Byron Left(wich)

This news broke last week and I was shocked, but not really all that surprised. Byron Leftwich got SACKED!! No, not by a defensive lineman, by his own team! The Jacksonville Jaguars have DROPPED Byron Leftwich, not just from the starting QB position, but the team! Yes, yes, it's true! The new quarterback is six-year vet David Garrard. I feel for Leftwich! He is one of those guys that really gave his body for the sport. He's been in the NFL since 2003 and has been unhealthy, to some extent, all 4 seasons. Whether he played on an injured ankle and his performance suffered, or he was out of the lineup completely, sidelined after surgery to try and repair the nagging ankle injury. The Jags went 12-4 in 2005, and even made it to the playoffs that year. Things have been downhill from there. Jacksonville has given Leftwich many chances, because despite his injury history and immobility, he still has a strong arm and is pretty accurate. But that strength and precision don't count when you're not on the field.

Leftwich was drafted 7th overall in 2003 out of Marshall University in WV. Leftwich had a phenomenal college career, and his NFL play seems to pale in comparison. He completed 65.1% of his passes, going 939 of 1,442 attempts, amassing 11,903 passing yards, and 12,090 of total offense. He threw 89 TDs and only 28 INTs. The one scene that's stuck in my mind is from 2002 during his senior year when he broke his leg during a game against Akron. One of the most notable, heroic, courageous moments was when Leftwich was hobbled after a hard hit to the right shin in the first quarter. He left the game for x-rays, where it was discovered he broke his shin, but later returned in the 3rd. Since he couldn't walk, he hopped around the field on one leg and his offensive linemen carried him down the field after each play. The Herd ended up losing the game to Akron, 34-20, but Leftwich's stats after being injured were still incredible considering. He went 19 of 30 for 259 yards. Even though Marshall lost the game, Leftwich's strength, heart and determination will go down in history. And his NFL career, up in flames...

Ok, at first I was thinking, who is going to pick up a guy who's been injured since 2005? He has yet to fully recover from that broken ankle, but in the offseason he had a specialist operate on his ankle and says he feels like he's 100%. Since he has no team he doesn't have to worry about trying to rush back to play, meaning he has about a year of rehab. He'll be able to stay off his legs, focus on rehabbing, and hopefully, come back better than than ever. The 2008 Byron Leftwich could be the best one we've seen in the NFL so far. I wish him well.

Irony? Marshall took on Eastern Carolina University in the GMAC Bowl in 2001. The game was a thriller, and Marshall ended up taking it 64-61 in an overtime victory. ECU's QB at the time was his successor, David Garrard. I drafted him in one of my fantasy leagues, let's hope he doesn't disappoint too much...