Jeff Smoker
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Manheim, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| No. 9, 12, 6 | |||||||||||
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| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | June 13, 1981 Manheim, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Manheim (PA) Central | ||||||||||
| College | Michigan State | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2004: 6th round, 201st overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career Arena League statistics | |||||||||||
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Jeff Smoker (born June 13, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL) in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. He was also the starting quarterback for the Nashville Kats and Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League (AFL).
Substance abuse
Jeff Smoker attended Michigan State University. While at Michigan State, he set many of the Spartans' passing records and when he finished his collegiate career he was the fifth leading passer-by-yards in Big Ten history.[1]
Smoker appeared in two bowl games during his career, winning his first, and only, in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic 44–35 against Fresno State as a sophomore in 2001.[2] He lost his last bowl game against Nebraska with a score of 17–3 as a senior in the 2003 Alamo Bowl.[3][4]
Smoker also played in the "Clockgate" game against the Michigan Wolverines on November 3, 2001. In the game Smoker threw the winning touchdown with one second remaining.[5]
Smoker was suspended for the last five games of the 2002 season by coach Bobby Williams due to a violation of team rules.[6] It was later revealed that Smoker was dealing with substance abuse issues.[7] His story and comeback was profiled in a front-page story in Sports Illustrated. Williams was fired toward the end of the 2002 season. Incoming coach John Smith reinstated Smoker in August 2003.[8]
Michigan State passing records
Held the following Michigan State passing records:
Records that have been surpassed are marked with an *
Career records
- Passing yards: 8,932*
- Touchdown passes: 61*
- Pass attempts: 1,150*
- Pass completions: 685*
- 200-yard passing games: 23
- Interceptions: 39
- Passing yards per game (min 20 games): 217.9
Season records
- Passing yards: 3,395 (2003)
- Pass attempts: 488 (2003)
- Pass completions: 302 (2003)
- Passing efficiency rating (min 75 attempts): 166.4 (2001)
- Total offense yards per attempt (min 100 attempts): 7.35 (2001)
- Passing yards per game (min 5 games): (2003)*
- Passing touchdowns: 21 (2001, 2003)*
Single game records
- Pass attempts: 55 vs Ohio State (2003)
- Pass completions: 35 vs Ohio State (2003)