Stan Humphries
Encyclopedia
William Stanley "Stan" Humphries (born April 14, 1965) is a former professional American football
quarterback
. He played for the Washington Redskins
and San Diego Chargers
of the National Football League
. He played college football
at Northeast Louisiana
(now named the University of Louisiana at Monroe
). He was selected by the Redskins in the sixth round of the 1988 NFL Draft
.
(now Louisiana–Monroe
), Humphries was quarterback
on a team that won the I-AA National Championship
in 1987. In two seasons, Humphries passed for 4,395 yards and 29 touchdowns. He still holds the record for 300-yard passing games with eight.
in the sixth round of the 1988 NFL Draft
. He made his first pro start in 1990 in Phoenix against the Cardinals
with regular starter Mark Rypien
sidelined with an injury. Humphries went on to pass for 1,015 yards and three touchdowns in seven games in 1990. He was traded to the San Diego Chargers
before the start of the 1992 season following a preseason injury to starting Chargers QB John Friesz
. The two teams ran the same offense, allowing Humphries to quickly make an impact. He passed for 3,356 yards, which ranked fifth in the league in 1992, leading the Chargers, who were 4-12 in 1991 and stumbled out to an 0-4 start in 1992, to finish with an 11-5 record, winning the AFC West and ending the Chargers' decade-long playoff drought. To this day, the 1992 San Diego Chargers
are the only NFL team to make the playoffs after an 0-4 start.
He started for San Diego for six years, making 81 starts in 88 games while completing 1,431 of 2,516 passes for 17,191 yards and 89 touchdowns. San Diego was 47-29 in regular-season games and 3-3 in playoff contests he started from 1992 to 1997. He played with a separated left shoulder in the 1992 AFC Wild-Card Game, a 17-0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs
, their first home playoff game since the 1980 AFC Championship game. Their season ended the next week in a 31-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins
in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. The Chargers would win 62 percent of the games during the six years that he started.
In 1994
, he led the Chargers with clutch performances through an impressive series of victories in the NFL Playoffs that started with the Chargers rallying from a 21-6 halftime deficit at home to defeat the Miami Dolphins
(led by Hall of Fame
quarterback Dan Marino
) with a 22-21 victory in the AFC divisional playoffs, earning the Chargers a trip to the AFC Championship Game
the next week at Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers
were favored by 10 points, and some Steeler players the week prior to the game had made a Super Bowl rap video, assuming they would be the ones going to the Super Bowl. In what would become one of pro football's all-time great upsets, the Chargers again rallied from a 13-3 deficit late in the 3rd quarter and held off a furious last-minute Pittsburgh drive with a goal-line stand to win the AFC
championship 17-13 at Pittsburgh
's Three Rivers Stadium
. Thus the Chargers earned a trip to Miami & Super Bowl XXIX
, the first and only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. They were greeted by 70,000 fans at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium upon arriving back from Pittsburgh. Despite losing Super Bowl XXIX
to the San Francisco 49ers
49-26, more than 100,000 fans greeted the Chargers when they arrived back in San Diego after the game. In all, Humphries led the Chargers to three playoff appearances and the franchise's only Super Bowl appearance. Humphries' toughness took its toll and in 1997, he was forced to leave the game after a series of concussions.
He was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2009, he was one of four quarterbacks named on the franchise's 50th anniversary all-time team.
In 2004, Humphries was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions
into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.
He is currently a commentator for college football
. He was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He hosts his namesake celebrity golf tournament. The event has raised more than $1 million over the years for Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.
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...
. He played for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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...
. 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 Northeast Louisiana
University of Louisiana at Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
(now named the University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of Louisiana at Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
). He was selected by the Redskins in the sixth round of the 1988 NFL Draft
1988 NFL Draft
The 1988 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1988. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
.
College career
At Northeast Louisiana UniversityLouisiana–Monroe Warhawks football
The Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Louisiana at Monroe . With a history dating back to 1931, ULM currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Sun Belt Conference...
(now Louisiana–Monroe
University of Louisiana at Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
), Humphries was 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...
on a team that won the I-AA National Championship
1987 Northeast Louisiana Indians football team
The 1987 Northeast Louisiana Indians football team represented Northeast Louisiana University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-AA college football during the 1987 season. Northeast Louisiana competed as a member of the Southland Conference, and played their home games...
in 1987. In two seasons, Humphries passed for 4,395 yards and 29 touchdowns. He still holds the record for 300-yard passing games with eight.
Professional career
Humphries was selected by the RedskinsWashington 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,...
in the sixth round of the 1988 NFL Draft
1988 NFL Draft
The 1988 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1988. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. He made his first pro start in 1990 in Phoenix against the Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
with regular starter Mark Rypien
Mark Rypien
Mark Robert Rypien is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He is the first Canadian-born quarterback to start in the NFL.-Biography:...
sidelined with an injury. Humphries went on to pass for 1,015 yards and three touchdowns in seven games in 1990. He was traded to the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
before the start of the 1992 season following a preseason injury to starting Chargers QB John Friesz
John Friesz
John Melvin "Deep" Friesz is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots....
. The two teams ran the same offense, allowing Humphries to quickly make an impact. He passed for 3,356 yards, which ranked fifth in the league in 1992, leading the Chargers, who were 4-12 in 1991 and stumbled out to an 0-4 start in 1992, to finish with an 11-5 record, winning the AFC West and ending the Chargers' decade-long playoff drought. To this day, the 1992 San Diego Chargers
1992 San Diego Chargers season
The 1992 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 1991. It was Bobby Ross' first season as the teams head coach. They made the playoffs for the first time in ten years...
are the only NFL team to make the playoffs after an 0-4 start.
He started for San Diego for six years, making 81 starts in 88 games while completing 1,431 of 2,516 passes for 17,191 yards and 89 touchdowns. San Diego was 47-29 in regular-season games and 3-3 in playoff contests he started from 1992 to 1997. He played with a separated left shoulder in the 1992 AFC Wild-Card Game, a 17-0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, their first home playoff game since the 1980 AFC Championship game. Their season ended the next week in a 31-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. The Chargers would win 62 percent of the games during the six years that he started.
In 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
, he led the Chargers with clutch performances through an impressive series of victories in the NFL Playoffs that started with the Chargers rallying from a 21-6 halftime deficit at home to defeat the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(led by Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
quarterback Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
) with a 22-21 victory in the AFC divisional playoffs, earning the Chargers a trip 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...
the next week at Pittsburgh. 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...
were favored by 10 points, and some Steeler players the week prior to the game had made a Super Bowl rap video, assuming they would be the ones going to the Super Bowl. In what would become one of pro football's all-time great upsets, the Chargers again rallied from a 13-3 deficit late in the 3rd quarter and held off a furious last-minute Pittsburgh drive with a goal-line stand to win the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
championship 17-13 at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
's Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
. Thus the Chargers earned a trip to Miami & Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
, the first and only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. They were greeted by 70,000 fans at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium upon arriving back from Pittsburgh. Despite losing Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
49-26, more than 100,000 fans greeted the Chargers when they arrived back in San Diego after the game. In all, Humphries led the Chargers to three playoff appearances and the franchise's only Super Bowl appearance. Humphries' toughness took its toll and in 1997, he was forced to leave the game after a series of concussions.
He was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2009, he was one of four quarterbacks named on the franchise's 50th anniversary all-time team.
In 2004, Humphries was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions
San Diego Hall of Champions
The San Diego Hall of Champions is an American multi-sport museum in San Diego, California. Located in the Federal Building in Balboa Park, the facility recognizes outstanding athletic accomplishments and traditions involving more than forty-two sports...
into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.
He is currently a commentator for 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...
. He was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He hosts his namesake celebrity golf tournament. The event has raised more than $1 million over the years for Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.