John Friesz
Encyclopedia
John Melvin "Deep" Friesz (last name pronounced "Freeze") (born May 19, 1967) is a former professional American football
quarterback
in the National Football League
for the San Diego Chargers
, Washington Redskins
, Seattle Seahawks
, and the New England Patriots
.
, Idaho. He was a football standout at Coeur d'Alene High School, graduating in 1985. He enrolled at the University of Idaho
, recruited by head coach
Dennis Erickson
, after attending the Vandal football camps while in high school.
, he served as the backup to Scott Linehan
, who would go on to become head coach of the St. Louis Rams
.
Friesz was the Vandals starting quarterback for three years, beginning in 1987, when he threw 28 touchdown passes as a sophomore and was named player of the year in the Big Sky Conference
and second team All-America
n (Division I-AA). In his junior season of 1988, he guided the Vandals to a 9-1 regular season and two playoff wins, ending the season with a road loss in the Division I-AA semi-finals. He was a consensus All-American selection at quarterback.
In his senior season in 1989, Freisz threw 31 touchdowns and for over 4,000 yards in guiding the Vandals to their third consecutive conference championship. Idaho went undefeated in conference play (8-0), the only time in school history. Friesz averaged over 360 yards per game and passed for over 300 yards in ten consecutive games. He received the Walter Payton Award
as the outstanding player in the nation in Division I-AA.
Idaho Vandal fans traveling to away games would put their opponent's stadium under a Friesz Warning during his college career.
In his college career, #17 passed for over 10,000 yards and was the conference player-of-the-year for three consecutive years. The Vandals' annual MVP
award has been renamed the John Friesz Award in his honor.
In August 2006 John Friesz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in South Bend, Indiana
. His #17 was officially retired by the University of Idaho
in October 2006.
, Friesz was the tenth quarterback
selected, taken in the sixth round (138th overall) by the San Diego Chargers
. Other quarterbacks in this draft were Jeff George
(#1 overall pick), Heisman Trophy
winner Andre Ware
, future Super Bowl
starter Neil O'Donnell
, and Scott Mitchell.
Friesz became the starting
quarterback for the Chargers in 1991
, his second season. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in a pre-season game in 1992
. The Chargers then acquired QB Stan Humphries
from the Washington Redskins
, who was drafted by then Redskins GM Bobby Beathard
, who was the Chargers GM at that time. Humphries became the Chargers starting QB and led the Chargers who were 0-4 to start the 1992 season to an 11-5 record, helping the Chargers end a 10-year playoff drought and winning their first AFC West Division title since 1981 under rookie coach Bobby Ross
.
Friesz would return to the Chargers the next season as the backup QB and left the Chargers as a free agent prior to the 1994 season.
Friesz passed for over 8,600 yards and 45 touchdowns in his professional career.
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 San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 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,...
, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, and the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
Early life
Friesz grew up in Coeur d'AleneCoeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur...
, Idaho. He was a football standout at Coeur d'Alene High School, graduating in 1985. He enrolled at the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
, recruited by head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
, after attending the Vandal football camps while in high school.
College career
Friesz redshirted in 1985. In 1986, under new head coach Keith GilbertsonKeith Gilbertson
Keith Gilbertson, Jr. is an American football coach and former player. He is currently a scout with the Cleveland Browns of the NFL...
, he served as the backup to Scott Linehan
Scott Linehan
Scott Thomas Linehan is an American football coach, currently the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions of the NFL. He was previously the head coach of the St...
, who would go on to become head coach of the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
.
Friesz was the Vandals starting quarterback for three years, beginning in 1987, when he threw 28 touchdown passes as a sophomore and was named player of the year in the Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
and second team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n (Division I-AA). In his junior season of 1988, he guided the Vandals to a 9-1 regular season and two playoff wins, ending the season with a road loss in the Division I-AA semi-finals. He was a consensus All-American selection at quarterback.
In his senior season in 1989, Freisz threw 31 touchdowns and for over 4,000 yards in guiding the Vandals to their third consecutive conference championship. Idaho went undefeated in conference play (8-0), the only time in school history. Friesz averaged over 360 yards per game and passed for over 300 yards in ten consecutive games. He received the Walter Payton Award
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors...
as the outstanding player in the nation in Division I-AA.
Idaho Vandal fans traveling to away games would put their opponent's stadium under a Friesz Warning during his college career.
In his college career, #17 passed for over 10,000 yards and was the conference player-of-the-year for three consecutive years. The Vandals' annual MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award has been renamed the John Friesz Award in his honor.
In August 2006 John Friesz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
. His #17 was officially retired by the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
in October 2006.
Professional career
In the 1990 NFL Draft1990 NFL Draft
The 1990 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 22–23, 1990...
, Friesz was the tenth 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...
selected, taken in the sixth round (138th overall) by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Other quarterbacks in this draft were Jeff George
Jeff George
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" George is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the first overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft...
(#1 overall pick), Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Andre Ware
Andre Ware
Andre Ware is a sports analyst and commentator and a former American football player. He was the 1989 Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback for the University of Houston, becoming the first African-American quarterback to win the award. In the 1990 NFL Draft, Ware was the first round selection ...
, future 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...
starter Neil O'Donnell
Neil O'Donnell
Neil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...
, and Scott Mitchell.
Friesz became the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback for the Chargers in 1991
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
, his second season. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in a pre-season game in 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
. The Chargers then acquired QB Stan Humphries
Stan Humphries
William Stanley "Stan" Humphries is a former professional American football quarterback. He played for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He played college football at Northeast Louisiana...
from the 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,...
, who was drafted by then Redskins GM Bobby Beathard
Bobby Beathard
Bobby Beathard is a former general manager in the National Football League. Over the course of his 38 years in the NFL, his teams competed in seven Super Bowls , beginning with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1966, Miami Dolphins in 1972 and 1973, Washington Redskins in 1982, 1983, and 1987, and the San...
, who was the Chargers GM at that time. Humphries became the Chargers starting QB and led the Chargers who were 0-4 to start the 1992 season to an 11-5 record, helping the Chargers end a 10-year playoff drought and winning their first AFC West Division title since 1981 under rookie coach Bobby Ross
Bobby Ross
Robert Joseph Ross is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel , the University of Maryland, College Park , the Georgia Institute of Technology , and the United States Military Academy , compiling a career college football record of 103–101–2...
.
Friesz would return to the Chargers the next season as the backup QB and left the Chargers as a free agent prior to the 1994 season.
Friesz passed for over 8,600 yards and 45 touchdowns in his professional career.
External links
- College Football Hall of Fame - John Friesz
- University of Idaho - Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame - John Friesz
- College Football Data Warehouse - Idaho Vandals results 1985-89
- College Football Hall of Fame - Class of 2006 press release - from I-AA.org
- Pro Football Reference.com - John Friesz
- Database Football.com - John Friesz
- Pro football statistics - John Friesz
- NFL.com - 1990 NFL Draft - # 138
- Blog - from Spokesman Review.com
- Friesz resonates on the field - UI Argonaut, 10-Nov-2006