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). After attending high school and junior college in Gilroy, California, Garcia played college football at San Jose State University.

James Larnell Harris is an American former professional football player and executive. He played as a quarterback in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) with the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and San Diego Chargers. He was later a personnel executive for the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions. Harris is the inspiration for the song "Ramblin' Man From Gramblin'" composed by Sam Spence. He is nicknamed "Shack", which is short for Meshach, given to him by his Baptist minister father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Hostetler</span> American football player (born 1961)

William Jeffrey Hostetler is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, and Washington Redskins. He won Super Bowl XXV with the Giants after taking over midseason for an injured Phil Simms. His nickname is "Hoss."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Everett</span> American football player (born 1963)

James Samuel Everett III is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was selected third overall in the 1986 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers. Unable to work out a contract agreement with Everett, the Oilers traded his rights to the Rams, with whom Everett played from 1986 to 1993. Everett then played with the New Orleans Saints from 1994 to 1996 and ended his career with a stint with the San Diego Chargers in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Smith</span> American football player (born 1984)

Alexander Douglas Smith is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. Smith played college football for the Utah Utes, earning first-team All-American honors and winning the 2005 Fiesta Bowl as a senior. He was selected first overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984–85 NFL playoffs</span> Seasonal NFL playoffs

The National Football League playoffs for the 1984 season began on December 22, 1984. The postseason tournament concluded with the San Francisco 49ers defeating the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX, 38–16, on January 20, 1985, at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1983–84 NFL playoffs</span> Seasonal NFL playoffs

The National Football League playoffs for the 1983 season began on December 24, 1983. The postseason tournament concluded with the Los Angeles Raiders defeating the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII, 38–9, on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince Ferragamo</span> American gridiron football player (born 1954)

Vince Anthony Ferragamo is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears and Nebraska Cornhuskers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seneca Wallace</span> American football player (born 1980)

Seneca Sinclair Wallace is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Iowa State Cyclones and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Wallace was also a member of the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers. He became a coach after his playing career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaun Hill</span> American football player (born 1980)

Shaun Christopher Hill is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins. Hill was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He also played for the Amsterdam Admirals, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and St. Louis Rams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Gabriel</span> American football player (1940–2024)

Roman Ildonzo Gabriel Jr. was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack, twice earning first-team All-American honors. Gabriel was the second overall pick in the 1962 NFL draft and played for the Los Angeles Rams for 11 seasons then five years for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was notable for being the first NFL quarterback of Filipino-American descent, as well as winning the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norm Snead</span> American football player (1939–2024)

Norman Bailey Snead was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and was selected in the first round of the 1961 NFL Draft with the second overall pick.

Patrick Lee Ryan is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the Jets in the 11th round of the 1978 NFL draft. After his playing career, he became a color analyst on the Vol Radio Network, broadcasting games for his alma mater.

Jerry Byron Rhome is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Houston Oilers and Los Angeles Rams. He closed out his professional career with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at the University of Tulsa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 St. Louis Rams season</span> NFL team season

The 2003 season was the St. Louis Rams' 66th in the National Football League, their ninth season in St. Louis and their fourth under head coach Mike Martz. The Rams were coming off a disappointing 7–9 season and former MVP Kurt Warner was demoted to backup quarterback; Marc Bulger earned the starting job after replacing Warner in 2002 and winning six of his seven starts. Though many agree that The Greatest Show on Turf ended after the 2001 season, the Rams nonetheless finished 12–4, winning the NFC West, only to lose to the eventual NFC champions Carolina Panthers. This would be the last time the Rams won the NFC West until the 2017 NFL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Los Angeles Rams season</span> NFL team season

The 1984 Los Angeles Rams season was the franchise's 47th season in the National Football League, their 48th overall, and their 39th in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The Rams looked to improve on their 9–7 record from 1983 and make the playoffs for the second consecutive season and 10th in the last 12. They improved on their record by one game, going 10–6, good enough for second place in the NFC West behind the 15–1 San Francisco 49ers. In the playoffs, the Rams lost a low-scoring game to the New York Giants at home, 16–13. During this season, second-year running back Eric Dickerson set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season, with 2,105 yards.

The 2005 San Francisco 49ers season was the 60th year for the team overall, and their 56th season in the NFL. They improved their two-win 2004 season by two games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 San Francisco 49ers season</span> NFL team season

The 2002 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 57th season, and 53rd in the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carson Wentz</span> American football player (born 1992)

Carson James Wentz is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Dakota State Bison, where he won two consecutive NCAA FCS national championships as the starter. Wentz was selected second overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 NFL draft, making him the highest drafted FCS player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brock Purdy</span> American football player (born 1999)

Brock Purdy is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones and was selected by the 49ers with the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft, becoming that year's Mr. Irrelevant.

References

  1. 1 2 Shribman, David; DeGange, Jack (2004). Dartmouth College Football: Green Fields of Autumn. Arcadia Publishing. p. 110. ISBN   9780738536118 . Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Zimmerman, Paul (October 22, 1984). "The Last in a Long Line". Sports Illustrated.
  3. "Pennsylvania at Dartmouth Box Score, September 20, 1980".
  4. "Dartmouth at Princeton Box Score, November 22, 1980".
  5. "Washington Redskins at Los Angeles Rams — December 20th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  6. "Jeff Kemp Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  7. "Former NFL quarterback Jeff Kemp on Fox and Friends". March 26, 2015.