Joey Harrington

John Joseph "Joey" Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978 in Portland, Oregon) is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. In 2002, he was drafted in the first round by the Detroit Lions and played as one of the starting quarterbacks for that team from the 2002 through 2005 seasons. In the 2006 offseason, the Lions traded Harrington to the Dolphins.

Joey's paternal grandfather, Bernie Harrington, was an All-American at the University of Portland in the early 1940s, and went to all of Joey's games until his death in 2002. Joey's father, John Harrington, played quarterback for the University of Oregon from 1967 to 1969 for legendary coach Len Casanova. After hearing about Joey's birth, Casanova jokingly sent his parents a letter-of-intent. Joey is also a concert-caliber jazz and classical piano player.

Joey is a first cousin of Irish golfer Padraig Harrington and second cousin of poker player Dan Harrington.

College career

Harrington is a graduate of the University of Oregon, and was a three-year starter on the Oregon Ducks football team. In his senior season at Oregon, he threw for 2,415 yards and 23 touchdowns, and he finished his college career with a 25-3 record, 512 completions in 928 attempts (55.2%), 6911 passing yards, 59 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, and 210 rushing yards and 18 scores on 145 carries. His 7,121 yards of total offense rank third in Oregon University history.

Harrington finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy in 2001, and earned numerous other honors, including first-team All-American, Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Year, and second-team honors from The Sporting News. He was one of five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 2001. He was also known for his 2001 appearance on a ten-story billboard in Times Square. ^*

Professional career

As the third overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, Harrington replaced former starting quarterback Mike McMahon. Harrington finished his rookie season with a 59.9 quarterback rating and a 50.1 completion percentage with 12 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, and the Lions finished the season with a 3-13 record.

Harrington's statistics in the NFL have been sub-par; he ranked 30th out of 32 quarterbacks in quarterback rating in 2003, 22nd out of 33 in 2004, and 27th out of 34 qualifiers in 2005.

On October 23, 2005, Lions coach Steve Mariucci chose to bench Harrington in favor of Jeff Garcia for the team's game against the Cleveland Browns to try and provide a spark to the team's 2-3 start. The Lions won 13-10, and Garcia rushed for Detroit's only touchdown. After yet another dismal offensive performance, Coach Mariucci declared that Garcia would remain the starter. This marked the first time since the 2002 season that Harrington did not appear in a Lions' game, breaking a string of 37 consecutive appearances. Harrington regained the starting role the week after Garcia threw a game ending interception returned for a touchdown in overtime against Chicago. Harrington started again for Detroit on November 13, 2005, against the Arizona Cardinals, throwing for three touchdowns without an interception in the Lions' 29-21 win. Harrington was voted by Lion fans as their Offensive Player of the Year according to the Lions official website.

Controversy

While it is undeniable that Harrington's statistics are not Pro Bowl caliber, some Detroit fans felt that no quarterback would be successful in Detroit given the supporting cast. Others contend that Joey was to blame for the Lion's other offensive talent not being developed.

There are those who suggested that Harrington had nobody to blame but himself, citing inconsistent footwork, inaccurate passing (partly as a result of poor footwork), and lack of field awareness. He was often accused of choosing his intended receiver before the ball (usually Roy Williams) is even snapped, staying with that receiver until he is open or Harrington is flushed out or sacked. This criticism was not limited to Lions fans. For example, when Lions head coach Steve Mariucci was fired by general manager Matt Millen, Lions cornerback Dre Bly told Rich Eisen in an NFL Total Access interview that he blamed Harrington for the dismissal of head coach Steve Mariucci (Bly later apologized to the Lions, but not to Harrington).

Others blamed players on the Lions' offense for Harrington's lack of success on the field, saying that the receiving corps had been inconsistent at catching passes and running routes. Another less-heard criticism is that the Lions' offensive line did not give Harrington enough time to throw the ball, although this argument was heard less and less after Harrington's first professional season. An unbalanced offense was also cited, with the Lions' top three running backs combining for less than 1,200 yards through fourteen games in the 2005 season.

Some fingers were also pointed at the Lions' management and coaching staff. Jeff Garcia publicly questioned the Lions' front office, saying on WXYT-AM that "You start to question whether the organization has the people in place who can go about making the proper selections." Howie Long, analyst for FOX Sports said that Matt Millen made a mistake by drafting Harrington, and then again in the offseason before the 2005 season by signing Garcia instead of Brad Johnson. Former Miami Dolphins quarterback, nine time Pro Bowl selection and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Dan Marino said that he did not believe that Harrington had the necessary pieces around him in Detroit to be successful, but that he might be OK in a different place.

Trade

On March 16, 2006, the Detroit Lions signed former Arizona quarterback Josh McCown, and shortly afterward signed quarterbacks Jon Kitna and Shaun King as well, fueling speculation that Harrington would be cut or traded. He was due a $4 million roster bonus on June 15. On March 20, 2006, Lions coach Rod Marinelli stated to the media that the Lions had "moved on," indicating the team's intention to release or trade Harrington. April 19, ESPN reported that Harrington had agreed to terms with the Miami Dolphins, and asked Lions GM Matt Millen to release him or to trade him to the Dolphins. [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2414492" target="_blank" >^*

On May 12, 2006, a trade was finalized between the Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions. Reportedly, the Lions were given a 6th round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, but if Harrington met certain playing time conditions with the Dolphins, the pick would be upgraded to the 5th round. Harrington was expected to play in the 2006 season as a backup behind new Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who is expected to start. During his tenure with the Lions, Harrington started 55 games and had a record of 18 wins and 37 losses.^*

External links

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Joey Harrington

College career

Professional career

Controversy

Trade

External links