Tag Archives: playoff contenders 2007

AAF, NFL, NFLE

Kitna, Jon

CARDS: Playoff Absolute 2008, Playoff Contenders 2007, Atomic 2001
ACQUIRED: TTM 2024, C/o Work
SENT: 12/31/24 RECEIVED: 1/22/25 (22 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Jon Kitna walked on to the Central Washington football team, where he settled in at QB.
  • During his senior season, Jon threw for 4,616 yards and 42 touchdowns.
  • Undrafted, he signed as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks in 1996.
  • Intrigued by his skillset the Seahawks sent him overseas to play in the World League with the Barcelona Dragons in 1997.
  • With the Dragons, Kitna completed 171 of 317 attempts, for 2,448 yards and 22 passing TDs.
  • He also set the league record for quarterbacks with 334 rushing yards.
  • In World Bowl V, he put the Dragons on his shoulders and threw for a game record 401 yards and 2 TDs.
  • Returned to the Seahawks after the World League season where he honed his craft behind Warren Moon and John Friesz.
  • Became the Seahawks starter at QB in Week 13 of ’98.
  • Completed 270 of 495 passes for 3,346 yards and 23 touchdown passes leading the Seahawks to an AFC West Title in ’99.
  • Struggled in 2000, posting a 6-6 record, throwing 18 TDs to 19 picks.
  • Signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2001- beating out WLAF alum Scott Mitchell in camp.
  • Threw a franchise record 68 times in Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
  • Led the league in passing attempts with 581.
  • Backed up Gus Frerotte to start the 2002 season, before going on to start the final 12 games of the season for the Bengals.
  • Again, Kitna stepped up throwing for 3,178 yards and 16 TDs.
  • With #1 pick Carson Palmer sitting in the wings, Jon was allowed to start and play every single down for the Bengals in 2003.
  • Threw for 3,591 yards and a career high 26 TDs.
  • As Palmer took over in 2004, Kitna was relegated to a backup role and saw spot duty through 2005, seeing action in 7 games, while starting 3.
  • Signed with the Detroit Lions in 2006.
  • Took every snap for the team in 2006, throwing for 4,204 yards, and 21 TDs on 372 of 596 passes- setting multiple team records.
  • His 372 completions led the league.
  • Had another 4k season passing in 2007 as he threw 18 TDs.
  • Injured during week 4 of 2008.
  • Traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 2009 to shore up the team’s QB room behind Tony Romo.
  • Started 9 contests in 2010 for Dallas, throwing for 2,365 yards and 16 TDs.
  • Injured in training camp due to a herniated disc, Kitna never was able to fully recover from the injury and was forced to retire after the 2011 season concluded.
  • Went into teaching and coaching at his High School in Washington.
  • Popped up again briefly as an emergency QB for the Cowboys in 2013, but didn’t see any action- donating the check to his High School Booster Club.
  • Worked his way through the High School ranks before briefly joining the San Diego Fleet of the AAF in 2018 for about 6 months as offensive coordinator.
  • Resigned to become QB Coach to Dak Prescott of the Cowboys in January of 2019.
  • Returned to the high school gridiron to coach in 2020.

ACCOLADES:

  • Pacific Northwest Hall of Fame 2014
  • Central Washington University Hall of Fame 2006
  • World Bowl V MVP
  • Offensive Player of the Week (13) 1998
  • Offensive Player of the Month (October) 1999
  • Offensive Player of the Week (16) 2001
  • NFL Comeback Player of the Year 2003

NOTES:

I really had to scramble to find cards of Jon. He’s always been at this crossroads of quarterbacking that’s interested me, being a mentor to so many players and also being a World League alum. He signs in very short spurts, so I rushed these out as soon as I could them.

INSCRIPTIONS:

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 

-Galations 2:25

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

-Romans 5:8

A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God

-Isaiah 40:3

NFL

Gado, Samkon

Cards: Playoff Contenders 2006, Leaf Rookies & Stars 2006 Longevity (87/249)
Acquired: TTM 2020, C/o Home
Sent: 2/24 Received: 4/4 (40 days)

Samkon Gado is one of those rare athletes who wasn’t really on the radar of scouts going into his final year playing college ball. In fact he was looking forward more to becoming a doctor than playing football, but as fate would have it, nearly the entire Liberty runningback corps was depleted, and Samkon stepped in and ran for 901 yards on 138 carries, scoring 11 TDs in 9 games.

It was all about being at the right place, at the right time for Samkon, and it seemed that scouts identified his intangible talent for rising to the occasion. After going undrafted in 2005, he was signed to the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad for a brief time. A month or two later, he was signed by the Packers. Then nearly the entire runningback stable went down one by one due to injury. First Ahman Green, then Najeh Davenport, and then finally Tony Fisher.

Gado saw extensive playing time in their absence after taking the starting runningback role. He’d have 3 100 yard efforts during the season, and set a franchise rookie record rushing for 171 yards against the Lions. Ultimately he too would end his season on injured reserve.

With new management in town for 2006, the Packers traded Gado to the Houston Texans after Week 1 of the season for Vernand Morency. The Texans were shoring up their runningback depth behind Ron Dayne and Wali Lundy. During the season he’d pitch back to back 60 yard efforts against Jacksonville and Buffalo.

In 2007, Ahman Green also joined the Texans runningback committee, and was the starter above Dayne. Gado beat out Lundy to make the final squad, scoring his first TD with the Texans in the season opener against the Colts.

He’d be cut at the end of October, and signed with the Miami Dolphins, after starting RB Ronnie Brown went down. Again, backup Ricky Williams, then himself also was fallen by injury, so Samkon had to step in again. He’d help contribute to the Dolphins only win on the 2007 season.

Samkon then played for the St. Louis Rams over the next two seasons, but saw little action outside of special teams. In 2010 he signed with the Tennessee Titans but did not make the final roster.

Samkon finished his medical degree and now is a doctor at Saint Louis University Hospital as part of the Otolaryngology program.

G/GSRUSHYDSAVGTDLG
41/82689723.61164
RECYDSAVGTDLG
432926.8135
CFL, NFL

Zabransky, Jared

Card: Playoff Contenders 2007
Acquired: 2016, EBay

Jared Zabransky was a dual threat quarterback for Boise State, and helped bring the program national respect with their thrilling victory over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.  Over 4 years, Zabransky was 610/980 for 8256 yards, 58 TDs to 37 interceptions. He also contributed 863 yards and 31 TDs on the ground.

Scouts didn’t really think that Zabransky was going to fit in the NFL as a quarterback. In fact his situation graded out similar to Eric Crouch. Sure he was a talented athlete, but Jared’s arm strength and passing mechanics concerned teams. Certainly however Zabransky made up for it in intangibles: Leadership and always finding a way to win. He went unselected in the 2007 NFL draft.  Afterwards he signed with the Houston Texans, briefly appearing on their practice squad. He’d join the Steelers in 2008 but be cut before the regular season.

Jared wanted to keep playing QB so he went to the CFL, signing with the Edmonton Eskimos, seeing primarily backup and mopup duty over his career from 2009-2011. His best game came perhaps in 2010 for the Esks when Jared passed for 188 yards on 16 of 23 and 2 touchdowns.

As of 2016 he resides in The Woodlands, Texas, and is the director of sales of oil and gas for an OEM of oil drilling equipment.

I remember when the Texans signed Jared. The team had just jettisoned David Carr and handed the keys over to Matt Schaub. Sage Rosenfels had the inside track for second string QB, while Zabransky looked to nab the Practice Squad QB or the 3rd string spot. The Texans in the end elected not to carry 3 QBs however, and Zabransky was disappointingly cut.