CARDS: Topps 2004, SpX 2005
ACQUIRED: TTM 2023, C/o Home
SENT: 10/21/23 RECEIVED: 5/31/24 (219 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

• Billy Volek played QB for Fresno State from 1996-’99.
• A QB who really knew how to make good decisions on his throws, Volek only threw 12 interceptions in 934 attempts.
• In his Senior campaign in 1999, he completed 235 of 355 passes, 2,559 and yards.
• His 66.2 completion percentage, 30 TDs, 8.52 yards per attempt, and 152.9 QB rating led the conference.
• He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as a UDFA following the 2000 Draft.
• Despite his solid numbers, Volek went undrafted- partially because of a growing knock on Fresno State quarterbacks being ‘system quarterbacks’.
• He saw little playing time until 2003, winning a week 14 contest against the Buffalo Bills, where he threw for 295 yards and 2 TDs on 26 of 41 throws.
• In 2004, Volek was thrust into action as injuries to starter Steve McNair caught up to him.
• Although he responded with 2 400 yard contests back to back- the Titans tumbled to a 1-8 record with him as starting QB (5-11 overall).
• The season would be Billy’s most successful in the league as he completed 218 of 257 passes for 2,486 yards to go along with 18 TDs and 10 interceptions.
• With McNair signing with Baltimore after the 2005 season, Billy was thought to be inline to become the next starting QB of the Titans.
• However, the team brought in former QB Kerry Collins to compete with him and then drafted Vince Young.
• With the writing on the wall, Volek was traded to the San Diego Chargers.
• Seeing only limited snaps behind Phillip Rivers, he threw for only 249 yards and a TD over the remaining 5 years of his career.

NOTES:

I was pretty confident I’d get Billy back in under a year as he’d been tracking out that way. My gripe was that I went out of my way to get a Leaf Rookies & Stars card of his, that he switched out for the pedestrian Topps card. Ah well.

ATT	CPD	YDS	PCT	TD	INT	RAT	LG
561	337	3754	60.1	27	15	84.9	55