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Justin Herbert
JustinHerbert
Herbert (left) with Chase Daniel (right).
No. 10 – Los Angeles Chargers
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Born: March 10 1998 (1998-03-10) (age 26)
Eugene, Oregon
Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight: 236 lbs (107 kg)
Personal information
High school: Sheldon (Eugene, Oregon)
College: Oregon
NFL Draft: 2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th
Roster status: Active
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • NFL Rookie of the Year (2020)
  • PFWA All-Rookie Team (2020)
  • 2020 Rose Bowl MVP
  • 2020 Senior Bowl MVP
  • William V. Campbell Trophy (2019)
  • 3x Academic All-American (2017–2019)[1]
NFL records
  • Most passing TDs by a rookie quarterback: 31
  • Most total TDs by a rookie quarterback: 36
  • Most 300 yard games by a rookie quarterback: 8
  • Most completions by a rookie quarterback: 396

Justin Patrick Herbert (born March 10, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, where he won the 2019 Pac-12 Championship and was named MVP of the 2020 Rose Bowl. He was selected by the Chargers sixth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Herbert became the Chargers starting quarterback in the second game of his rookie year after Tyrod Taylor suffered a punctured lung in pre-game. He remained the starter for the rest of the season and set several rookie statistical records, including the most touchdown passes and the most 300-yard games, and was named the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in the process.

Early life and high school career[]

Herbert was born in Eugene, Oregon on March 10, 1998 and attended Sheldon High School, where he played football, basketball, and baseball.[2] He suffered a broken leg in the third game of his junior season, complicating his recruitment process. As a senior, he passed for 3,130 yards and 37 touchdowns, and rushed for 543 yards and 10 touchdowns. [3] He was named 1st Team All-State[4] and the Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year,[5] yet initially received no scholarship offers from major college programs. Northern Arizona, Portland State, and Montana State extended offers before Nevada and Oregon followed up with his only FBS offers.[6] Herbert committed to Oregon in October 2015.[7]

College career[]

File:Justin Herbert.jpg

Herbert (right) in a game against Arizona State, 2019

2016 season[]

Entering his true freshman season listed as QB2 on the depth chart,[8] Herbert became the first true freshman at Oregon to start at Quarterback since Chris Miller in 1983 when the Ducks took on archrival Washington on October 8, 2016.[9] Despite setting or equaling Oregon's single-game records for total offensive yards (512), passing yards (489), and touchdown passes (6),[10] the Ducks finished with their worst season in 25 years, going 4–8 and failing to make a bowl game for the first time in over a decade.[11]

Herbert became the starting quarterback after the fifth game of the season and showcased his talents throwing for 1,936 yards including 19 touchdowns with just four interceptions in eight starts. He led a come-from-behind upset at #11 Utah with four touchdowns in the final 15:27 of the game to overcome a 14–3 deficit. On the final drive, he completed 6-of-9 passes for 63 yards with a 17-yard game-winning TD pass with two seconds left.[12]

2017 season[]

The Ducks entered the 2017 season with new head coach Willie Taggart after Oregon fired Mark Helfrich following the 2016 season.[13] Leading the Ducks to a 4–1 start, Herbert's transition from the Chip Kelly/Mark Helfrich-era “Blur Offense” to Taggart's “Gulf Coast Offense” was successful before he fractured his collarbone against Cal on September 30, 2017.[14]

Without Herbert in the lineup, the Ducks dropped four of their next five games, and the offense went from averaging 49.2 points per game to just 15.0 points per game.[15] Herbert returned to help the Ducks win their last two regular season games to become bowl eligible.[16] The Ducks were selected to play Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl but their performance fell flat and the Ducks lost 38–28 after head coach Willie Taggart left the team to become the head coach at Florida State a week before their bowl game.[17][18]

In eight starts, Herbert had a 6–2 record and threw for 1,983 yards on 139-of-206 passing attempts (67.5%), including 15 touchdowns against only five interceptions. He also rushed the ball 44 times for 183 yards and five touchdowns.[19] Herbert was named first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American with a 4.08 grade-point average in biology.[20]

2018 season[]

Herbert entered his third collegiate season as an early Heisman Trophy candidate despite being coached by a third different head coach as well as navigating his third different offensive scheme with new head coach Mario Cristobal transitioning from the spread offense to the pistol offense.[21][22] Herbert led the Ducks to a 9–4 record and a victory in the Redbox Bowl. He finished the year with 3,151 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, and two rushing touchdowns. His 31 total touchdowns were good for second in the Pac-12 Conference behind Washington State's Gardner Minshew.[23] He was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic first-team.[24]

2019 season[]

Despite projecting as a high draft pick,[25] Herbert announced that he would return to Oregon for his senior season.[26] He led the Ducks to a 12–2 record, including a win in the Rose Bowl where he ran for three touchdowns and was named Offensive MVP.[27] In his best statistical collegiate season, Herbert totaled 3,471 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, and four rushing touchdowns. In addition to his on-field success, Herbert was named the 30th recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy, also referred to as the "Academic Heisman".[28]

Statistics[]

Season Record Passing Rushing
Cmp Att Pct Yards Avg TD Int Rate QBR Att Yds Avg TD
2016 2−6 162 255 63.5 1,936 7.6 19 4 148.8 73.9 58 161 2.8 2
2017 6−2 139 206 67.5 1,983 9.6 15 5 167.5 80.1 44 183 4.2 5
2018 9−4 240 404 59.4 3,151 7.8 29 8 144.7 72.2 71 166 2.3 2
2019 12−2 286 428 66.8 3,471 8.1 32 5 158.7 74.1 58 50 0.9 4
Career[19] 29−14 813 1,273 63.9 10,541 8.2 95 22 153.7 75.0 231 560 2.4 13

Awards and honors[]

2016[]

  • Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (Pac-12 Coaches) – October 31, 2016 [29]
  • Manning Award Quarterback of the Week – November 3, 2016 [30]
  • Len Casanova Award (Oregon Team Award – Best First Year Player) [31]

2017[]

  • Pac-12 Academic All-Conference 1st Team [32]
  • Academic All American 1st Team [20]
  • Offensive Team MVP (Oregon Team Award) [33]

2018[]

  • Google Cloud Academic All America 1st Team Member of the Year [34]
  • Pac-12 All-Academic 1st team[24]
  • Skeie's Award (Oregon Team Award – Most Valuable Player) [35]

2019[]

  • All Pac-12 1st TeamTemplate:Category handler/numbered[citation needed]
  • Academic All American 1st Team[36]
  • Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (Pac-12 Coaches) – October 21, 2019 [37]
  • William V. Campbell Trophy[38]

2020[]

Professional career[]

All values from NFL Combine[40]
Pre-draft measureables
Ht WtArm lengthHand size 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BPWonderlic
6 ft 6¼ in 236 lb32⅞ in10 in 4.68 s 4.46 s 7.06 s 35.5 in 10 ft 3 in 39

Herbert was selected sixth overall by the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was the third quarterback taken, behind Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa.[41] His Los Angeles Chargers jersey was the 12th best selling jersey to start the 2020 NFL season.[42] Herbert was named the backup quarterback behind starter Tyrod Taylor ahead of the 2020 NFL season.

2020 season[]

On September 20, 2020, Herbert made his first NFL start in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs, replacing Taylor, who suffered a chest injury during pre-game warm-ups.[43] He finished with 311 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception, and one rushing touchdown as the Chargers lost 20–23 in overtime.[44] He became only the third player in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards and rush for a touchdown in his first career game.[45] During Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Herbert completed 20 passes out of 25 attempts for 290 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception as the Chargers lost 31–38.[46] On October 8, 2020, Herbert was named the starting quarterback for the Chargers over Tyrod Taylor going forward.[47][48]

In Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, Herbert threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns during the 30–27 overtime loss.[49] He became the first rookie in NFL history to throw for four touchdown passes on Monday Night Football.[50] Herbert was named Offensive Rookie of the Month after throwing 10 touchdowns to one interception in three starts with 901 passing yards and a 122.2 passer rating.[51] He also became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history with multiple touchdowns in seven consecutive games.[52] Herbert was named the Offensive Rookie of the Month for his performance in November.[53]

On December 27, 2020, Herbert threw his 28th passing touchdown of the season against the Denver Broncos, breaking the NFL record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie (previously held by Baker Mayfield) during the 19–16 win.[54] During the game, he also threw for over 4,000 yards on the season, becoming only the fourth rookie quarterback to achieve the feat (the others are Cam Newton in 2011, Andrew Luck in 2012 and Jameis Winston in 2015). He was named Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America.[55]

NFL career statistics[]

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Comp Att Pct Yards Avg TD Int Rate Att Yds Avg TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2020 LAC 15 15 6−9 396 595 66.6 4,336 7.3 31 10 98.3 55 234 4.3 5 32 218 8 1
Career 15 15 6−9 396 595 66.6 4,336 7.3 31 10 98.3 55 234 4.3 5 32 218 8 1

Personal life[]

Herbert's grandfather, Rich Schwab, played receiver at Oregon in the 1960s.[21] Herbert was a San Diego Chargers fan growing up.[56] He graduated from Oregon with a bachelor's degree in biology. He was awarded the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes excellence in academics, athletics, and leadership.[57] Herbert's younger brother, Patrick, also attends Oregon as a tight end for the Ducks.[58]

References[]

  1. 2019 Academic All-America® NCAA Division I Football Teams Announced.
  2. Jennings, Chantel (November 22, 2016). Oregon's Justin Herbert adjusting to life as the Pac-12's baby-faced QB.
  3. Morris, Gus (October 12, 2016). Straight Outta Sheldon: Freshman quarterback Justin Herbert is a homegrown talent.
  4. Daniels, Riley (November 27, 2020). Former Oregon high school quarterback turns into NFL star.
  5. Oregon 2016 recruiting profiles: Justin Herbert, quarterback (February 4, 2016).
  6. Jude, Adam (October 10, 2018). How the Huskies' interest in an unknown Justin Herbert nudged the QB to rival Oregon.
  7. Justin Herbert – Football Recruiting – Player Profiles – ESPN.
  8. Alger, Tyson (August 26, 2016). Prukop named Ducks starting QB, Justin Herbert the backup.
  9. Alger, Tyson (October 9, 2016). Oregon Ducks list Justin Herbert as starter against Washington.
  10. Justin Herbert – 2018 Football Roster.
  11. Ducks fire Helfrich after worst season in 25 years (December 1, 2016).
  12. Oregon upsets No. 11 Utah 30–28 on late Carrington TD catch (November 20, 2016).
  13. Source: Oregon to name Willie Taggart new head football coach (December 6, 2016).
  14. Feldman, Bruce (October 1, 2017). Oregon QB Justin Herbert expected back in '17.
  15. Skopil, Erik (December 26, 2017). Oregon Positions in Review: Quarterback.
  16. Piraro, Tony (November 25, 2017). Game Recap: Oregon humiliates Oregon State 69–10 for largest margin of victory in Civil War history.
  17. Feldman, Bruce (December 5, 2017). Florida State hires Willie Taggart as next coach.
  18. Canzano, John (December 17, 2017). Canzano: Las Vegas Bowl didn't matter to Oregon... and it showed in loss.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Justin Herbert.
  20. 20.0 20.1 Herbert earns first-team Academic All-America honors – GoDucks.com – The University of Oregon Official Athletics Web Site.
  21. 21.0 21.1 Aschoff, Edward (2018-09-21). If you haven't seen Oregon QB Justin Herbert yet, you're missing out.
  22. Skopil, Erik (April 17, 2018). Mastro: Pistol offense 'brings a lot to the table'.
  23. 2018 Pac-12 Conference Year Summary.
  24. 24.0 24.1 Pac-12 Announces Football All-Academic Teams (December 3, 2018).
  25. Does History Support QB Justin Herbert's NFL Draft Decision?. The Ringer.
  26. Gleeson, Scott (December 26, 2018). Justin Herbert decides to stay at Oregon for senior season and bypass NFL draft.
  27. Justin Herbert - Football - University of Oregon Athletics. University of Oregon Athletics.
  28. Wade, Kevin (January 5, 2020). Justin Herbert to be honored during CFP National Title Game.
  29. Herbert, Victor, Pettis earn weekly Conference honors (October 31, 2016).
  30. Larson, Sean (November 3, 2016). Justin Herbert named Manning Award Quarterback of the Week. SB Nation.
  31. Players vote Brooks-James, Dye team MVPs (November 28, 2016).
  32. Herbert, Throckmorton named first-team Pac-12 All-Academic (November 30, 2017).
  33. Freeman, Herbert, Dye Among Honorees At Awards Banquet (December 3, 2017).
  34. 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-America® NCAA Division I Football Team Announced (December 10, 2018).
  35. Moseley, Rob (November 26, 2018). Herbert, Amadi Share Team MVP Award.
  36. 2019 Academic All-America NCAA Division I Football Teams Announced (9 December 2020).
  37. Oregon's Justin Herbert named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week after 4-touchdown performance (October 21, 2019).
  38. Oregon's Justin Herbert Awarded NFF's 30th William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda (December 10, 2019).
  39. Justin Herbert and Brady Breeze named MVPs of the 2020 Rose Bowl (January 1, 2020).
  40. Justin Herbert Combine Profile.
  41. Hayre, Chris. "Chargers Select QB Justin Herbert at No. 6 overall", Chargers.com, April 23, 2020. 
  42. DeArdo, Bryan (May 11, 2020). NFL jersey sales rankings: Tua Tagovailoa tops list, with Tom Brady's Buccaneers jerseys also in high demand.
  43. Bergman, Jeremy (September 20, 2020). Chargers' Justin Herbert starts at QB over injured Tyrod Taylor vs. Chiefs.
  44. Owens, Jason (September 20, 2020). Chargers rookie QB Justin Herbert sizzles in surprise debut, falls just short of upsetting Chiefs.
  45. Florio, Mike (September 22, 2020). Justin Herbert makes history.
  46. Buccaneers vs. Chargers final score: Tom Brady rallies Tampa to win over rookie Justin Herbert.
  47. Chargers name Justin Herbert their starting quarterback going forward.
  48. Chargers rookie QB Herbert named the starter (October 8, 2020).
  49. Los Angeles Chargers at New Orleans Saints – October 12th, 2020.
  50. Justin Herbert becomes first rookie to throw 4 TDs on Monday Night Football.
  51. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady, Titans RB Derrick Henry among Players of the Month for October (October 29, 2020).
  52. Manzano, Gilbert (2020-11-26). Chargers QB Justin Herbert continues to cook rookie records.
  53. Gordon, Grant (December 4, 2020). Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, Vikings RB Dalvin Cook lead Players of the Month.
  54. Smith, Shelley (December 27, 2020). Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert sets rookie record for TD passes.
  55. Chargers' Herbert PFWA Rookie and Offensive Rookie of the Year, Washington's Young Defensive Rookie of the Year; 2020 All-Rookie Team named.
  56. Chargers QB Justin Herbert Predicted NFL Career at Age 9. Sports Illustrated (May 1, 2020).
  57. Herbert Awarded Campbell Trophy (December 10, 2019).
  58. Patrick Herbert – Football.

External links[]

Template:Los Angeles Chargers roster navbox Template:NFL starting quarterbacks navbox Template:Navboxes

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