Kari Janes

Kari Janes is a quarterback with the Minnesota Valkyrie of the Legends Football League. In her rookie season with the club, she became the starting quarteback.

LFL
Kari Janes was stoic during a difficult 0-3 start that saw the Valkyries outscored by a 103-20 margin. Despite a 37.5 completion percentage, along with seven interceptions, Janes looks very comfortable lined up behind center. She established herself as one of the league’s finest rushers. In only three games, she challenged defenses. With 205 rushing yards on only 34 attempts (for an average of six yards per carry), she supplied 79 percent of Minnesota’s offense in 2013. The Valkyrie would outgain opponents in rushing yards by a 261-225 margin. Competing at the most demanding position in football, Janes ability to break out and emerge in the running game is reminiscent of fellow quarterbacks Nikki Johnson and Anne Erler. Her first game of the season was on the road on May 11 against Anne “Showtime” Erler of the Green Bay Chill. Despite the 40-8 loss, Janes evaded many would-be tacklers, while scoring her first career touchdown in the dying minutes of the game. In a show of irony, her final pass of the game was picked off by Erler. Her confidence improved in her home debut, a 25-12 loss to the Chicago Bliss. With an enthusiastic crowd at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Janes fired up the crowd as she hopes to renew the Northeast Division rivalry with the Bliss. Competing against Heather Furr, Janes was up against another of the league’s elite quarterbacks. As Furr is another star quarterback whose ability to run and make plays makes her time a contender, it was another lofty opponent for Janes to compete against. Although the seasoned Furr managed to bring Chicago to a 25-6 advantage, Janes showed tremendous character. Not giving up, she assembled a nine play drive consisting of 35 yards. With 2:12 remaining, she would run for three yards to score Minnesota’s second touchdown of the game. While Chicago would run out the clock for a win, Janes made a strong impression in front of the hometown crowd.

Other
With a soccer background, she has the powerful legs and the endurance to keep up with the most vicious defenders in the league. The endurance and tenacity that she brings to the gridiron of the LFL was cultivated from her performances on the soccer field.

Having played with the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears, she had several highlights in her career. From contributing two goals in a win over rival Northwestern College to competing in the first-ever athletic match at Sea Foam Stadium, she graduated from the Division II School in the top ten lists of numerous categories of the soccer program.