Jim Druckenmiller
Encyclopedia
James David Druckenmiller, Jr. (born September 19, 1972 in Allentown
, Pennsylvania
) is a former American football
quarterback
.
In his career Druckenmiller played for the San Francisco 49ers
, Miami Dolphins
, and Indianapolis Colts
of the National Football League
, as well as the Memphis Maniax
of the XFL
and the Los Angeles Avengers
of the Arena Football League.
in Pennsylvania
, Druckenmiller prepped at Fork Union Military Academy
in Fork Union, Virginia before committing to Virginia Tech
.
Druckenmiller started two years at quarterback for the Virginia Tech Hokies football
team. As a senior, he won all-Big East
accolades. Druckenmiller's Hokies won the Big East Conference championship in 1995 and 1996. In 1995, they defeated the in the Sugar Bowl
.
in the first round (26th overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft
by the San Francisco 49ers
, who intended to groom him as Steve Young's successor. However, he played in only six games (including one start), completing 21 of 52 pass attempts while throwing only one touchdown pass and four interceptions. Following this unsuccessful stint in San Francisco, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins
and subsequently released. As a result, he often appears on lists of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. For instance, in 2008 ESPN
named him the 11th-biggest bust since the AFL-NFL merger
, and in 2011 Bleacher Report
named him the 6th-worst first-round pick made in the same timeframe.
.
He also played for the Memphis Maniax
of the XFL
in 2001. He ranked 13th in the league in rushing yards (208, leading all quarterbacks) and fourth in passer rating
, with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
) is a former American football
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 his career Druckenmiller played for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
of 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...
, as well as the Memphis Maniax
Memphis Maniax
The Memphis Maniax was an American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The team was part of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States...
of the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
and the Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
of the Arena Football League.
College career
After attending high school at Northampton Area High SchoolNorthampton Area High School
Northampton Area High School is the secondary school in the Northampton Area School District, located in Northampton, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Druckenmiller prepped at Fork Union Military Academy
Fork Union Military Academy
Fork Union Military Academy is a private, military boarding school located in the town of Fork Union, Virginia. The school is more commonly known by its acronym FUMA ....
in Fork Union, Virginia before committing to Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
.
Druckenmiller started two years at quarterback for the Virginia Tech Hokies football
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
team. As a senior, he won all-Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
accolades. Druckenmiller's Hokies won the Big East Conference championship in 1995 and 1996. In 1995, they defeated the in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
.
National Football League (NFL)
Druckenmiller 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...
in the first round (26th overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft
1997 NFL Draft
The 1997 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 April 19–20, 1997. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that...
by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, who intended to groom him as Steve Young's successor. However, he played in only six games (including one start), completing 21 of 52 pass attempts while throwing only one touchdown pass and four interceptions. Following this unsuccessful stint in San Francisco, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and subsequently released. As a result, he often appears on lists of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. For instance, 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....
named him the 11th-biggest bust since the AFL-NFL merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
, and in 2011 Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report is a website that provides news and fans' opinions of sporting events.The website was launched in February 2008 by California-based entrepreneurs Dave Finocchio, Zander Freund, Bryan Goldberg, and Dave Nemetz...
named him the 6th-worst first-round pick made in the same timeframe.
Later career
In 2001, he saw limited action as a backup with the Arena Football League's Los Angeles AvengersLos Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
.
He also played for the Memphis Maniax
Memphis Maniax
The Memphis Maniax was an American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The team was part of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States...
of the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
in 2001. He ranked 13th in the league in rushing yards (208, leading all quarterbacks) and fourth in passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
, with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.