Jeff Hostetler
Encyclopedia
William Jeffrey Hostetler (born April 22, 1961) is a former American football
quarterback
in the National Football League
for the New York Giants
, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
, and Washington Redskins
. His nickname is "Hoss".
, where he started two games for the 1980 season. But Todd Blackledge
beat him for the job, and Hostetler transferred to West Virginia
. Hostetler sat out the 1981 season, due to NCAA transfer rules, while Mountaineers' quarterback Oliver Luck
led the Mountaineers to an upset win against the University of Florida in the Peach Bowl
.
, when he threw for four touchdowns and 321 yards. The upset victory earned Hostetler Offensive Player of the Week honors from Sports Illustrated
. Another big win that '82 season was a week later against the University of Maryland
Terrapins, who were led by Boomer Esiason
. The Mountaineers won 19–18 against the Top 10 ranked Terps. The Terps lost the game on a two-point conversion, while Hostetler threw for 285 yards and a touchdown. Hostetler led the Mountaineers to the 1982 Gator Bowl
, where they lost to Florida State 31–12. Hostetler totaled 1,916 yards with ten touchdown passes that season.
In 1983, Hostetler led the #7 Moutaineer's over Big East rival Pitt
after a fourth quarter run to beat the Panthers 24–21, the first victory over Pitt in seven years. Hostetler led the game-winning drive that he capped out with a bootleg touchdown run for victory. In the 1983 Hall of Fame Bowl, Hostelter pulled out a come-from-behind 20-16 victory over the University of Kentucky
, throwing two touchdowns. Hostetler finished his college career in the 1984 Hula Bowl
and in the Japan Bowl. Hostetler threw for 2,345 yards and 16 touchdowns his senior season.
Hostetler's two-year tenure at WVU led him to an 18–6 record under coach Don Nehlen
. Hostetler ranks among single-season leaders at WVU in total offense, passing yards, pass completions, pass attempts, touchdown passes and passing efficiency. Hostetler also is the career leader in interception avoidance. Hostetler was named to the WVU all-time roster. In 1998, Hostetler was inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Hostetler was named to the 1984 GTE/CoSIDA academic All-America team and that same year won the National Football Foundation
postgraduate scholarship. He was also a fan favorite in Morgantown and inspired a record, "Ole Hoss (The Ballad of West Virginia's Jeff Hostetler)".
by the Giants in the third round of the 1984 NFL Draft
, where he served as backup to Phil Simms
. In his first five seasons, despite earning a Super Bowl ring with the 1986 Giants, he played sparingly, rarely making an appearance as he was the third string quarterback behind both Simms and Jeff Rutledge
. His first start came late in the 1988 season, where he helped lead the Giants to victory in a road game against the New Orleans Saints
. In 1989, he started a key game in the middle of the season, leading the Giants to a Monday night victory over the Minnesota Vikings
. However, outside of these games Hostetler's primary roles were mop-up duty and holder for kickers Raul Allegre
, Bjorn Nittmo
, and Matt Bahr
.
On December 15, 1990, Simms broke his foot during a game against the Buffalo Bills
. The following week, Hostetler, who had thrown only 109 passes in his 7 years with the Giants, took over as the starting quarterback. The Giants won their final two regular seasons games and swept through the playoffs, defeating the Bills in Super Bowl XXV
, 20–19. During the game, he completed 20 of 32 passes for 222 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. In 2008, ESPN
ranked Hostetler's performance #30 for the best quarterback performances in Super Bowl
history.
During the summer of 1991, new Giants’ head coach Ray Handley
allowed Hostetler to compete with Simms for the starting job. Hostetler eventually beat out Simms for the starting job, winning the season opening Monday night game against the 49ers. Hostetler started 12 games for the Giants in 1991, winning six. However, in his twelfth start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, Hostetler broke his back and missed the rest of the season. Of the games Hostetler started (including the one he didn't finish), the Giants went 7-5. By comparison Simms, who finished the Week 13 win over Tampa Bay, only won once in his four starts after Hostetler's injury (the season finale against the Houston Oilers
).
When Hostetler returned from his injury in 1992, he once again was placed in competition with Simms for the starting quarterback position. Simms won the job, but after a Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Raiders
, Hostetler again was pressed into service as Simms suffered a season-ending injury. Again, however, Hostetler was unable to stay healthy and he only managed 9 starts, playing in four more games, and missed three other games with injuries including a concussion. While Hostetler had the best record of any Giants starter in 1992 (5-4), he was not retained by the team following the season and signed with the Los Angeles Raiders to be their starter in 1993.
During his four years as a Raider, Hostetler was voted to his only Pro Bowl
, in 1994. He also led them to an impressive 42-24 playoff win over the Denver Broncos
in the 1993 season, throwing for 294 yards and three touchdowns. He finished his career with two seasons with the Redskins (1997 and 1998); during his last season he spent much of his time on injured reserve and did not see any playing time.
Hostetler retired with 1,357 of 2,338 completions for 16,430 yards and 94 touchdowns, with 71 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,391 yards and 17 touchdowns. Perhaps most impressive about Hostetler was his ability to perform very well in the post-season. In five playoff games, he completed 72 of 115 passes (62.6 percent) for 1,034 yards, seven touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 112.0 passer rating while going 4-1.
, and owns a construction company. Hostetler is a descendant of the Amish
-Mennonite
immigrant, Jacob Hochstetler. With his wife, Vicky, he has three sons. Hostetler graduated with a 3.85 GPA in Finance from West Virginia University.
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...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. His nickname is "Hoss".
Penn State
Hostetler started his career at Penn StatePennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, where he started two games for the 1980 season. But Todd Blackledge
Todd Blackledge
Todd Alan Blackledge was an American football quarterback in both the NCAA and National Football League. In college, he led the Penn State Nittany Lions to a national championship; and, as a pro, he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
beat him for the job, and Hostetler transferred to West Virginia
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
. Hostetler sat out the 1981 season, due to NCAA transfer rules, while Mountaineers' quarterback Oliver Luck
Oliver Luck
Oliver Luck is the athletic director of West Virginia University, his alma mater. Luck is a retired American football player who spent four seasons in the National Football League as a quarterback for the Houston Oilers . He was also the first president and general manager of the Houston Dynamo...
led the Mountaineers to an upset win against the University of Florida in the Peach Bowl
1981 Peach Bowl (December)
The 1981 Peach Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Florida Gators. The game took place on December 31, 1981, resulting in a West Virginia win over Florida 26-6. The offensive MVP was Mickey Walczack of West Virginia and the defensive...
.
West Virginia
Hostetler's first game as a Mountaineer was a 41-27 win over the #9 Oklahoma SoonersOklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
, when he threw for four touchdowns and 321 yards. The upset victory earned Hostetler Offensive Player of the Week honors from Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. Another big win that '82 season was a week later against the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
Terrapins, who were led by Boomer Esiason
Boomer Esiason
Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
. The Mountaineers won 19–18 against the Top 10 ranked Terps. The Terps lost the game on a two-point conversion, while Hostetler threw for 285 yards and a touchdown. Hostetler led the Mountaineers to the 1982 Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
, where they lost to Florida State 31–12. Hostetler totaled 1,916 yards with ten touchdown passes that season.
In 1983, Hostetler led the #7 Moutaineer's over Big East rival Pitt
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
after a fourth quarter run to beat the Panthers 24–21, the first victory over Pitt in seven years. Hostetler led the game-winning drive that he capped out with a bootleg touchdown run for victory. In the 1983 Hall of Fame Bowl, Hostelter pulled out a come-from-behind 20-16 victory over the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, throwing two touchdowns. Hostetler finished his college career in the 1984 Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
and in the Japan Bowl. Hostetler threw for 2,345 yards and 16 touchdowns his senior season.
Hostetler's two-year tenure at WVU led him to an 18–6 record under coach Don Nehlen
Don Nehlen
Don Nehlen is a former American football player and coach. He was head football coach at Bowling Green State University and at West Virginia University . Nehlen retired from coaching college football in 2001 with a career record of 202–128–8 and as the 17th winningest coach in...
. Hostetler ranks among single-season leaders at WVU in total offense, passing yards, pass completions, pass attempts, touchdown passes and passing efficiency. Hostetler also is the career leader in interception avoidance. Hostetler was named to the WVU all-time roster. In 1998, Hostetler was inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Hostetler was named to the 1984 GTE/CoSIDA academic All-America team and that same year won the National Football Foundation
National Football Foundation
The National Football Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1947 by General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army Black Knights football coach Earl "Red" Blaik and journalist Grantland Rice...
postgraduate scholarship. He was also a fan favorite in Morgantown and inspired a record, "Ole Hoss (The Ballad of West Virginia's Jeff Hostetler)".
Professional career
Hostetler was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Giants in the third round of the 1984 NFL Draft
1984 NFL Draft
The 1984 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 1-2, 1984. No teams elected to claim any players in the regular supplemental draft that...
, where he served as backup to Phil Simms
Phil Simms
Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
. In his first five seasons, despite earning a Super Bowl ring with the 1986 Giants, he played sparingly, rarely making an appearance as he was the third string quarterback behind both Simms and Jeff Rutledge
Jeff Rutledge
Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. He is currently the head football coach at Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tennessee.-Early years:...
. His first start came late in the 1988 season, where he helped lead the Giants to victory in a road game against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. In 1989, he started a key game in the middle of the season, leading the Giants to a Monday night victory over the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. However, outside of these games Hostetler's primary roles were mop-up duty and holder for kickers Raul Allegre
Raul Allegre
Raul Enrique Allegre is a former football placekicker in the National Football League. In his career he kicked for the Baltimore Colts, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, and the New York Jets. Although he was not known for a having a strong leg, he was a clutch kicker for the Giants from...
, Bjorn Nittmo
Björn Nittmo
Björn Arne Nittmo is a retired American football placekicker, being the first Swedish-born player ever in the National Football League.-Football career:...
, and Matt Bahr
Matt Bahr
Matthew David Bahr is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League. He attended Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania where he excelled in both football and soccer...
.
On December 15, 1990, Simms broke his foot during a game against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The following week, Hostetler, who had thrown only 109 passes in his 7 years with the Giants, took over as the starting quarterback. The Giants won their final two regular seasons games and swept through the playoffs, defeating the Bills in Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV was an American football game played on January 27, 1991 at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1990 regular season. The National Football Conference Champion New York Giants defeated the American Football Conference ...
, 20–19. During the game, he completed 20 of 32 passes for 222 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. In 2008, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
ranked Hostetler's performance #30 for the best quarterback performances in Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
history.
During the summer of 1991, new Giants’ head coach Ray Handley
Ray Handley
Ray Handley is a former American football player and coach who is best remembered for his stormy two seasons as head coach of the National Football League's New York Giants in the early 1990s.-Collegiate career:...
allowed Hostetler to compete with Simms for the starting job. Hostetler eventually beat out Simms for the starting job, winning the season opening Monday night game against the 49ers. Hostetler started 12 games for the Giants in 1991, winning six. However, in his twelfth start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, Hostetler broke his back and missed the rest of the season. Of the games Hostetler started (including the one he didn't finish), the Giants went 7-5. By comparison Simms, who finished the Week 13 win over Tampa Bay, only won once in his four starts after Hostetler's injury (the season finale against the Houston Oilers
1991 Houston Oilers season
-Regular season:* October 13, 1991 – Warren Moon threw for 423 yards against the New York Jets.* November 10, 1991 – Warren Moon threw for 432 yards against the Dallas Cowboys...
).
When Hostetler returned from his injury in 1992, he once again was placed in competition with Simms for the starting quarterback position. Simms won the job, but after a Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Hostetler again was pressed into service as Simms suffered a season-ending injury. Again, however, Hostetler was unable to stay healthy and he only managed 9 starts, playing in four more games, and missed three other games with injuries including a concussion. While Hostetler had the best record of any Giants starter in 1992 (5-4), he was not retained by the team following the season and signed with the Los Angeles Raiders to be their starter in 1993.
During his four years as a Raider, Hostetler was voted to his only Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
, in 1994. He also led them to an impressive 42-24 playoff win over the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1993 season, throwing for 294 yards and three touchdowns. He finished his career with two seasons with the Redskins (1997 and 1998); during his last season he spent much of his time on injured reserve and did not see any playing time.
Hostetler retired with 1,357 of 2,338 completions for 16,430 yards and 94 touchdowns, with 71 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,391 yards and 17 touchdowns. Perhaps most impressive about Hostetler was his ability to perform very well in the post-season. In five playoff games, he completed 72 of 115 passes (62.6 percent) for 1,034 yards, seven touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 112.0 passer rating while going 4-1.
Personal
Hostetler now lives in Morgantown, West VirginiaMorgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
, and owns a construction company. Hostetler is a descendant of the Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
-Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
immigrant, Jacob Hochstetler. With his wife, Vicky, he has three sons. Hostetler graduated with a 3.85 GPA in Finance from West Virginia University.