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The Detroit Lions will turn to Jeff Driskel to play quarterback as Matthew Stafford is forced to sit down with a back injury, thrusting the unknown backup into the spotlight.
But just who is Driskel and what has he done to this point in his career? Here’s a look at some things to know about Detroit’s quarterback, who will be the first starter to play a game other than Stafford since the 2010-2011 season when Shaun Hill played in an emergency role.
Jeff Driskel Played at Florida, Then Louisiana Tech
In college, Driskel played for Will Muschamp at Florida for four years, and had his pinnacle in college come when he led the 11-2 Gators to the Sugar Bowl where they played the Louisville Cardinals and lost the game.
After injury, Driskel lost his starting job and elected to transfer. He departed for Louisiana Tech where he had a great finish to his career, putting up 4,026 passing yards and 27 touchdowns in 2015. In total, Driskel had quite a productive college career, putting up 7,437 yards and 50 touchdowns to just 27 interceptions. He then became a sixth round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Driskel Has Decent NFL Stats
Following College, Driskel was selected by the San Francisco 49ers but did not make the team. He latched on with the Cincinnati Bengals where he would become the emergency starter in October of 2018. Due to the loss of Andy Dalton, Driskel was pressed into duty and did a nice job for the Bengals, putting up 1,003 yards, 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Though his team was 1-4, Driskel showed the goods to being a capable backup who can give the team a chance in situations just like the one he will face in Detroit.
Driskel has also rushed for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, proving just how difficult he can be to game plan for. He can scramble a bit, which is an added wrinkle to his game which gives him a bit of an advantage in the pocket against teams that haven’t seen him.
Driskel Also a Baseball Star
Not just a one sport star, Driskel was a draft selection of the Boston Red Sox in the 863rd round of the 2013 MLB Draft. The catch? Driskel had not played baseball since high school, but the Red Sox saw enough in him to make him a selection and take a flier on the quarterback. Thinks like that are not uncommon in the NFL, where quarterbacks with baseball backgrounds often do get selected to play in the league. In spite of this, Driskel didn’t plan to stop playing football even though he did sign a contract with Boston.
Jeff Driskel’s Wife
The Lions quarterback is married to his wife Tarin, who was a former cheerleader at Florida. The couple was wed in 2016. The couple has a daughter named Jensen who was born in 2018, when Driskel was still playing with the Bengals in Cincinnati.
Driskel was signed by the Lions in September and stuck it out on the roster as the team’s primary backup. He gets a chance to play now and make a case to stick around Detroit.
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