Brodie Croyle

Infobox NFLactive


currentteam=Kansas City Chiefs
width=200px
caption=
currentnumber=12
currentposition=Quarterback
birthdate=birth date and age|mf=yes|1983|2|6
birthplace=Rainbow City, Alabama
heightft=6
heightin=2
weight=206
debutyear=2006
debutteam=Kansas City Chiefs
college=Alabama
draftyear=2006
draftround=3
draftpick=85
pastteams=
* Kansas City Chiefs (2006-present)
status=Active
highlights=
* 2006 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic MVP
* Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist (2005)
statweek=1
statseason=2008
statlabel1=TD-INT
statvalue1=6-8
statlabel2=Passing yards
statvalue2=1,338
statlabel3=QB Rating
statvalue3=66.0
nfl=CRO809080

John Brodie Croyle (pronEng|kroy-uhl) (born February 6, 1983 in Rainbow City, Alabama) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama.

Despite being hindered by knee injuries in his senior season in high school, Croyle was a highly recruited prospect by Louisiana State University, Florida State University and the University of Alabama. On the night Croyle was ready to announce his decision to attend Florida State, he changed his mind and chose Alabama, his father's alma mater, instead. In Croyle's four years playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, he set numerous school records, and was a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Croyle led the Crimson Tide to the 2006 Cotton Bowl and was named the game's offensive MVP.

Though he saw little playing time in his rookie season in the NFL, Croyle shared the starting position with Damon Huard in 2007. On November 18, Croyle started his first game as the Chiefs' starting quarterback against the Indianapolis Colts.

Croyle remained the Chiefs' starting quarterback for the remainder of the season despite losing all six games that he started. He was the incumbent starter heading into the 2008 regular season, but suffered a shoulder injury in the Chiefs' first game.cite web | author=Associated Press | title=Chiefs QB Croyle out for this week| work=ESPN| url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80aa747b&template=with-video&confirm=true | date=2008-09-08 | accessdate=2008-09-12]

Early years

The son of John Croyle, a former defensive end for the University of Alabama, Croyle was born on February 6, 1983. He attended high school at Westbrook Christian School in Rainbow City, Alabama and became a Super-Prep All-American selection in football. In his sophomore season, Croyle passed for 3,787 yards and 44 touchdowns. That same season he passed for 528 yards and 7 touchdowns in one game. Croyle had an equally successful junior year passing for 2,838 yards and 38 touchdowns. Croyle also led his team to the state championship that year, but the team lost by a field goal.

Entering his senior year, many scouts had Croyle ranked as high as the second best quarterback in the country. However, Croyle's high school career ended abruptly in the first game of his senior season against Glencoe High School when Croyle was hit by an opposing player which caused him to tear his anterior crucial ligament and miss the remainder of his final year.Thorman, Chris. [http://alabama.scout.com/a.z?s=14&p=2&c=714775 For every Croyle injury...] "Scout.com", 27 December 2007.] When he graduated, he held the Alabama state records for career passing yards with 9,323, and career touchdowns with 105. He also set marks for most passing yards in a single season, passing yards in a single game, touchdown passes in a season, and touchdown passes in a game. [http://kan.scout.com/2/675255.html One on One: Brodie Croyle, Part One] "Scout.com", 3 September 2007.]

College career

Despite the knee injury, Croyle received interest from members the Southeastern Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference, including Louisiana State and Florida State. Croyle showed interest in playing for Florida State due in part because of the team's offensive coordinator, Mark Richt. Croyle initially showed little interest in playing for Alabama after their head coach, Mike DuBose had recently been fired, but once Richt took the head coaching job with the Georgia Bulldogs, Croyle followed in his father's footsteps. On the night before he was to announce his college decision to play for Florida State, Croyle announced that he would instead play for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Interestingly enough, the Crimson Tide were not fazed by Croyle’s rather serious ligament tear, for they felt he would heal well enough that his talent still warranted a spot on the roster. Croyle graduated early from high school and enrolled at the University of Alabama in January 2001. After red-shirting his freshman year at Alabama, Croyle earned a spot as the top backup in his second season behind senior starter Tyler Watts. Croyle's coaches voted for him as the Ozzie Newsome Most Improved Freshman after starting two games in 2002. After the 2002 season, Alabama head coach Dennis Franchione resigned to take the same position at Texas A&M. Washington State head coach Mike Price was hired to replace Franchione in January 2003.

Coach Price mentored Croyle throughout the 2003 spring drills and practice but was dismissed from the head coach position in May 2003 for his conduct off the field. Soon after, Mike Shula, quarterback coach for the Miami Dolphins and former quarterback of the Crimson Tide, was named head coach at Alabama. Croyle, now with his third head coach in as many years, had only a few weeks to prepare and practice under coach Shula's system. Despite starting all 11 games in 2003 as a sophomore, Croyle suffered a separated shoulder before half time of the fifth game. Croyle would start the next game against Georgia only to re-aggravate the injury, but still only sat out one game that season, and did not reveal to the public he had also suffered from two cracked ribs. The Crimson Tide's 2003 season ended with a record of 4–9. He connected on 182 of 341 throws for 2,303 yards with 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and was subsequently named the Dixie Memorial Award winner as the club’s MVP and also garnered the Derrick Thomas Community Award. His 341 pass attempts on the season were the highest seasonal total in Crimson Tide history while his 16 touchdown passes tied the single-season mark.

Croyle started the 2004 season hoping to help his team improve on their last record of 4–9. Croyle started three games, completing 44 of 66 passes for 534 yards with six touchdowns. But during the third game of the season against Western Carolina University, Croyle tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his other knee. Croyle was forced to sit out the rest of the season, and the team finished with a 6-6 record.

Undaunted, he fully recovered from the injury in 2005 and started all 12 games as a senior; completing 202 of 339 passes for 2,499 yards with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions and one rushing touchdown. Croyle led the Crimson Tide to a #8 national ranking, a 10–2 record, and a 13–10 victory over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl, where he shared the game's Most Valuable Player honors with teammate DeMeco Ryans. [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=260020333 Last-second field goal lifts Bama to Cotton Bowl win] "ESPN.com", 2 January 2006.] In his final season at Alabama, Croyle attempted a then-school-record 190 passes without an interception and a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation’s most outstanding senior quarterback. He also became the first Alabama quarterback to start every game in a season since 1996. [http://www.tidesports.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060103/NEWS/601030350/1011 Cotton Bowl notebook: Croyle’s UA career ends with win, records] "TideSports.com", Accessed 5 March 2008.]

His 2,499 passing yards in 2005 were the highest single-season total in Alabama's school history. His total 202 completions and 339 passing attempts rank as the second-best seasonal marks in school annals. His 2,311 yards of total offense were the third-best seasonal mark in the history of the school, and his 1.18 interception percentage was the lowest single-season mark in school history as well.

Professional career

On April 29, 2006, the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Croyle in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft as the 85th overall selection, and he signed a four-year contract on July 28. [http://www.kcchiefs.com/player/brodie_croyle/ Brodie Croyle #12 Biography] "KCChiefs.com", Accessed 5 March 2008.] [ [http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/07/27/chiefs_agree_to_terms_with_hali_croyle/ Chiefs agree to terms with Hali and Croyle] "KCChiefs.com", 29 July 2006.] Croyle's reputation as being prone to inury caused him to drop into the third round of the draft. [http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/04/29/chiefs_select_qb_brodie_croyle_in_round_3/ Chiefs select QB Brodie Croyle in round 3] "KCChiefs.com", 29 April 2006.] Associated Press. [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3169162 Injury problems raising concerns about Croyle's role with Chiefs] "ESPN.com", 26 December 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://www.kcchiefs.com/player/brodie_croyle/ Kansas City Chiefs biography]

Persondata
NAME= Croyle, Brodie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Professional American football quarterback
DATE OF BIRTH=1983-2-6
PLACE OF BIRTH=Rainbow City, Alabama
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=