Joe Flacco

Joe Fat Flacco

Flacco signing autographs at 2008 training camp
Baltimore Ravens
Career information
College:	Delaware
NFL draft:	2008 / round: 1 / pick: 18
Career history
Baltimore Ravens (2008–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
All-American Third Team (2007) ECAC Player of the Year (2007) All-CAA First Team (2007) CAA Co-Offensive Player of the Year (2007) 2× 2008 Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week (Weeks 8 & 17) AFC Offensive Player of the Week (2008) NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month (October 2008) 2008 Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year Award Winner
Career NFL statistics as of Week 2, 2009
TD–INT: 199–14 Passing Yards: 19,468 QB Rating: 129.5

Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985 in Template:City-state) is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Delaware. He was the first-round draft pick by the Ravens, 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. Flacco was the second quarterback selected, behind Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. ESPN analysts credit Flacco's success to throwing one of the best deep balls in the league and to his relationship with Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron.

In his rookie year, Flacco threw for 2,971 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while starting all 16 regular season games to become the eighth rookie quarterback in NFL history to start a playoff game. By leading the Ravens to two road wins in the 2008-09 NFL Playoffs, he became the only rookie quarterback in NFL history to win two playoff games.

High school career

Joe Flacco played football at Audubon High School in Audubon, New Jersey. He was the starting quarterback for the Green Wave.

College career

Pittsburgh

In 2003, Flacco was redshirted as a freshman for a team that went 8–4.

In 2004, Flacco was the back-up quarterback finding limited playing time behind starter Tyler Palko. He only saw action in three games against Ohio University, University of Nebraska, and the University of South Florida. He finished the season with one completion for 11 yards.

Delaware

After the 2004 season Flacco transferred to the University of Delaware. Flacco was unable to get a release from his scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh, so he was ruled ineligible for action or a scholarship in the 2005 season with Delaware.

Flacco saw his first full-time action during the 2006 season. Flacco put up good numbers for the Fightin' Blue Hens with nearly 3,000 yards, and 18 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Delaware struggled to a 5–6 record, missing the playoffs.

The 2007 season proved to be his most successful. Flacco led his team to an 8–3 regular season record while compiling over 3,300 yards, 18 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. He was considered one of college football's most accurate passers in 2007. Arguably his best game came against Division 1-A Navy where he threw for 434 yards and four touchdowns. Flacco showed another solid performance in the first-ever meeting against the Delaware State Hornets in the first round of the playoffs. Behind Omar Cuff's record-setting day, Flacco threw efficiently for 189 yards and a touchdown, leading the Blue Hens to an easy 44–7 victory. Flacco continued UD's playoff run by upsetting the Northern Iowa Panthers 39–27 in the FCS quarterfinals and upsetting the Southern Illinois Salukis 20–17 the next weekend in the semifinals. Flacco threw for over 200 yards and 2 touchdowns against both the Panthers and Salukis, but went on to lose in the championship game to the Appalachian State Mountaineers 49–21.

Professional career

Pre-draft

With a solid showing at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, Flacco solidified himself as a top 5 QB in the 2008 NFL Draft. Most experts agreed that he would be off the board before the end of the second round. Flacco also won the long distance throw competition in ESPN's State Farm College Football All-Star Challenge with a 74 yard throw. He beat out Matt Ryan, Colt Brennan, Chad Henne, and John David Booty, then won the Taco Bell QB Scramble with a time of 15.72 seconds. In addition, he scored a 27 on the Wonderlic exam.

Baltimore Ravens

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. On July 16, he signed a five-year contract with a maximum value of around $30 million and $8.75 million guaranteed. Even so, he reportedly came to training camp driving his grandmother's 1990 Volvo.

2008 season

Due to a season-ending injury to incumbent starter Kyle Boller and an illness to former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, Flacco became the starting quarterback in the 2008 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. Flacco completed 15 of 29 passes for 129 yards, his longest pass being a 15-yard play to Derrick Mason. He threw no touchdowns and no interceptions in his debut, but he had a 38-yard rushing touchdown, which was the longest rushing touchdown by a quarterback in Ravens' franchise history. Flacco's touchdown put the Ravens up 17–3 and eventually won the game 17–10.

Flacco then led the Ravens to a 28–10 week 3 win over the Cleveland Browns (the week 2 game with the Texans was postponed due to Hurricane Ike).

In a week 4 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Flacco played his first road game, his first Monday Night Football game and also threw his first professional touchdown pass on a three yard corner to TE Daniel Wilcox.

In a week 7 victory over the Miami Dolphins, Flacco earned his first career road victory, throwing for over 230 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Through week 7, Flacco also maintained a completion percentage of 64.2, the tenth best in the NFL.

In a week 8 win over the Oakland Raiders, Flacco not only passed for a touchdown but also ran for one. Flacco also caught a 43 yard pass in a trick formation deemed the "Wildcat." Many analysts viewed this and the last game as the potential launching point into a career of success. After the week 8 win, head coach John Harbaugh announced that the "Suggs package," a two quarterback offense using Flacco and Troy Smith, would be part of the offense the rest of the season.

In a week 13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, he threw for 280 yards and 2 TD's, for the Ravens 6th win in their previous seven games. In that 7 game stretch, he compiled a passer rating of 99.1, the best of any quarterbacks in that span.

In a week 16 win over the Dallas Cowboys, he was 17 for 25 throwing 149 yards, 1 TD, and a passer rating of 96.9. In winning the game, he became the last quarterback to win at Texas Stadium as this was the last game ever played at Texas Stadium. This would also make him the second rookie quarterback ever to win at Texas Stadium, behind Ben Roethlisberger.

In week 17, Flacco had a new personal best, 297 yards. He was 17 of 23 for a QB rating of 115.8 as the Baltimore Ravens routed the Jacksonville Jaguars 27–7.

After one season, Flacco has already been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, NFL Rookie of the week, the NFLPA Rookie of the week, and NFL Rookie of the Month for November.

Playoffs

In the wild card round of the 2008–09 NFL playoffs, Flacco became only the third rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first post-season start, and the first to do it on the road, when his Ravens defeated the Dolphins, 27–9. Flacco completed 9 of 23 attempted passes, accumulating 135 yards without throwing a touchdown or interception. He also scored the victory-sealing rushing TD on a quarterback draw in the 4th quarter. Shaun King and Ben Roethlisberger were previously the only other rookie QBs to ever win their debut playoff game.

He then won his second game versus the Tennessee Titans. Flacco led the Ravens to a 13–10 win in the divisional playoff round. Flacco made tight-window throws to Todd Heap and Mark Clayton on the go ahead scoring drive in the 4th quarter to set up a game winning field goal from Matt Stover. On the day Flacco was 11 of 22 for 148 yards and a touchdown, without turning the ball over for the second straight game. He is the only rookie quarterback to win two playoff games.

Flacco made 13 of 30 pass attempts for 141 yards passing, was sacked three times, and intercepted three times in the 2009 AFC Championship Game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Flacco was awarded as the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year on January 29, 2009.

2009 season

In the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, Flacco led the Ravens to their first win of the season, and their first home win of the season. He threw for 307 yards and 3 touchdowns, all career highs. He also threw one interception and had a QB rating of 95.8. During this game, the Ravens broke the franchise record for most offensive yards in a game with 501 total yards.

Endorsements

Flacco signed a three-year contract with Reebok as a rookie in 2008.

NFL Statistics

Regular Season

Regular Season			Passing									Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
Season	Team	Games	Att	Comp	Pct	Yds	YPA	Lg	TD	Int	Rating	Att	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD	Fum	Lost
2008	Baltimore	16	428	257	60%	2971	6.9	70	14	12	80.3	52	180	3.5	38	2	1	43	43.0	43	0	11	2
2009	Baltimore	2	69	43	62.3%	497	7.2	31	5	2	96.1	2	10	5.0	6	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	0

Playoffs

Playoffs			Passing									Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
Season	Team	Games	Att	Comp	Pct	Yds	YPA	Lg	TD	Int	Rating	Att	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD	Fum	Lost
2008	Baltimore	3	75	33	44.0%	437	5.8	48	1	3	50.8	12	5	0.4		1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Personal

Joe's brother, Mike Flacco, was selected in the 31st round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft by the Baltimore Orioles, and currently is assigned to the Bluefield Orioles.

References

External links

• Official Website
• Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens bio
• Baltimore Ravens bio