Jack Thompson (American football)


Jack Thompson is an American Samoan former professional American football player, a quarterback in the National Football League for six seasons, four with the Cincinnati Bengals and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was known as "the Throwin' Samoan," a nickname bestowed on him by Spokesman-Review columnist Harry Missildine during Thompson's breakout sophomore season at Washington State University in 1976.

College career

As a collegian at Washington State in Pullman, Thompson set numerous school, Pac-10 and NCAA records. In the second game of 1976, he took over on offense after senior starter John Hopkins was injured making a tackle in the second quarter at Minnesota. In a 2002 story, Thompson explained why he chose to attend Washington State and how his first series against Minnesota in 1976 was almost his last until offensive coordinator Bob Leahy convinced head coach Jackie Sherrill to leave Thompson in the game: https://247sports.com/college/washington-state/Article/Washington-State-Cougars-football-How-legendary-Jack-Thompson-landed-and-stayed-at-WSU-Throwin-Samoan-136113036/
As a fifth-year senior in 1978, Thompson finished ninth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, and concluded his college career as the most prolific passer in NCAA history with 7,818 passing yards. Thompson set Pac-10 records for attempts, completions, and TD passes. He was all-conference three times and either first-team, second-team, or honorable mention All-American three times.
Thompson is one of only two players in school history to have his number retired ; he wore No. 14 and graduated from Evergreen High School in 1974, south of Seattle.

College statistics

* Includes bowl games.

NFL career

Thompson was the first quarterback selected in the 1979 NFL Draft, taken third overall by the Cincinnati Bengals, and played there for four years, which included the Super Bowl season in 1981.
Considered by ESPN to be a bust of a draft pick, Thompson went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1983 and was the starter, but was replaced the following year by Steve DeBerg.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

After football

After his football career, Thompson settled in Seattle and became a mortgage banker, as well as a volunteer quarterbacks coach at Ballard High School. His son Tony, a tight end, followed in his dad's footsteps in suiting up at Washington State, and a nephew, Tavita Pritchard, was a quarterback at Stanford University.