Mark Sanchez
Encyclopedia
Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is an American football
quarterback
for the New York Jets
of the National Football League
(NFL). He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft
as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall. He played college football
at the University of Southern California (USC).
Sanchez grew up in a well-disciplined and athletic family. In the eighth grade, he began to play football and learn the intricacies of the quarterback position, training with his father, Nick. A well-regarded prospect, Sanchez committed to Southern California following his successful high school career in which he led his team to a championship title during his final season. At USC, Sanchez was relegated as the backup quarterback during his first three years though he rose to prominence due to his brief appearances on the field in 2007 due to injuries suffered by starting quarterback John David Booty
. Sanchez also became popular within the community due to his Mexican-American heritage. Named the starter in 2008, Sanchez led USC to a 12–1 record and won the Rose Bowl
against Penn State
for which Sanchez was awarded the Most Valuable Player award for his performance on offense
.
Although many considered him too inexperienced, Sanchez announced his intention to enter the NFL Draft
. He was selected by the Jets and named the starting quarterback prior to the start of the season
. Despite a subpar performance, Sanchez led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game
, a losing effort to the Indianapolis Colts
, becoming the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first playoff game and the second to win two playoff games. In his second season, Sanchez continued to develop and led the Jets to the playoffs and the team's second consecutive AFC Championship Game where they narrowly lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers
, 24–19.
With the win over the New England Patriots
the week prior, Sanchez tied four other quarterbacks for the most post-season road victories by a quarterback in NFL history. In leading the Jets to two consecutive conference championships, Sanchez joined quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
as the only two quarterbacks in NFL history to reach the conference championship in their first two seasons in the league.
to Nick Sr. and Olga Sanchez. When Mark was four, his parents divorced; Mark and his brothers, Nick Jr. and Brandon, stayed with their father but their mother remained involved in their upbringing. Mark initially lived in Whittier
and Pico Rivera
; when he was six his father moved with the children to Rancho Santa Margarita
, a predominantly white
neighborhood of Orange County
.
Mark's father remarried and raised them strictly, seeking to influence them to become leaders. Throughout his childhood and teenage years, Mark's father would have him combine athletic and mental training. Mark would have to dribble a basketball without looking at it while reciting multiplication tables; practice baseball swings in a batting cage
while answering questions about the periodic table and similar combined drills that his father hoped would develop quick thinking and self-confidence that would guide Mark in all areas of life and not simply sports.
By the time Mark entered the eighth grade, he had developed an interest in football but was unsure of what position to play. His father consulted coaches Bill Cunerty, who formerly coached at Saddleback College
, and Bob Johnson, the head coach at Mission Viejo High School
. Both coaches stated Mark could be a quarterback if he applied himself and was open to learning the intricacies of the position. Nick Sr. trained Mark during sessions in their backyard or at the park. Mark, who was attending Santa Margarita High School
, joined the football
team. During his first pass attempt as a sophomore, Mark threw a 55-yard touchdown.
Prior to his junior year of high school, Mark transferred to Mission Viejo, where Johnson, who was recognized as a "quarterback guru", having trained professionals like Carson Palmer
, was head coach. Under Johnson's tutelage, Mark felt he would have a better opportunity to become a better player. Johnson tutored Mark on the complexities of the position and in two seasons with the team, Mark led the Diablos to a 27–1 record culminating with the California Interscholastic Federation
Division II championship in 2004.
Mark was named football player of the year by several major college recruiting services and was considered the top quarterback in the nation upon the conclusion of his high school football career in 2005. In July 2004, Mark announced his commitment to the University of Southern California.
and John David Booty
returning, Sanchez did not play during his freshman year in 2005
, opting to preserve a year of eligibility
. During this time, he participated as the quarterback of USC's scout team
, earning the Trojans' Service Team Offensive Player of the Year Award.
In April 2006, Sanchez was arrested after a female USC student accused him of sexual assault
. He was released from jail the following day and suspended. On June 3, 2006, the Los Angeles County District Attorney
's office announced no charges would be filed, and Sanchez was reinstated, though he was disciplined by the football team for underage drinking and using false identification on the night he was arrested.
At the outset of the 2006 season, Sanchez competed for the starting quarterback position; once Booty, a junior, suffered severe back spasms caused by a pre-existing back condition, surgery was required and Sanchez was promoted to run the first-team offense during the spring as Booty recovered. Coaches stated Booty would be considered the starting quarterback when he returned for fall practice. During the 2006 season
, Sanchez saw limited playing time in games against Arkansas
, Stanford
and Oregon
. Through those three games, Sanchez completed 3 of his 7 pass attempts for 63 yards and 1 interception. He also saw additional action against Arizona
, Michigan
, and Notre Dame
but he did not attempt a pass in those contests.
In fall practice, before USC's
2007 season
, Sanchez broke his right thumb, missing the first game against Idaho
; he returned the following week and served as the primary backup to Booty. Sanchez earned limited playing time in wins against Nebraska
and Washington State
. Sanchez was named the starting quarterback by head coach Pete Carroll
against Arizona after Booty suffered a broken finger during a 24–23 loss to Stanford
.
On October 13, Sanchez led USC to a 20–13 victory, overcoming a wavering performance during the first half of the game in which he threw two interceptions, as Arizona went on to tie the game heading into halftime. During the second half, Sanchez was more proficient in passing the ball and ultimately finished the game completing 19 of his 31 passes while throwing for 130 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. With Booty still recovering, USC elected to start Sanchez for a second consecutive week against Notre Dame
; he made significant improvements, completing 21 of his 38 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns in a 38–0 victory over Notre Dame.
On October 27, Sanchez started for the final time in place of the injured Booty, an away game against Oregon
. USC lost, 24–17; Sanchez had two passes intercepted by Oregon safety Matthew Harper in the second half. The first interception led to a fourth-quarter touchdown that gave Oregon a 14-point lead; the second interception ended USC's final chance for a comeback. In spite of a myriad of mistakes committed by his teammates in addition to his own, Sanchez publicly accepted blame for the loss. The following week, against Oregon State
, Booty returned as USC's starting quarterback, with Sanchez resuming his position as Booty's backup. Sanchez did not perform in subsequent games and finished the season with 695 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions.
Sanchez entered spring practice after the 2008 season
as the front-runner to take over the starting quarterback position, but faced strong competition from redshirt freshman Aaron Corp
and Mitch Mustain
, a transfer from Arkansas
, where he had been the starting quarterback; Mustain, like Sanchez, was named the top quarterback in the nation upon the conclusion of high school career in 2006. By the end of spring practice, Carroll announced Sanchez would be the starting quarterback heading into the fall. During the first week of fall camp, Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap during warm-ups
prior to practice; trainers immediately put the kneecap back into place. After missing nearly three weeks, Sanchez was cleared to play in the opener against Virginia
. Before the opener, Sanchez was contacted by USC's previous three quarterbacks—Carson Palmer
, Leinart and Booty—who wished him well and offered general advice.
In the opener at Virginia, Sanchez threw for a career-best 338 yards, completing 26 of his 35 passes for three touchdowns and one interception. The Davey O'Brien Foundation named him the O'Brien Quarterback of the Week and his performance garnered early Heisman
discussion. The Trojans suffered a stunning 27–21 loss against Oregon State
on September 25. By seasons end, the Trojans' lone loss was enough to remove them from contending for the BCS National Title and instead they were to play in the Rose Bowl
against Penn State. The Trojans defeated the Nittany Lions 38–24. Sanchez won the 2009 Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player award for his performance on offense; his 413 passing yards ranked second in the history of the Rose Bowl and fourth in Trojan history. With Sanchez starting all thirteen games, the Trojans ended the season 12–1 and ranked number two in the Coaches' Poll and number three in the AP Poll
. Sanchez finished the season with 3,207 yards passing, 34 touchdowns, second most in Trojan history, behind Leinart, and 10 interceptions.
Upon the conclusion of the Rose Bowl, Sanchez stated it would be "hard to say goodbye to [USC]. I don’t think I can do it." However, with the subsequent announcement that other NFL-caliber quarterbacks, such as Sam Bradford
, Tim Tebow
, and Colt McCoy
had decided to stay in school, rumors arose that Sanchez would use the opportunity to enter the 2009 NFL Draft
. On January 15, Sanchez announced his plans to forgo his final year of college eligibility and enter the 2009 NFL Draft, although he continued as a USC student and completed work on his degree
in the spring of 2009 while preparing for the draft.
Sanchez became the first USC quarterback to leave early since Todd Marinovich
did so after the 1990 season. During the press conference, head coach Pete Carroll made it clear that he did not agree with Sanchez's decision, and advised him of the low success-rate of quarterbacks who left college early. Despite the public disagreement, the two remained close afterward.
alongside David Dunn, who represented Carson Palmer. Sanchez received an invitation to the 2009 Scouting Combine where his performance was well-received. He was ranked as one of the top two quarterbacks, behind fellow junior Matthew Stafford
from the University of Georgia
. In the final days leading up to the draft, several NFL teams expressed serious interest in Sanchez, including the Seattle Seahawks
(No. 4 selection), Cleveland Browns
(No. 5 selection), Washington Redskins
(No. 13 selection), and New York Jets (No. 17 selection).
. To select Sanchez, the Jets traded their first and second round selections and three players, Kenyon Coleman
, Abram Elam
and Brett Ratliff, to the Cleveland Browns. At the time, the selection was lauded as good value for the team and for Sanchez. Sanchez reached an agreement with the team on June 10, 2009, signing a five-year, $50 million contract, with $28 million guaranteed. It is the largest contract the Jets signed a player to in franchise history.
Heading into his rookie training camp, Sanchez was listed as the second quarterback behind veteran Kellen Clemens
. Jets head coach Rex Ryan
viewed the camp as an opportunity for both quarterbacks to compete against each other to determine the eventual starter for the 2009 season. On August 26, 2009, Sanchez was named the starter, becoming the first rookie quarterback to start the season for the team since Dick Jamieson
in 1960.
Sanchez started his first regular season NFL game against the Houston Texans
on September 13, 2009, throwing his first touchdown pass, a 30-yard reception, to Chansi Stuckey
. Sanchez and the Jets won the game 24–7, with Sanchez throwing for 272 yards, a touchdown and a interception. He was named the Pepsi Rookie of the Week
for his performance in the game, the first of three consecutive Rookie of the Week awards. He played his first home game a week later versus the New England Patriots
, a 16–9 victory; it was also his first division game and his first rivalry game. It was the Jets' first victory over New England at home since 2000. With a 24–17 victory over the Tennessee Titans
in Week 3, Sanchez became the first rookie quarterback to start and win his first three games of an NFL season. However, his performance began to regress as he had a pass intercepted for a 99-yard touchdown return, and fumbled another attempted pass in the end zone for another touchdown, as the Jets fell to the New Orleans Saints
in Week 4. These two plays were enough to spoil an otherwise strong outing from the Jets's defensive unit as the team dropped to a 3–1 record. Following the loss to New Orleans, Sanchez received criticism in a 16–13 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills
in Week 6 when he threw five interceptions against a lowly Bills defense that previously had only four interceptions the entire season. The Jets ended their losing streak in a 38–0 victory against the Oakland Raiders
in Week 7 however, Sanchez was criticized after he was seen eating a hot dog
on the Jets' bench in the fourth quarter.
In the team's second meeting against the Bills on December 3, 2009, Sanchez suffered a sprained
posterior cruciate ligament
in the third quarter, prompting the veteran Clemens to take his place. Though there were no setbacks to the injury, head coach Ryan benched Sanchez the following game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
for precautionary reasons, much to Sanchez's dismay. At 7–7, the Jets had a chance to secure a playoff berth if they won the remainder of their games. One such game was against the Indianapolis Colts
who had 23 consecutive regular season wins. Sanchez and the Jets engineered a comeback win following Colts head coach Jim Caldwell's decision to controversially rest the team starters in the third quarter with a five-point lead. The following week, on January 3, 2010, Sanchez led the team into the playoffs, despite a subpar effort, completing eight of sixteen passes for sixty-three yards, en route to a 37–0 win over the Cincinnati Bengals
, who rested their starters as the team had already clinched the AFC North
division title and a playoff berth. The manner of the two wins, which gave the Jets their first playoff berth since 2006, caused many to claim the team had "backed into the playoffs". Sanchez completed his rookie season with 2,444 yards, 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.
In the wild card round, that took place on January 9, 2010 at Paul Brown Stadium
, Sanchez led the Jets to another victory over the Bengals, 24–14, behind his positive performance where he completed 12 of his 15 passes while throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown with a passer rating
of 139.4. Sanchez became the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first post-season contest, and the second to do so on the road. On January 17, 2010, Sanchez, with the help of fellow rookie Shonn Greene
, defeated the heavily favored San Diego Chargers 17–14 to attain the Jets' third AFC Championship appearance in franchise history. Sanchez became only the second rookie quarterback to win two consecutive playoff games, behind Joe Flacco
. In a rematch of their regular season meeting with the Colts, Sanchez performed well in the first half however, the offense succumbed to the Colts' defense in the second half and the Jets gave up an 11 point lead, losing 30–17. Sanchez was named to Sporting News All-Rookie team for his performance during the season.
On February 17, 2010, Sanchez had surgery to repair the patella ligament
in his left knee that he originally injured when he played for USC. The surgery was successful. Sanchez was expected to miss early workouts and return in time for training camp however Sanchez made a quick recovery and participated in team drills during Organized Team Activities (OTA). The Jets opened the 2010 season
with a 5–1 record however, the passing game was subpar as Sanchez struggled to accurately throw the football. Sanchez recorded his first career 300-yard passing game in a win over the Detroit Lions
on November 7, 2010. At 10–4, the Jets faced the Chicago Bears
on December 26, 2010 with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. Though Sanchez injured his shoulder in a victory over Pittsburgh
the previous week, he started the game completing 24 of his 37 passes for a touchdown and a interception. However, the Jets were unable to defend the Bears' offense and subsequently lost the game 38–31 after a comeback drive was halted when Sanchez was intercepted. Due to a loss by the Jacksonville Jaguars
that same day, the Jets clinched the playoff berth. Sanchez finished the season with 3,291 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
The Jets finished the season with an 11–5 record and entered the wild card round facing the Indianapolis Colts
in a rematch of their previous encounter in the AFC Championship. Although Sanchez had a subpar performance completing 18 of his 31 passes while throwing a interception, he led the team in the final minutes of the game on a comeback drive culminating with kicker Nick Folk
kicking the game-winning field goal as time expired. The Jets went on to face the New England Patriots
in the divisional round and upset the heavily favored Patriots, 28–21, as Sanchez completed 16 of his 25 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. With the win, Sanchez tied Len Dawson
, Roger Staubach
, Jake Delhomme
, and Joe Flacco
for most post-season road victories by a quarterback in NFL history. The team traveled to the AFC Championship, for a second consecutive season, to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 23, 2011. Heading into halftime losing 24–3, the team, led by Sanchez, engineered a comeback following a heartfelt speech given by the quarterback at halftime. However, the team fell short as their final offensive drive was stymied by the Steelers' defense and the Jets lost 24–19.
Prior to the outset of the 2011 season
, head coach Rex Ryan named Sanchez the team captain.
on the field thus, allowing him to extend the team's offensive series. In his three year career, Sanchez has had six fourth quarter comebacks and eight game winning drives. His calm demeanor in pressing situations has earned him the respect of Bill Parcells
and Sam Wyche
and has even garnered comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger
and Joe Montana
.
Sanchez is known for his fierce, competitive nature. In December 2010, following dismal performances, Rex Ryan threatened to reduce Sanchez's repetitions with the first-team offense during practice. Sanchez was immediately incensed and at one point was prepared to fight Ryan for his job.
Sanchez has also been praised for his arm strength, immediately drawing comparisons to Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath
. Sanchez has proven to be proficient in short passing situations as well. He is well-respected and viewed as a leader amongst his peers.
After undergoing knee surgery following his rookie season, Sanchez established "Jets West" in 2010, an annual off-season camp located in his home state of California. Sanchez hosts workouts and offers classroom review sessions for his skill-position teammates on offense for one week. Originally intended to aid his rehabilitation, the sessions have grown into an extension of his leadership and fosters an environment to build team chemistry albeit exclusively with his offensive counterparts. During the NFL labor dispute, Sanchez managed to organize private workouts with over forty of his teammates.
Sanchez is an avid fan of musical theatre
. He was a presenter at the 2010 Tony Awards
, where he introduced a number from the Broadway musical Memphis
. On stage at Radio City Music Hall
, Sanchez stated, "I've become a huge fan of musicals since I've come to New York, and I've taken some heat from guys on the team, believe me."
Sanchez's father is a fire captain
for the Orange County Fire Authority
and a member of the national urban search and rescue team. In college, Nick Sanchez played quarterback for East Los Angeles College
, was later a sergeant in the United States Army
. His two older brothers both played college football. Nick Jr. attended Yale University
where he played quarterback while Brandon attended DePauw University
where he played on the offensive line. Nick Jr. went on to attend the USC Law School
and is a business attorney; Brandon became a mortgage broker
.
to help raise awareness for Type 1 diabetes. He is also involved with Sam's Club
's Giving Made Simple which, helps raise awareness about childhood obesity
and how families can prevent it.
Sanchez has worked with the Teddy Atlas Foundation through which he met Aiden Binkley, a terminally ill 11-year old struck with rhabdomyosarcoma
. Sanchez developed a bond with Binkley and the two remained close friends until Binkley's death in December 2010 which devastated Sanchez.
When Sanchez was elevated to prominence at USC, he found himself a symbol of Mexican-American identity and a role model for younger generations. Sanchez was placed on center stage
in Los Angeles
, home to more than 4.6 million Hispanics, the majority of whom are of Mexican descent. While there had been previous, successful Mexican-American quarterbacks such as Tom Flores
, Jim Plunkett
, Joe Kapp
, Jeff Garcia
, Tony Romo
, and Marc Bulger
, unlike most of his predecessors, Sanchez is a third-generation, full Mexican and none had been embraced to the extent Sanchez was. USC fans began playing up Sanchez's ethnicity by wearing items such as sarapes, lucha libre
masks and homemade "¡Viva Sanchez!" T-shirts. His rise to fame within the Mexican-American community was compared to that of boxer Oscar De La Hoya
and baseball pitcher Fernando Valenzuela.
While starting for an injured John David Booty in 2007, Sanchez wore a custom mouthguard
that featured the colors of the Mexican flag in honor of his heritage. It became a prominent issue after his nationally televised game against Notre Dame. The mouthpiece became a symbol for two opposing viewpoints: for Mexican-Americans, it was a symbol of unity—Sanchez accepting his heritage; for critics, the gesture symbolized a radical political statement
. Sanchez, who was born and raised in the United States
, reportedly received letters urging him to return to Mexico. Sanchez responded to the controversy stating, "It’s not a Mexican power thing or anything like that. It’s just a little bit of pride in our heritage. Hopefully, it inspires somebody and it’s all for the best." Overwhelmed by the attention and shying away from politics, Sanchez stopped wearing the mouthpiece, but began participating in other efforts to help the Hispanic community.
Sanchez, who knew how to speak some Spanish but was not bilingual going into his junior season at USC, began to take Spanish lessons so he could have conversations with others who share his heritage and conduct interviews with the media without the use of a translator. The USC band
played "El Matador
" when Sanchez would take the field. Sanchez participated in a fundraiser to help provide school supplies to first-graders in the city of Long Beach and region of South Bay
, and helped Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
give holiday gifts to impoverished families. By the end of his USC career, he had been hailed as a significant role model for Hispanic youth. Sanchez serves as the Ambassador to the Inner-City Games Los Angeles
, an after-school program that provides "at-risk youth" with positive, alternative activities. Sanchez was most recently seen throwing out the first pitch at a Los Angeles Angels
game in July 2009 on behalf of the Inner-City organization. ESPN Radio
came to an agreement with the Jets to broadcast all of the team's regular season games in 2011
on 710 ESPN Radio
in Los Angeles
. The agreement came about due to Sanchez's continued popularity in California.
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 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...
(NFL). He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall. 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 the University of Southern California (USC).
Sanchez grew up in a well-disciplined and athletic family. In the eighth grade, he began to play football and learn the intricacies of the quarterback position, training with his father, Nick. A well-regarded prospect, Sanchez committed to Southern California following his successful high school career in which he led his team to a championship title during his final season. At USC, Sanchez was relegated as the backup quarterback during his first three years though he rose to prominence due to his brief appearances on the field in 2007 due to injuries suffered by starting quarterback John David Booty
John David Booty
John David Booty is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He last played for the Houston Texans until being cut on September 4, 2010. He played college football at USC.Booty has also been a member of the Tennessee Titans...
. Sanchez also became popular within the community due to his Mexican-American heritage. Named the starter in 2008, Sanchez led USC to a 12–1 record and won the Rose Bowl
2009 Rose Bowl
The 2009 Rose Bowl, the 95th edition of the annual game, was a college football bowl game played on Thursday, January 1, 2009 at the same-named stadium in Pasadena, California. Because of sponsorship by Citi, the first game in the 2009 edition of the Bowl Championship Series was officially titled...
against Penn State
2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the 2008 college football season. The team is coached by Joe Paterno and plays its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.-Previous season:...
for which Sanchez was awarded the Most Valuable Player award for his performance on offense
Offense (sports)
In sports, offense or offence , also known as attack, is the action of attacking or engaging an opposing team with the objective of scoring points or goals...
.
Although many considered him too inexperienced, Sanchez announced his intention to enter the NFL Draft
NFL 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...
. He was selected by the Jets and named the starting quarterback prior to the start of the season
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
. Despite a subpar performance, Sanchez led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
, a losing effort to the 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 ....
, becoming the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first playoff game and the second to win two playoff games. In his second season, Sanchez continued to develop and led the Jets to the playoffs and the team's second consecutive AFC Championship Game where they narrowly lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, 24–19.
With the win over 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...
the week prior, Sanchez tied four other quarterbacks for the most post-season road victories by a quarterback in NFL history. In leading the Jets to two consecutive conference championships, Sanchez joined quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
as the only two quarterbacks in NFL history to reach the conference championship in their first two seasons in the league.
Early life
Mark was born in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
to Nick Sr. and Olga Sanchez. When Mark was four, his parents divorced; Mark and his brothers, Nick Jr. and Brandon, stayed with their father but their mother remained involved in their upbringing. Mark initially lived in Whittier
Whittier, California
Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California about southeast of Los Angeles. The city had a population of 85,331 at the 2010 census, up from 83,680 as of the 2000 census, and encompasses 14.7 square miles . Like nearby Montebello, the city constitutes part of the Gateway Cities...
and Pico Rivera
Pico Rivera, California
Pico Rivera is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is situated approximately 11 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, on the eastern edge of the Los Angeles basin, and on the southern edge of the area known as the San Gabriel Valley...
; when he was six his father moved with the children to Rancho Santa Margarita
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master planned community set upon rolling hills. Most neighborhoods in Rancho Santa Margarita are within various homeowners associations...
, a predominantly white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
neighborhood of Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
.
Mark's father remarried and raised them strictly, seeking to influence them to become leaders. Throughout his childhood and teenage years, Mark's father would have him combine athletic and mental training. Mark would have to dribble a basketball without looking at it while reciting multiplication tables; practice baseball swings in a batting cage
Batting cage
A batting cage is an enclosed cage for baseball players to practice the skill of batting.It is usually made of netting or a chain-link fence and rectangular in shape. A batter stands at one end of the cage, with a pitching machine at the opposing end...
while answering questions about the periodic table and similar combined drills that his father hoped would develop quick thinking and self-confidence that would guide Mark in all areas of life and not simply sports.
By the time Mark entered the eighth grade, he had developed an interest in football but was unsure of what position to play. His father consulted coaches Bill Cunerty, who formerly coached at Saddleback College
Saddleback College
The athletic programs are supported in part by the Associated Student Body at Saddleback College. Revenue generated from attendance at athletic events helps support the entire student activities program.-On-campus media outlets:*The Lariat...
, and Bob Johnson, the head coach at Mission Viejo High School
Mission Viejo High School
Mission Viejo High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Mission Viejo, California, United States, as part of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. The school has served the area since 1966. Students within its attendance boundaries live in western Mission...
. Both coaches stated Mark could be a quarterback if he applied himself and was open to learning the intricacies of the position. Nick Sr. trained Mark during sessions in their backyard or at the park. Mark, who was attending Santa Margarita High School
Santa Margarita Catholic High School
Santa Margarita Catholic High School is a coeducational college preparatory Roman Catholic high school located in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, United States. SMCHS was opened in the fall of 1987 under the direction of the Bishop of Orange...
, joined the football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team. During his first pass attempt as a sophomore, Mark threw a 55-yard touchdown.
Prior to his junior year of high school, Mark transferred to Mission Viejo, where Johnson, who was recognized as a "quarterback guru", having trained professionals like Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
, was head coach. Under Johnson's tutelage, Mark felt he would have a better opportunity to become a better player. Johnson tutored Mark on the complexities of the position and in two seasons with the team, Mark led the Diablos to a 27–1 record culminating with the California Interscholastic Federation
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
Division II championship in 2004.
Mark was named football player of the year by several major college recruiting services and was considered the top quarterback in the nation upon the conclusion of his high school football career in 2005. In July 2004, Mark announced his commitment to the University of Southern California.
College career
Being named the nation's top quarterback coming out of high school, Sanchez was well regarded upon his arrival at USC. With upperclassmen Matt LeinartMatt Leinart
Matthew Stephen Leinart , is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League...
and John David Booty
John David Booty
John David Booty is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He last played for the Houston Texans until being cut on September 4, 2010. He played college football at USC.Booty has also been a member of the Tennessee Titans...
returning, Sanchez did not play during his freshman year in 2005
2005 USC Trojans football team
The 2005 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the college football season of 2005–2006, winning the Pacific-10 Conference , and playing for the NCAA Division I-A national championship...
, opting to preserve a year of eligibility
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
. During this time, he participated as the quarterback of USC's scout team
Scout team
In sports, the scout team, also referred to as a practice team, taxi squad, practice squad or practice roster, is a group of players on a team whose task is to emulate future opponents for the featured players. Frequently used in American or Canadian Football, these teams consist of less...
, earning the Trojans' Service Team Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
. He was released from jail the following day and suspended. On June 3, 2006, the Los Angeles County District Attorney
Los Angeles County District Attorney
The District Attorney of Los Angeles County prosecutes felony and misdemeanor crimes that occur within the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County, California....
's office announced no charges would be filed, and Sanchez was reinstated, though he was disciplined by the football team for underage drinking and using false identification on the night he was arrested.
At the outset of the 2006 season, Sanchez competed for the starting quarterback position; once Booty, a junior, suffered severe back spasms caused by a pre-existing back condition, surgery was required and Sanchez was promoted to run the first-team offense during the spring as Booty recovered. Coaches stated Booty would be considered the starting quarterback when he returned for fall practice. During the 2006 season
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
, Sanchez saw limited playing time in games against Arkansas
2006 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 2006 Arkansas Razorbacks football team completed the season with a 10–4 record. The Razorbacks had a regular season SEC record of 7–1.-Schedule:-USC:...
, Stanford
2006 Stanford Cardinal football team
The 2006 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In head coach Walt Harris's second season at Stanford, the Cardinal won only one game, ending the season with a 1–11 record, the school's worst since a winless 1960 season....
and Oregon
2006 Oregon Ducks football team
The 2006 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in college football's 2006 season. The team was coached by Mike Bellotti and played their home games in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States....
. Through those three games, Sanchez completed 3 of his 7 pass attempts for 63 yards and 1 interception. He also saw additional action against Arizona
Arizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
, Michigan
2006 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2006 college football season. The team's head football coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines came into the season with lower expectations than many Michigan teams of the previous few seasons, ranked #14...
, and Notre Dame
2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was a college football team which represented the University of Notre Dame during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis in his second year as head coach and played their home football games at Notre Dame...
but he did not attempt a pass in those contests.
In fall practice, before USC's
2007 USC Trojans football team
The 2007 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2007–2008, winning a share of the Pacific-10 Conference Championship and winning the 2008 Rose Bowl...
2007 season
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
, Sanchez broke his right thumb, missing the first game against Idaho
Idaho Vandals football
The Idaho Vandals are a college football team that represents the University of Idaho. The Vandals currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I...
; he returned the following week and served as the primary backup to Booty. Sanchez earned limited playing time in wins against Nebraska
2007 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 2007 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bill Callahan and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska....
and Washington State
2007 Washington State Cougars football team
The 2007 Washington State Cougars football team represented Washington State University in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team was led by fifth-year head coach Bill Doba and played its home games at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington....
. Sanchez was named the starting quarterback by head coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
against Arizona after Booty suffered a broken finger during a 24–23 loss to Stanford
2007 Stanford Cardinal football team
The 2007 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the college football season of 2007–2008. In Head Coach Jim Harbaugh's inaugural season at Stanford, the 41-point underdog Cardinal pulled off the greatest point-spread upset in college football history by defeating the #1...
.
2007 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2007 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was the college football team that represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2007 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis in his third year as head coach, and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre...
; he made significant improvements, completing 21 of his 38 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns in a 38–0 victory over Notre Dame.
On October 27, Sanchez started for the final time in place of the injured Booty, an away game against Oregon
2007 Oregon Ducks football team
The 2007 Oregon Ducks football team represents the University of Oregon in the college football season of 2007. The team is coached by Mike Bellotti and plays their home games at Autzen Stadium....
. USC lost, 24–17; Sanchez had two passes intercepted by Oregon safety Matthew Harper in the second half. The first interception led to a fourth-quarter touchdown that gave Oregon a 14-point lead; the second interception ended USC's final chance for a comeback. In spite of a myriad of mistakes committed by his teammates in addition to his own, Sanchez publicly accepted blame for the loss. The following week, against Oregon State
2007 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2007 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team's head coach is Mike Riley. Home games are played at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon.-Season notes:...
, Booty returned as USC's starting quarterback, with Sanchez resuming his position as Booty's backup. Sanchez did not perform in subsequent games and finished the season with 695 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions.
Sanchez entered spring practice after the 2008 season
2008 USC Trojans football team
The 2008 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2008–2009...
as the front-runner to take over the starting quarterback position, but faced strong competition from redshirt freshman Aaron Corp
Aaron Corp
Aaron Corp is an American football quarterback for the University of Richmond Spiders.-High school:Corp had an outstanding high school career at Orange Lutheran High School. A dual-threat quarterback, Corp completed 212-of-311 of his passes for 2,750 yards, 21 TDs and 7 interceptions, plus ran...
and Mitch Mustain
Mitch Mustain
Mitchell Mustain is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Georgia Force of the Arena Football League. He played college football at USC. Mustain played his freshman year of college at the University of Arkansas in 2006 before transferring to USC in 2007...
, a transfer from Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
, where he had been the starting quarterback; Mustain, like Sanchez, was named the top quarterback in the nation upon the conclusion of high school career in 2006. By the end of spring practice, Carroll announced Sanchez would be the starting quarterback heading into the fall. During the first week of fall camp, Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap during warm-ups
Warming up
A warm-up is usually performed before participating in technical sports or exercising. A warm-up generally consists of a gradual increase in intensity in physical activity , a joint mobility exercise, stretching and a sport related activity. For example, before running or playing an intense sport...
prior to practice; trainers immediately put the kneecap back into place. After missing nearly three weeks, Sanchez was cleared to play in the opener against Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. Before the opener, Sanchez was contacted by USC's previous three quarterbacks—Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
, Leinart and Booty—who wished him well and offered general advice.
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...
discussion. The Trojans suffered a stunning 27–21 loss against Oregon State
2008 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2008 Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's head coach is Mike Riley...
on September 25. By seasons end, the Trojans' lone loss was enough to remove them from contending for the BCS National Title and instead they were to play in the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
against Penn State. The Trojans defeated the Nittany Lions 38–24. Sanchez won the 2009 Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player award for his performance on offense; his 413 passing yards ranked second in the history of the Rose Bowl and fourth in Trojan history. With Sanchez starting all thirteen games, the Trojans ended the season 12–1 and ranked number two in the Coaches' Poll and number three in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. Sanchez finished the season with 3,207 yards passing, 34 touchdowns, second most in Trojan history, behind Leinart, and 10 interceptions.
Upon the conclusion of the Rose Bowl, Sanchez stated it would be "hard to say goodbye to [USC]. I don’t think I can do it." However, with the subsequent announcement that other NFL-caliber quarterbacks, such as Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob "Sam" Bradford is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and played college football at Oklahoma. In 2008, as a redshirt sophomore, Bradford became the second sophomore to win a...
, Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
, and Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
had decided to stay in school, rumors arose that Sanchez would use the opportunity to enter the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. On January 15, Sanchez announced his plans to forgo his final year of college eligibility and enter the 2009 NFL Draft, although he continued as a USC student and completed work on his degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in the spring of 2009 while preparing for the draft.
Sanchez became the first USC quarterback to leave early since Todd Marinovich
Todd Marinovich
Todd Marvin Marinovich is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. He played for the Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League, and also in the Canadian Football League and Arena Football League...
did so after the 1990 season. During the press conference, head coach Pete Carroll made it clear that he did not agree with Sanchez's decision, and advised him of the low success-rate of quarterbacks who left college early. Despite the public disagreement, the two remained close afterward.
2009 NFL Draft
Sanchez hired his older brother and business litigator, Nick Sanchez, to be his agentSports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
alongside David Dunn, who represented Carson Palmer. Sanchez received an invitation to the 2009 Scouting Combine where his performance was well-received. He was ranked as one of the top two quarterbacks, behind fellow junior Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia....
from the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. In the final days leading up to the draft, several NFL teams expressed serious interest in Sanchez, including the 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...
(No. 4 selection), Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(No. 5 selection), 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,...
(No. 13 selection), and New York Jets (No. 17 selection).
New York Jets
The New York Jets drafted Sanchez using the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, making him the first quarterback selected by the Jets in the first round since Chad PenningtonChad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
. To select Sanchez, the Jets traded their first and second round selections and three players, Kenyon Coleman
Kenyon Coleman
Kenyon Octavia Coleman is an American football defensive end who plays for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft out of the University of California, Los Angeles by the Oakland Raiders...
, Abram Elam
Abram Elam
Abram Elam is an American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at Notre Dame and Kent State....
and Brett Ratliff, to the Cleveland Browns. At the time, the selection was lauded as good value for the team and for Sanchez. Sanchez reached an agreement with the team on June 10, 2009, signing a five-year, $50 million contract, with $28 million guaranteed. It is the largest contract the Jets signed a player to in franchise history.
Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
. Jets head coach Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan is an American football head coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League . After serving as an assistant coach for twenty-two years, Ryan attained his first head coaching job in the NFL with the Jets in 2009...
viewed the camp as an opportunity for both quarterbacks to compete against each other to determine the eventual starter for the 2009 season. On August 26, 2009, Sanchez was named the starter, becoming the first rookie quarterback to start the season for the team since Dick Jamieson
Dick Jamieson
Richard Alexander Jamieson was an American football and baseball player and coach of football. He was the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League in 1997. He also served as offensive coordinator for the Cardinals in 1985 when the franchise was in St...
in 1960.
Sanchez started his first regular season NFL game against the Houston Texans
2009 Houston Texans season
The 2009 Houston Texans season is the 8th season for the team in the National Football League. The Texans improved upon their 8–8 record in 2008, claimed their first winning season in franchise history, and 4 straight heartbreaking division losses came back to haunt them, as they narrowly missed...
on September 13, 2009, throwing his first touchdown pass, a 30-yard reception, to Chansi Stuckey
Chansi Stuckey
Chansi V. Stuckey is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. Sanchez and the Jets won the game 24–7, with Sanchez throwing for 272 yards, a touchdown and a interception. He was named the Pepsi Rookie of the Week
Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week
Every week during the NFL season, five finalists are chosen for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week award, and a winner is determined by fan voting online at . At the end of the season, total fan voting from the year is tabulated to determine the five finalists for the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the...
for his performance in the game, the first of three consecutive Rookie of the Week awards. He played his first home game a week later versus the New England Patriots
2009 New England Patriots season
The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs....
, a 16–9 victory; it was also his first division game and his first rivalry game. It was the Jets' first victory over New England at home since 2000. With a 24–17 victory over the Tennessee Titans
2009 Tennessee Titans season
The 2009 Tennessee Titans season is the 50th season for the original American Football League team, their 40th in the NFL, and 13th in Tennessee. The Titans aimed to equal or improve on their 2008 NFL best 13–3 record; however, they lost the first 6 games of that season...
in Week 3, Sanchez became the first rookie quarterback to start and win his first three games of an NFL season. However, his performance began to regress as he had a pass intercepted for a 99-yard touchdown return, and fumbled another attempted pass in the end zone for another touchdown, as the Jets fell to the New Orleans Saints
2009 New Orleans Saints season
The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the...
in Week 4. These two plays were enough to spoil an otherwise strong outing from the Jets's defensive unit as the team dropped to a 3–1 record. Following the loss to New Orleans, Sanchez received criticism in a 16–13 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills
2009 Buffalo Bills season
The 2009 Buffalo Bills season was the 50th Professional Football season for the original American Football League team, and its 40th in the NFL...
in Week 6 when he threw five interceptions against a lowly Bills defense that previously had only four interceptions the entire season. The Jets ended their losing streak in a 38–0 victory against the Oakland Raiders
2009 Oakland Raiders season
The 2009 Oakland Raiders season is the 50th season for the original American Football League team, and its 40th in the NFL. On September 6, 2009, The Raiders traded a 2011 draft pick to the New England Patriots for 5x Pro Bowl Defensive Lineman Richard Seymour. With their loss to Dallas on November...
in Week 7 however, Sanchez was criticized after he was seen eating a hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
on the Jets' bench in the fourth quarter.
In the team's second meeting against the Bills on December 3, 2009, Sanchez suffered a sprained
Sprain
A sprain is an injury in a joint, caused by the ligament being stretched beyond its capacity. A muscular tear caused in the same manner is referred to as a strain. In cases where either ligament or muscle tissue is torn, immobilization and surgical repair may be necessary...
posterior cruciate ligament
Posterior cruciate ligament
The posterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur...
in the third quarter, prompting the veteran Clemens to take his place. Though there were no setbacks to the injury, head coach Ryan benched Sanchez the following game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 34th season as a franchise in the NFL. The Buccaneers looked to improve on their 9–7 record from their 2008 season and 3rd place finish in the NFC South but failed to do so as they finished the season at 3–13, missing the playoffs for the...
for precautionary reasons, much to Sanchez's dismay. At 7–7, the Jets had a chance to secure a playoff berth if they won the remainder of their games. One such game was against the Indianapolis Colts
2009 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2009 Indianapolis Colts season was the 57th season for the team in the National Football League and the 26th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since 2002 that the Colts did not have Tony Dungy on their coaching staff, due to his retirement from coaching...
who had 23 consecutive regular season wins. Sanchez and the Jets engineered a comeback win following Colts head coach Jim Caldwell's decision to controversially rest the team starters in the third quarter with a five-point lead. The following week, on January 3, 2010, Sanchez led the team into the playoffs, despite a subpar effort, completing eight of sixteen passes for sixty-three yards, en route to a 37–0 win over the Cincinnati Bengals
2009 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2009 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and their 42nd overall. They finished the season at 10–6–0, and sweeping the entire AFC North division, they improved on their 2008 record of 4–11–1, winning the AFC North Division and making the...
, who rested their starters as the team had already clinched the AFC North
AFC North
The American Football Conference North Division, or AFC North, is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created prior to the 1967 season as the NFL Century Division when the NFL split into four divisions...
division title and a playoff berth. The manner of the two wins, which gave the Jets their first playoff berth since 2006, caused many to claim the team had "backed into the playoffs". Sanchez completed his rookie season with 2,444 yards, 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.
In the wild card round, that took place on January 9, 2010 at Paul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and...
, Sanchez led the Jets to another victory over the Bengals, 24–14, behind his positive performance where he completed 12 of his 15 passes while throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown with a 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...
of 139.4. Sanchez became the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first post-season contest, and the second to do so on the road. On January 17, 2010, Sanchez, with the help of fellow rookie Shonn Greene
Shonn Greene
-New York Jets:On April 26, 2009 the New York Jets traded up 12 spots to select Greene in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On August 30 Greene made an appearance in the Jets preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. He rushed twice for six yards as well as catching an 85-yard pass...
, defeated the heavily favored San Diego Chargers 17–14 to attain the Jets' third AFC Championship appearance in franchise history. Sanchez became only the second rookie quarterback to win two consecutive playoff games, behind Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
. In a rematch of their regular season meeting with the Colts, Sanchez performed well in the first half however, the offense succumbed to the Colts' defense in the second half and the Jets gave up an 11 point lead, losing 30–17. Sanchez was named to Sporting News All-Rookie team for his performance during the season.
On February 17, 2010, Sanchez had surgery to repair the patella ligament
Patellar ligament
The patellar ligament is the central portion of the common tendon of the Quadriceps femoris, which is continued from the patella to the tuberosity of the tibia.-Anatomy:It is a strong, flat, ligament, about 10 cm...
in his left knee that he originally injured when he played for USC. The surgery was successful. Sanchez was expected to miss early workouts and return in time for training camp however Sanchez made a quick recovery and participated in team drills during Organized Team Activities (OTA). The Jets opened the 2010 season
2010 New York Jets season
The 2010 New York Jets season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st season overall and the team's first season at New Meadowlands Stadium. The team improved on their 9–7 record from 2009 and reached the playoffs again. The Jets played their first pre-season game...
with a 5–1 record however, the passing game was subpar as Sanchez struggled to accurately throw the football. Sanchez recorded his first career 300-yard passing game in a win over the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on November 7, 2010. At 10–4, the Jets faced the Chicago Bears
2010 Chicago Bears season
The 2010 Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 91st season overall in the National Football League. Coming off a disappointing 7–9 record in the 2009 season and failing to qualify for the NFL playoffs for a third consecutive season, the Bears sought to develop their roster and improve on...
on December 26, 2010 with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. Though Sanchez injured his shoulder in a victory over Pittsburgh
2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 78th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League and the eleventh season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fourth under head coach Mike Tomlin...
the previous week, he started the game completing 24 of his 37 passes for a touchdown and a interception. However, the Jets were unable to defend the Bears' offense and subsequently lost the game 38–31 after a comeback drive was halted when Sanchez was intercepted. Due to a loss by the Jacksonville Jaguars
2010 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2010 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 16th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars, who are in their second year of "rebuilding" under general manager Gene Smith, improved upon their 7–9 record from 2009, but narrowly missed the playoffs with an 8–8 record...
that same day, the Jets clinched the playoff berth. Sanchez finished the season with 3,291 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
The Jets finished the season with an 11–5 record and entered the wild card round facing the Indianapolis Colts
2010 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2010 Indianapolis Colts season was the 58th season for the team in the National Football League, the 27th in Indianapolis, and the second under head coach Jim Caldwell...
in a rematch of their previous encounter in the AFC Championship. Although Sanchez had a subpar performance completing 18 of his 31 passes while throwing a interception, he led the team in the final minutes of the game on a comeback drive culminating with kicker Nick Folk
Nick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
kicking the game-winning field goal as time expired. The Jets went on to face the New England Patriots
2010 New England Patriots season
The 2010 New England Patriots season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009 by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets...
in the divisional round and upset the heavily favored Patriots, 28–21, as Sanchez completed 16 of his 25 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. With the win, Sanchez tied Len Dawson
Len Dawson
Leonard Ray "Len" "Lenny" Dawson is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who attended Purdue University and went on to play for three professional teams, most notably the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs...
, Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
, Jake Delhomme
Jake Delhomme
Jake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
, and Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
for most post-season road victories by a quarterback in NFL history. The team traveled to the AFC Championship, for a second consecutive season, to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 23, 2011. Heading into halftime losing 24–3, the team, led by Sanchez, engineered a comeback following a heartfelt speech given by the quarterback at halftime. However, the team fell short as their final offensive drive was stymied by the Steelers' defense and the Jets lost 24–19.
Prior to the outset of the 2011 season
2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
, head coach Rex Ryan named Sanchez the team captain.
Player profile
Sanchez has been praised for his ability to maintain composure, in spite of defensive pressure, and focus on finding an open receiverWide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
on the field thus, allowing him to extend the team's offensive series. In his three year career, Sanchez has had six fourth quarter comebacks and eight game winning drives. His calm demeanor in pressing situations has earned him the respect of Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
and Sam Wyche
Sam Wyche
Samuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...
and has even garnered comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
and Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
.
Sanchez is known for his fierce, competitive nature. In December 2010, following dismal performances, Rex Ryan threatened to reduce Sanchez's repetitions with the first-team offense during practice. Sanchez was immediately incensed and at one point was prepared to fight Ryan for his job.
Sanchez has also been praised for his arm strength, immediately drawing comparisons to Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
. Sanchez has proven to be proficient in short passing situations as well. He is well-respected and viewed as a leader amongst his peers.
After undergoing knee surgery following his rookie season, Sanchez established "Jets West" in 2010, an annual off-season camp located in his home state of California. Sanchez hosts workouts and offers classroom review sessions for his skill-position teammates on offense for one week. Originally intended to aid his rehabilitation, the sessions have grown into an extension of his leadership and fosters an environment to build team chemistry albeit exclusively with his offensive counterparts. During the NFL labor dispute, Sanchez managed to organize private workouts with over forty of his teammates.
Personal life
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. He was a presenter at the 2010 Tony Awards
64th Tony Awards
The 64th Annual Tony Awards took place on Sunday, June 13, 2010, held again at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The host was Sean Hayes. These awards recognize Broadway productions during the 2009–2010 season. The cut off-date for Tony eligibility was April 29, 2010, and the nominations...
, where he introduced a number from the Broadway musical Memphis
Memphis (Musical)
Memphis is a musical by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro . It is loosely based on Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips, one of the first white DJs to play black music in the 1950s...
. On stage at Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
, Sanchez stated, "I've become a huge fan of musicals since I've come to New York, and I've taken some heat from guys on the team, believe me."
Sanchez's father is a fire captain
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
for the Orange County Fire Authority
Orange County Fire Authority
The Orange County Fire Authority is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for unincorporated areas of Orange County, California and cities that contract OCFA's services....
and a member of the national urban search and rescue team. In college, Nick Sanchez played quarterback for East Los Angeles College
East Los Angeles College
East Los Angeles College is a community college of the Los Angeles Community College District in the Los Angeles suburb of Monterey Park. Fourteen communities comprise its primary service area...
, was later a sergeant in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. His two older brothers both played college football. Nick Jr. attended Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
where he played quarterback while Brandon attended DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
where he played on the offensive line. Nick Jr. went on to attend the USC Law School
University of Southern California Law School
The University of Southern California Law School , located in Los Angeles, California, is a law school within the University of Southern California...
and is a business attorney; Brandon became a mortgage broker
Mortgage broker
A mortgage broker acts as an intermediary whose brokers mortgage loans on behalf of individuals or businesses.Traditionally, banks and other lending institutions have sold their own products. However as markets for mortgages have become more competitive, the role of the mortgage broker has become...
.
Philanthropic works
Sanchez has been involved in multiple charities including the Juvenile Diabetes Research FoundationJuvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research. Driven by volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research...
to help raise awareness for Type 1 diabetes. He is also involved with Sam's Club
Sam's Club
Sam's Club is a chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. , the Sam's Club chain serves more than 47 million U.S. members...
's Giving Made Simple which, helps raise awareness about childhood obesity
Childhood obesity
Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or wellbeing. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is often based on BMI. Due to the rising prevalence of obesity in children and its many adverse health effects...
and how families can prevent it.
Sanchez has worked with the Teddy Atlas Foundation through which he met Aiden Binkley, a terminally ill 11-year old struck with rhabdomyosarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma
A rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of cancer, specifically a sarcoma , in which the cancer cells are thought to arise from skeletal muscle progenitors. It can also be found attached to muscle tissue, wrapped around intestines, or in any anatomic location...
. Sanchez developed a bond with Binkley and the two remained close friends until Binkley's death in December 2010 which devastated Sanchez.
Mexican-American identity
| "Some people wanted me to be the Latino quarterback. Some people wanted me to be the USC quarterback who happens to be Latino. |
| — Sanchez on the challenge of being a role model |
When Sanchez was elevated to prominence at USC, he found himself a symbol of Mexican-American identity and a role model for younger generations. Sanchez was placed on center stage
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, home to more than 4.6 million Hispanics, the majority of whom are of Mexican descent. While there had been previous, successful Mexican-American quarterbacks such as Tom Flores
Tom Flores
Thomas R. "Tom" Flores is a retired American football quarterback and coach. Flores and Mike Ditka are the only two people in the National Football League history to win a Super Bowl as a player, as an assistant coach, and as a head coach...
, Jim Plunkett
Jim Plunkett
James William "Jim" Plunkett is a former American football quarterback who played college football for Stanford University, where he won the Heisman Trophy, and professionally for three National Football League teams: the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. ...
, Joe Kapp
Joe Kapp
Joseph Robert Kapp is a former professional American and Canadian football quarterback. He is also a former college football head coach of the University of California, and a former general manager of the CFL's BC Lions. Kapp played primarily with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and the CFL's BC Lions...
, Jeff Garcia
Jeff Garcia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
, Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
, and Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
, unlike most of his predecessors, Sanchez is a third-generation, full Mexican and none had been embraced to the extent Sanchez was. USC fans began playing up Sanchez's ethnicity by wearing items such as sarapes, lucha libre
Lucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
masks and homemade "¡Viva Sanchez!" T-shirts. His rise to fame within the Mexican-American community was compared to that of boxer Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
and baseball pitcher Fernando Valenzuela.
While starting for an injured John David Booty in 2007, Sanchez wore a custom mouthguard
Mouthguard
A mouthguard is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums to prevent and reduce injury to the teeth, arches, lips and gums...
that featured the colors of the Mexican flag in honor of his heritage. It became a prominent issue after his nationally televised game against Notre Dame. The mouthpiece became a symbol for two opposing viewpoints: for Mexican-Americans, it was a symbol of unity—Sanchez accepting his heritage; for critics, the gesture symbolized a radical political statement
Political statement
The term political statement is used to refer to any act or non-verbal form of communication that is intended to influence a decision to be made for or by a political party....
. Sanchez, who was born and raised in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, reportedly received letters urging him to return to Mexico. Sanchez responded to the controversy stating, "It’s not a Mexican power thing or anything like that. It’s just a little bit of pride in our heritage. Hopefully, it inspires somebody and it’s all for the best." Overwhelmed by the attention and shying away from politics, Sanchez stopped wearing the mouthpiece, but began participating in other efforts to help the Hispanic community.
Sanchez, who knew how to speak some Spanish but was not bilingual going into his junior season at USC, began to take Spanish lessons so he could have conversations with others who share his heritage and conduct interviews with the media without the use of a translator. The USC band
Spirit of Troy
The Spirit of Troy, also known as the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band , self-described as "The Greatest Marching Band in the History of the Universe," represents USC at various collegiate sports, broadcast, popular music recording, and national public appearance functions.The...
played "El Matador
El Matador
"Matador" is a song written and sung by Gabriel Julio Fernandez Capello , the lead singer of Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, a rock band from Argentina...
" when Sanchez would take the field. Sanchez participated in a fundraiser to help provide school supplies to first-graders in the city of Long Beach and region of South Bay
South Bay, Los Angeles
The South Bay is a region of the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The name stems from its geographic features stretching along the southern shores of Santa Monica Bay which forms its western border.The picture at right uses the broadest definition of the...
, and helped Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
give holiday gifts to impoverished families. By the end of his USC career, he had been hailed as a significant role model for Hispanic youth. Sanchez serves as the Ambassador to the Inner-City Games Los Angeles
Inner-City Games
The Inner-City Games were founded by Daniel Hernandez,of the Hollenbeck Youth Center, in 1991 as a way to build self-confidence, self-reliance and camaraderie among inner-city youth. The Games began in East Los Angeles with more than 40,000 youths competing in athletic and academic competitions...
, an after-school program that provides "at-risk youth" with positive, alternative activities. Sanchez was most recently seen throwing out the first pitch at a Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
game in July 2009 on behalf of the Inner-City organization. ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
came to an agreement with the Jets to broadcast all of the team's regular season games in 2011
2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
on 710 ESPN Radio
KSPN (AM)
KSPN is an all-sports radio station based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned by Disney. It is an ESPN Radio owned-and-operated station.-Play-by-play:...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The agreement came about due to Sanchez's continued popularity in California.
USC
| Year | |G | |Passing | |Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Comp | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||
| 2006 | USC 2006 USC Trojans football team The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl... |
3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 42.9 | 63 | 9.0 | 0 | 1 | 89.9 | 4 | -5 | -1.3 | 1 |
| 2007 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top... | USC 2007 USC Trojans football team The 2007 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2007–2008, winning a share of the Pacific-10 Conference Championship and winning the 2008 Rose Bowl... |
6 | 3 | 114 | 69 | 60.5 | 695 | 6.1 | 7 | 5 | 123.2 | 14 | 22 | 1.6 | 0 |
| 2008 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2... | USC 2008 USC Trojans football team The 2008 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2008–2009... |
13 | 13 | 366 | 241 | 65.8 | 3207 | 8.8 | 34 | 10 | 164.6 | 52 | 16 | 0.3 | 3 |
| Total | 22 | 16 | 487 | 313 | 64.3 | 3965 | 8.1 | 41 | 16 | 153.9 | 70 | 33 | 0.3 | 4 | |
Regular season
| Year | |G | |Passing | |Rushing | |Sacked | |Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Comp | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Sack | YdsL | Fum | FumL | ||||
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... | NYJ 2009 New York Jets season The 2009 New York Jets season was the 50th season for the club and the 40th season in the National Football League and the last season at Giants Stadium. While they did not improve their 9–7 record from 2008, this time the team headed to the playoffs. The Jets fired head coach Eric Mangini on... |
15 | 15 | 364 | 196 | 53.8 | 2444 | 6.7 | 12 | 20 | 63.0 | 36 | 106 | 2.9 | 3 | 26 | 195 | 10 | 3 |
| 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... | NYJ 2010 New York Jets season The 2010 New York Jets season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st season overall and the team's first season at New Meadowlands Stadium. The team improved on their 9–7 record from 2009 and reached the playoffs again. The Jets played their first pre-season game... |
16 | 16 | 507 | 278 | 54.8 | 3291 | 6.5 | 17 | 13 | 75.3 | 30 | 105 | 3.5 | 3 | 27 | 171 | 9 | 1 |
| 2011 2011 NFL season The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on... | NYJ 2011 New York Jets season The 2011 New York Jets season is the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League , the 52nd season overall and the team's second season at MetLife Stadium... |
11 | 11 | 373 | 210 | 56.3 | 2513 | 6.7 | 18 | 11 | 80.9 | 25 | 80 | 3.2 | 3 | 25 | 152 | 7 | 5 |
| Total | 42 | 42 | 1244 | 684 | 55.0 | 8248 | 6.6 | 47 | 44 | 73.4 | 91 | 291 | 3.2 | 9 | 78 | 518 | 26 | 9 | |
Playoffs
| Year | |G | |Passing | |Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Comp | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... | NYJ 2009 New York Jets season The 2009 New York Jets season was the 50th season for the club and the 40th season in the National Football League and the last season at Giants Stadium. While they did not improve their 9–7 record from 2008, this time the team headed to the playoffs. The Jets fired head coach Eric Mangini on... |
3 | 3 | 68 | 41 | 60.3 | 539 | 7.9 | 4 | 2 | 92.7 | 6 | -2 | -0.3 | 0 |
| 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... | NYJ 2010 New York Jets season The 2010 New York Jets season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st season overall and the team's first season at New Meadowlands Stadium. The team improved on their 9–7 record from 2009 and reached the playoffs again. The Jets played their first pre-season game... |
3 | 3 | 89 | 54 | 60.9 | 616 | 6.9 | 5 | 1 | 97.3 | 5 | 11 | 2.2 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 6 | 157 | 95 | 60.5 | 1155 | 7.4 | 9 | 3 | 94.3 | 11 | 9 | 0.82 | 0 | |
Awards and honors
| Award/Honor | Time(s) | Year(s) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Football League | |||||||||
| Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week Every week during the NFL season, five finalists are chosen for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week award, and a winner is determined by fan voting online at . At the end of the season, total fan voting from the year is tabulated to determine the five finalists for the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the... |
3 | 2009 | |||||||
| Sporting News All Rookie Team | 1 | 2009 | |||||||
| College | |||||||||
| Rose Bowl Rose Bowl Game The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2... Champion |
3 | 2007, 2008, 2009 | |||||||
| Rose Bowl 2009 Rose Bowl The 2009 Rose Bowl, the 95th edition of the annual game, was a college football bowl game played on Thursday, January 1, 2009 at the same-named stadium in Pasadena, California. Because of sponsorship by Citi, the first game in the 2009 edition of the Bowl Championship Series was officially titled... Offensive Most Valuable Player |
1 | 2009 | |||||||
| First Team All-Pac 10 | 1 | 2008 | |||||||
| 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... and Pro Football Weekly Pro Football Weekly Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League... All-American Honorable Mention |
1 | 2008 | |||||||
| High school | |||||||||
| Super Prep All-American Player of the Year | 1 | 2004 | |||||||
| Parade Parade (magazine) Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70... All-American Player of the Year |
1 | 2004 | |||||||
| CIF Division II Champion | 1 | 2004 | |||||||
| All-CIF Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year | 1 | 2004 | |||||||
Records
| Accomplishment | Record (as of January 24, 2011) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | |||||||||
| None | |||||||||
| Postseason | |||||||||
| Tied for most post-season road victories by a quarterback in NFL history (tied with Len Dawson Len Dawson Leonard Ray "Len" "Lenny" Dawson is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who attended Purdue University and went on to play for three professional teams, most notably the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs... , Roger Staubach Roger Staubach Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'... , Jake Delhomme Jake Delhomme Jake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997... and Joe Flacco) |
4 | ||||||||
External links
- New York Jets bio
- USC Trojans bio
- Mark Sanchez at ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...