In one of the biggest shocks of the year in sports, the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck, retired from professional football. This came as a surprise to the sports community as one of the most talented players in the NFL retired in the midst of his prime due to the mental challenges he faced while dealing with his persistent injuries.
As Luck’s career came to a close, another one started to ramp up. Jacoby Brissett, was up until the retirement of Luck, the back-up quarterback for the Colts. In his first season, Brissett won a Super Bowl championship as a third string quarterback for the Patriots. After being traded to the Colts, he spent one year as a temporary replacement and one year on the bench in Indianapolis. Entering his fourth NFL season, Brissett got his chance to lead an NFL team full-time.
Brissett began college football at the University of Florida as a backup quarterback until his sophomore year. After losing out on the starting job, Brissett sat out the 2013 season in order to become eligible to play with NC State for the 2014 season.
In his first season at NC State, Brissett completed 221 attempts, completing 60 percent of his passes. He recorded over 2,600 total yards and 23 touchdowns. He led the Wolfpack to an 8-5 record and a St. Petersburg Bowl win against the University of Central Florida.
In his second year at NC State, Brissett was consistent with his previous season completing 237 attempts for a 60 percent pass completion rate. He recorded 2,662 total yards with 20 touchdowns. He led the team to a record of 7-6 and an appearance in the Belk Bowl against Mississippi State.
“During his seasons at NC State he had some winning seasons and some upset wins. He got drafted, won the Super Bowl and had a great rookie season learning from Tom Brady,” said Jack Shirley, sophomore.
Four years after being drafted in the third round by the Patriots, Brissett got his chance to solidify his spot as a consistent starter in the NFL with the unexpected absence of long time starter Luck.
Brissett played his first game as the starter in week one of the 2019 season against the Los Angeles Chargers. Brissett completed 21 of his 27 attempts for 190 yards and two touchdowns for a 120.7 passer rating. A passer rating is a measure of a quarterback’s passing performance.
“Jacoby has this presence about him that, it’s just not all about him, he’s in it for the other guys. He genuinely is about bringing the best in other people. We are in good hands with Jacoby Brissett as our quarterback,” said Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts head coach via IndyStar.
