Kyle Boller

Kyle Boller

Baltimore Ravens
Career information
College:	California
NFL draft:	2003 / round: 1 / pick: 19
Career history
Baltimore Ravens (2003-Present)
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Kyle Bryan Boller aka kyle shoulda been a bowler..he sucks (born June 17 1981 in Template:City-state) is an American football quarterback who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft out of California.

High school

Boller earned the 1998 California State Player of the Year honors after an outstanding senior season at Hart High School. He led Hart to the CIF Southern Section Division IV title with a 13-1 record. He passed for California prep record of 4,838 yards and threw for 59 TDs, the 2nd-best mark in California prep history, and ended the season completing 290 of 454 passes (63.9%). Because of this, he was considered by many to be the best prospect to emerge from The Valley Region of Los Angeles since John Elway came out of Granada Hills High School in 1979. During the 1998 season, Kyle also played the position of safety on defense, and intercepted a pass in the final minute of the sectional championship game. He was rated the number one QB prospect in the nation by PrepStar and was that publication's national Offensive Co-Player of the Year.

College

He attended University of California, Berkeley and over his 42-game college career, he completed 622 of 1,301 passes (47.8%) for 7,980 yards, 64 TDs and 48 INTs. Only Troy Taylor (8,126 yards, 1986-89) threw for more yards in Cal history. Additionally, Boller’s 64 TDs topped the previous school career-record of 54 by Pat Barnes (1993-96). Boller experienced a breakout in 2002, throwing for 2,815 yards, 28 TDs and only 10 INTs for a 126.8 QB rating. Although Kyle, and the team as a whole, struggled in his first three seasons, he had the advantage of working with new head coach Jeff Tedford and offensive coordinator George Cortez in 2002, who are recognized as two of the top QB technicians in football. As a direct result, he showed tremendous improvement during his final season, especially in his footwork, fundamentals and accuracy. Overall, in his senior season he showed maturity and experience, and emerged as one of the top QB prospects in the nation leading into the 2003 NFL Draft.

Professional career

2003 Season

Boller became the Ravens' first round draft pick in 2003 NFL Draft (19th overall pick). He was the second quarterback selected from the Pac-10 conference after the Cincinnati Bengals selected Carson Palmer from USC with the first overall pick. He started the first 9 games of the season, going 5-3, before being injured (thigh) in a game against the St. Louis Rams. He was inactive for most of the rest of the season, being replaced by backup Anthony Wright, as he also had to have surgery to repair a muscle in his quadriceps. Boller rushed 30 times for 62 yards, and completed 116 of 224 passes for 1,260 yards with 7 TDs and 9 INTs. Before his injury, he was showing improvements on a game to game basis.

2004 season

Boller started all 16 games in 2004, He set career highs, completing 258-of-464 (55.6%) for 2,559 yards with 13 TDs and 11 INTs. He also rushed 53 times for 189 yards and his 1st-career rushing TD. He had 4 games with QB ratings over 100, including a career-high 112.3 rating while going 18-of-34 for 219 yards, with a career-high 4 TDs and 0 INTs against the Giants. He once again showed some improvement, and was starting to settle into his role as a starting QB in the NFL.

2005 season

It would seem that 2005 will be remembered as nothing more than the season that "could have been". Despite not making the playoffs the previous year, The Baltimore Ravens were seen by the NFL and the sports media as being contenders for the Super Bowl, resulting in four primetime games, two Sunday night games, and two spots featured on Monday Night Football. A factor in this was Boller's perceived status of "coming into his own", and so the Ravens were poised to start what would be a great season by taking on the Indianapolis Colts on the first primetime Sunday Night game of the season. The Ravens held their own in the first half, limiting the Colts to only 3 points, and Boller looked solid in the pocket, leading the offense down the field to the red zone several times. But it didn't last, as Boller was injured in the third quarter, suffering a bad case of "turf toe", that would wind up keeping him out of action for 7 games. The Ravens season went downhill after that, even going four games without a single passing TD. However, despite this, he still finished 2005 completing a career-high 58.4% of his passes (171-of-293) for 1,799 yards with 11 TDs and 12 INTs despite missing almost 8 games due to injury. After posting an 8.0 QB rating (4-of-12 [33%] for 37 yards and 1 INT) in the 1st half, Boller exploded in the 2nd half, going 14-of-20 [70%] for 174 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT for a 115.4 QB rating in the final 2 quarters against the Bengals. In back to back games, he (and the entire team) finally seemed to come alive and show the promise everyone had been expecting, as he completed 19-of-27 passes (70.4%) for 253 yards, 3 TDs and no INTs for a career-high 136.8 QB rating in the 48-3 victory in game 14 vs. Green Bay. Then against Minnesota, he posted a career-high 70.6 completion percentage (24-of-34) for 289 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT for a 113.5 QB rating. With these performances, he became the 1st QB in franchise history to post 110+ QB rating in consecutive games.

2006 season

Steve McNair, former Tennessee Titans QB, was traded to Baltimore in 2006. Coach Brian Billick declared McNair the starter instead of having the two compete for the job, citing McNair's credentials including 2003 NFL CO-MVP. In week 6 of the 2006 season, McNair was sacked by Carolina Panthers defenders Mike Rucker and Chris Draft. The result of that play was a mild concussion and a neck injury. McNair left the game and would not return. Boller came in to replace him in the final seconds of the first quarter, and completed 17 of 31 passes for a 58% completion percentage, 3 touchdowns, 226 yards, and one interception. Faced with a 9-point deficit with 5:10 remaining, Kyle Boller connected with Mark Jermain Clayton for a 62-yard TD pass to start a come-back attempt. When the Ravens defense gave up their second touchdown of the day, Boller was called upon to score again. This time, he faced 68 yards and was given 4:08 to score a touchdown. He drove down the field for 68 yards and capped off his drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Todd Heap. The Panthers were then able to run out the clock before Boller could get back on the field, and the Ravens lost 23 - 21. Then, after McNair's throwing hand was stepped on against Cleveland on Dec. 17, Boller led the Ravens to victory with a 13-of-21, 238-yard and two-touchdown performance (112.3 passer rating), one touchdown being the game highlight, when he connected with explosive rookie receiver Demetrius Williams for the 77 yard score. That victory clinched a playoff berth for the Ravens, who had already all but locked up their division. Boller's solid off-the-bench performance is evidence to some that he might eventually emerge from under McNair's guidance as a successful starting NFL quarterback.

2007 season

Kyle Boller replaced Steve McNair late in the first game of the season against Cincinnati and started in the win over the Jets in Week 2. McNair returned in the 3rd game against Arizona, but Boller would replace him late and lead the Ravens down the field to a win. Boller would then sit out the next 2 games, but he would start the games against St. Louis and Buffalo and lead the Ravens to a win over the Rams. McNair would return from injury to start against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, but Boller replaced him late in both games. He has since started the last 4 games, as McNair has gone on Injured Reserve, including his best performance of the year against the New England Patriots, in which his Raven had the lead for most of the game until New England won it in the final minute. So far, Boller has started 7 games and played in 4 others, completing 158 of 256 passes (61.7% completion percentage) for 1584 yards, 8 Touchdowns and 9 Interceptions (a passer rating of 75.1). He has also run the ball 18 times for 78 yards and has fumbled 5 times, losing 4 of them. Troy Smith is so much better than kyle shoulda been a boller and therefore he should be released..kyle suckssss

Notable

• Before being drafted, Boller impressed scouts in the combine by throwing the ball 65-yards from one knee through the uprights.
• Boller's total yards his senior year under Tedford were greater than his first three years as a starting quarterback combined.
• The Ravens initially attempted to trade up to draft Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich, but instead traded two picks (2003 2nd round pick and 2004 1st round pick) to the New England Patriots for their 2003 1st round pick (#19 overall) which the Ravens used to draft Boller.
• Boller wore uniform #8 in 2003, as incumbent quarterback Chris Redman wore #7, but when Redman left following the '03 season, Boller switched back to #7, which he wore in college. His favorite quarterback growing up also wore #7 - John Elway.
• Before being injured, his win-loss record as a rookie (5-3) was the third best in NFL history.
• Boller's father, three uncles, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all firefighters.
• Majored in American Studies while at UC Berkeley.
• Part-owner of the Hollywood Fame, a 2006 expansion franchise of the American Basketball Association.
• Kyle has joined with the Baltimore City Fire Department to promote fire safety to local schoolchildren.

External links

• NFL.com - Kyle Boller
• Baltimore Ravens official site - Kyle Boller