Jared Lorenzen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jared Lorenzen

Lorenzen with the Giants in 2007
No. 22, 13
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1981-02-14)February 14, 1981 Covington, Kentucky, U.S.
Died:	July 3, 2019(2019-07-03) (aged 38) Fort Thomas, Kentucky, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	285 lb (129 kg)
Career information
High school:	Highlands (Fort Thomas, Kentucky)
College:	Kentucky (2000–2003)
Undrafted:	2004
Career history
As player:
New York Giants (2004–2007) Indianapolis Colts (2008)* Kentucky Horsemen (2009) Northern Kentucky River Monsters (2011) Owensboro Rage (2013) Northern Kentucky River Monsters (2014)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As administrator:
Ultimate Indoor Football League (Commissioner) (2012)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XLII) Second-team All-SEC (2002) First-team All-UIFL (2011) UIFL MVP (2011)
Career NFL statistics
TD–INT: 0–0 Passing yards: 28 Passer rating: 58.3 Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Jared Raymond Lorenzen (born February 14, 1981 – died July 3, 2019) was an American football player. He was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons with the New York Giants. He played college football at the University of Kentucky. There, he set school records for passing yards and touchdowns.

The Giants signed him in 2004 as an undrafted free agent. At 285 pounds (129 kg), Lorenzen was the heaviest quarterback to play in the NFL. He was nicknamed "Hefty Lefty" because he was heavy and left-handed.

Lorenzen did not play much in the NFL. He was mostly a backup player. However, he was part of the Giants team that won the Super Bowl XLII. After playing for the Indianapolis Colts briefly, Lorenzen played indoor football. He played in different leagues from 2009 to 2014. He also worked as a commissioner for the Ultimate Indoor Football League in 2012.

Jared Lorenzen struggled with his weight for most of his life. This became worse after a leg injury ended his playing career. He faced several health problems because of his weight. He passed away in 2019 at age 38.

Growing Up and High School Football

Jared Lorenzen was a big baby, weighing 13.3 pounds when he was born. He went to Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. He was a talented athlete in football, basketball, and baseball.

In basketball, he played for three years. He helped his team reach the Kentucky Sweet 16 tournament. As a junior in football, he threw for 2,759 yards and 37 touchdowns. This was a record for Northern Kentucky.

In his senior year (1998), he completed 62 percent of his passes. He threw for 3,393 yards and 45 touchdowns. He also ran for 904 yards and 15 touchdowns. He led Highlands to a perfect 15–0 season. He also won the Mr. Football Award for Kentucky. Early in his senior season, Lorenzen decided to play for the University of Kentucky.

College Football Career

When Lorenzen joined the University of Kentucky, he spent his first year as a "redshirt" player. This means he practiced but did not play in games. As a redshirt freshman, he became the starting quarterback. This led the previous starter, Dusty Bonner, to transfer to another school.

Lorenzen's time at Kentucky had two head coach changes. The first coach left because of NCAA rule violations. The team also faced limits on scholarships. Lorenzen helped the team get a 7–5 record in 2002. Then, the next head coach left for another university.

Despite these changes, Lorenzen set new school records. He broke records for total offense, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. He passed many records set by Tim Couch, who was a top NFL draft pick.

College Statistics Overview

Jared Lorenzen's college career was impressive. He played 43 games over four seasons. He completed 862 passes out of 1,514 attempts. He threw for a total of 10,354 yards. He also scored 78 passing touchdowns. He had 41 interceptions. On the ground, he rushed for 283 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Professional Football Journey

New York Giants Years

Jared Lorenzen was not chosen in the 2004 NFL Draft. However, the New York Giants signed him as an undrafted free agent. He turned down an offer to play in NFL Europa in 2005. For 2004 and 2005, Lorenzen was the third-string quarterback for the Giants. He was behind starter Eli Manning and backup Tim Hasselbeck.

In the 2006 preseason, Lorenzen led his team to a win. He engineered a game-winning drive against the Baltimore Ravens. After this performance, he was named the Giants' backup quarterback.

Lorenzen first played in a Giants uniform on December 30, 2006. He was used for one play, a quarterback sneak, to get a first down. He played again on January 7, 2007, in a playoff game. He got another first down on a third-and-one play.

His first important regular season game was on September 9, 2007. He took over for an injured Eli Manning against the Dallas Cowboys. Lorenzen made his first regular season pass and rush. He played again the next week, completing three passes for 21 yards. This was his last NFL appearance.

Manning's injury did not keep him out of more games. Lorenzen remained Manning's backup for the rest of the 2007 season. The Giants went on to win Super Bowl XLII against the undefeated New England Patriots. Lorenzen earned a championship ring. The Giants released Lorenzen on June 23, 2008.

Indianapolis Colts and Indoor Football

On July 24, 2008, the Indianapolis Colts signed Lorenzen. He played during the preseason. However, he was released before the regular season roster was finalized.

In 2009, Lorenzen joined the Kentucky Horsemen of the AF2 league. This team went out of business in October 2009.

Coaching and Return to Play

After the Horsemen folded, Lorenzen retired as a player. On March 23, 2010, he became the quarterbacks coach at his old high school, Highlands High School.

In 2011, Lorenzen returned to professional football. He became the general manager of the Northern Kentucky River Monsters. This team was in the Ultimate Indoor Football League. Still wanting to play, Lorenzen quit as GM. He became the team's starting quarterback. He had a great season, throwing for 81 touchdowns. He also won the league's MVP award.

After his successful return, Lorenzen was named commissioner of the league. This happened after the 2011 season.

Still wanting to play, Lorenzen left his commissioner job. He signed with the Owensboro Rage in the Continental Indoor Football League during the 2013 season. The Rage team stopped playing two weeks before the season ended due to money problems.

Final Playing Days

Lorenzen returned to the River Monsters on December 17, 2013. The River Monsters were now in the Continental Indoor Football League. In his first game back, Lorenzen showed he still had skill. Videos of his plays went viral online. This overshadowed the River Monsters' 36–20 win.

The next week, Lorenzen broke his tibia (a leg bone). This happened in a 42–30 loss. This injury ended his professional playing career.

Life After Football

After his football career, Lorenzen was a guest host on a radio show. It was called Kentucky Sports Radio. In 2015, he started a T-shirt company called ThrowboyTees.

On July 28, 2017, Lorenzen started "The Jared Lorenzen Project." He shared his journey online to fight obesity. At one point, he weighed over 500 pounds (227 kg). By April 2018, he had lost over 100 pounds (45 kg). ESPN shared his story in July 2018.

Passing Away

Jared Lorenzen passed away on July 3, 2019, at age 38. He died from an infection. This was made worse by problems with his heart and kidneys.

See also

In Spanish: Jared Lorenzen para niños