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Jack Thompson (born May 18, 1956), nicknamed "the Throwin' Samoan", is an American Samoan former professional American football quarterback. Thompson played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons, four with the Cincinnati Bengals and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .
- Growing Up in Western Washington
- Frustrating Beginning Leads to Starter Role
- The “Throwin’ Samoan”
- New Coach, Similar Results
- First Round Pick
- More Playing Time in 1980
- Anderson Is Reborn
- The Bengals Reach The Super Bowl as Thompson Watches
- Thompson Becomes A Buccaneer, Then Retires
- After Football
Jack Byron Thompson was born on May 19, 1956, in Tutuila, American Samoa. When he was only a year old, the Thompson family moved to Washington state and settled in Seattle. The area provided plenty of sports opportunities, and Thompson gravitated toward football. He would attend Evergreen High School in the White Center suburb of Seattle and play l...
After camp broke for the 1975 season, Thompson found himself on the bench watching from the sidelines. He rarely played, attempting only 54 passes for 351 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. As the season (and boredom) progressed, Thompson thought very seriously about transferring. During the final game of the year against the Washingto...
Washington State hired University of Pittsburgh assistant, Jackie Sherrill, before the 1976 season and Sherrill named Thompson the starter. Although the Cougars suffered through their fourth consecutive losing season with a 3-8 record, Thompson passed for 2,762 yards (a collegiate career best), 20 touchdowns, and 14 picks. He also scored two touchd...
Once the season concluded, Powers decided to head south to become the new head coach of the Missouri Tigers. That meant Thompson would have a fourth head coach in as many years. WSU hired Jim Walden, and the Cougars went 4-6-1 during the 1978 season. Thompson continued playing at a high level despite all the coaching changes. In ’78, he passed for ...
The Cincinnati Bengalswere a mess. After the 1975 season ended, franchise founder and coach Paul Brown retired from the sidelines and moved upstairs to the management side. For the next three years, Cincinnati’s record only got worse, going from 10 wins to eight, then four. Former Pro Bowler and NFL Passing Yards Leader Ken Anderson was faltering a...
The following year, Cincinnati drafted USC tackle Anthony Munozto try and keep their quarterbacks upright. Anderson and Thompson continued to fight for playing minutes. With Anderson struggling with consistency (he would throw six touchdowns and 13 picks that year), Thompson tried to pry the starter role away from him. During a Week 3 game against ...
Initially, 1981 didn’t start out as anything special for the Bengals. The organization drafted Florida receiver Cris Collinsworthin the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft to pair with veteran receiver Isaac Curtis. However, the Bengals had been 6-10 in 1980 and 4-12 in 1979, so no one believed the team would fare much better in ’81. As the preseaso...
Of course, Anderson’s steady play meant that Thompson rode the bench in ’81. He appeared in eight games but did not start any and passed for 267 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Thompson was able to get a few snaps in the AFC Championship game against the San Diego Chargers, which just so happened to be one of the coldest playoff days o...
In 1982, Thompson was an afterthought on the Cincy roster. He appeared in only one game and posted zero stats. After the season, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs had a good quarterback in Doug Williamswho led the franchise to the brink of a Super Bowl appearance in 1979. A vicious contract dispute with the organization, along wit...
After he retired, Thompson eventually returned to Washington and settled in the Seattle area. He became a volunteer quarterbacks coach at a local high school and got into banking. Thompson was an executive with Umpqua Bank before moving to a mortgage firm. In 2013, he was elected to the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. Although he never met expect...
Jack Thompson. Jack Byron Thompson (Throwin Samoan) Position: QB Throws: Right. 6-3 , 217lb (190cm, 98kg) Born: May 19. , 1956. in Tutuwila, American Samoa. College (. 13 (7362nd overall since 1960)
- May 19, 1956
Jul 31, 2020 · Jack Thompson played QB for the Bengals and Buccaneers between 1979 and 1984 Thompson threw for 5,315 yards and 33 touchdowns during his 6 NFL seasons ...more.
- 7 min
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- Backup Quarterback Highlights
Jack Thompson (b. 1956) is considered one of the best Quarterbacks in the history of Washington State University football. He was the starting quarterback for the WSU Cougars from 1976 through 1978, and was ninth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy his senior year.
Sherrill promptly made Jack Thompson his starting Quarterback and the legend of the Throwin Samoan was born. Thompson threw for 2,762 yards and 20 Touchdowns in his sophomore year which was a big improvement over anything that the Cougars had seen lately.
Thompson played in the 1978 Hula Bowl and was MVP of the 1978 Challenge Bowl. The third overall selection in the 1979 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Thompson spent three seasons with Cincinnati, then his final two NFL years with Tampa Bay.
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