Kevin Eakin
Encyclopedia
Kevin Eakin is an American football
quarterback
for the Alabama Vipers of the Arena Football League
. He was signed by the New York Jets
of the National Football League
as a street free agent in 2005. He played college football
at Fordham.
Eakin has also been a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
and Buffalo Bills
.
in Parkland, Florida
and was a student and a letterman in football, basketball, and track. In football, he was a team captain and was named to the All-Broward County team. Kevin Eakin graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2000.
, who allocated him to the now-defunct Frankfurt Galaxy
of NFL Europe
, where he was the starting quarterback ahead of former heralded #3 overall draft pick Akili Smith
. After being invited to Jets training camp in 2005, he appeared in 2 preseason games and was the last person cut before the season.
with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
, and spent most of the season as backup to controversial starter Jason Maas
.
, Eakin went right across the border and signed with the NFL's Buffalo Bills
, who once again allocated him to Frankfurt. With the demise of NFL Europa, Eakin returned to Buffalo, but because of depth issues (he stood fourth behind J. P. Losman, Craig Nall
, and draft pick Trent Edwards
), he saw no playing time and was released. However, after the release of third string QB Craig Nall, Eakin was signed onto the Buffalo Bills practice squad to serve as the team's emergency quarterback.
for the 2008 season, but the league was postponed indefinitely.
of the af2
for the 2009 season as starting quarterback. Eakin was the Vipers starter for the final 15 games of the season last year, including the four playoff wins.
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...
for the Alabama Vipers of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. He was signed by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern 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 a street free agent in 2005. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Fordham.
Eakin has also been a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
and 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...
.
Early years
Eakin attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High SchoolMarjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is located in Parkland, Florida. It is a part of the Broward County Public School district, and it is the only public high school in Parkland....
in Parkland, Florida
Parkland, Florida
Parkland is an city in Broward County, Florida, where zoning laws are designed to protect the "parklike" character of the city. Initially, there were no stores or traffic lights in Parkland, though this changed in the early 2000s. As of the 2010 census, the population of Parkland was 23,962...
and was a student and a letterman in football, basketball, and track. In football, he was a team captain and was named to the All-Broward County team. Kevin Eakin graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2000.
New York Jets
Eakin originally was signed by the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who allocated him to the now-defunct Frankfurt Galaxy
Frankfurt Galaxy
The Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
of NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
, where he was the starting quarterback ahead of former heralded #3 overall draft pick Akili Smith
Akili Smith
Kabisa Akili Maradufu Smith is a former professional American and Canadian football quarterback. He was selected in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, the third quarterback in the first three choices, behind Tim Couch , and Donovan McNabb...
. After being invited to Jets training camp in 2005, he appeared in 2 preseason games and was the last person cut before the season.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Eakin spent the next season in the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
, and spent most of the season as backup to controversial starter Jason Maas
Jason Maas
Jason Maas is a former Canadian football quarterback. He is best known for his career in the Canadian Football League, which was largely spent with the Edmonton Eskimos...
.
Buffalo Bills
After the 2006 CFL season2006 CFL season
-2006 Rogers CFL Awards:* CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Geroy Simon , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions...
, Eakin went right across the border and signed with the NFL's 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...
, who once again allocated him to Frankfurt. With the demise of NFL Europa, Eakin returned to Buffalo, but because of depth issues (he stood fourth behind J. P. Losman, Craig Nall
Craig Nall
Craig Matthew Nall is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, and draft pick Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
), he saw no playing time and was released. However, after the release of third string QB Craig Nall, Eakin was signed onto the Buffalo Bills practice squad to serve as the team's emergency quarterback.
Team Alabama
Eakin signed with Team Alabama of the All American Football LeagueAll American Football League
The All American Football League was a proposed professional American football league. The league, which was to combine a professional pay structure with the requirement that all players be college graduates, had originally been scheduled to start in the spring of 2007, but later postponed its...
for the 2008 season, but the league was postponed indefinitely.
Tennessee Valley / Alabama Vipers
He is now signed with the Tennessee Valley VipersTennessee Valley Vipers
The Alabama Vipers was a professional arena football team, that played in the Arena Football League. For most of their history, the Vipers played as the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the now-defunct af2, the minor league for the original AFL, where they won the 2008 ArenaCup championship. They play...
of the af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
for the 2009 season as starting quarterback. Eakin was the Vipers starter for the final 15 games of the season last year, including the four playoff wins.