Top Five Quarterbacks in Louisville Football History
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville football program has seen plenty of talented players don the Cardinals uniform over the years, ranging from multi-time All-Conference selections to All-Americans and a Heisman Trophy winner.
This offseason, Louisville Report is taking on the task of ranking the top five players in the history of the program at each position on the field. We'll be kicking off this series with the most important spot on the field: quarterback.
No. 5: Dave Ragone
Years at UofL: 1999-02
UofL Career Stats: 326-for-597 (58.1 percent) passing for 8,564 yards and 74 touchdowns to 29 interceptions, 326 rushes for 597 rushing yards (1.83 average) and nine touchdowns.
Summary: Very few quarterbacks in Louisville history had a stretch of success quite like Dave Ragone had in the early 2000's. He went 27-11 as a starter under head coach John L. Smith, which ranks second in program history for a quarterback, and was a three-time Conference USA Player of the Year. His best season came as a junior in 2001, throwing for 3,056 yards and 23 touchdowns to seven picks, leading UofL to an 11-2 season with a win over BYU in the Liberty Bowl.
No. 4: Brian Brohm
Years at UofL: 2004-07
UofL Career Stats: 780-for-1,185 (65.8 percent) passing for 10,775 yards and 71 touchdowns to 24 interceptions, 172 rushes for 44 rushing yards (0.26 average) and nine touchdowns.
Summary: The youngest member of the "First Family of Louisville Football" and one half of the famed "Derby City Duo," Brohm finished his Cardinals career second in passing yards and fourth in touchdown passes. The Trinity product helped take Louisville to unprecedented heights during the 2006 season as a junior, guiding them to a 12-1 overall record and an Orange Bowl win over Wake Forest, where he was named the MVP. He threw for 4,024 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior in 2007, both of which are second in a single season at Louisville.
No. 3: Chris Redman
Years at UofL: 1996-99
UofL Career Stats: 1,031-for-1,679 (61.4 percent) passing for 12,541 yards and 84 touchdowns to 51 interceptions, 167 rushes for -412 rushing yards (-2.46 average) and three touchdowns.
Summary: Redman is the most prolific passer in the history of the Louisville football program. Not only is the Louisville Male product the school leader in career passing yards and career passing touchdowns, but when his career came to a close, he was the NCAA's all-time leader in pass attempts and completions, and was third in passing yards (now 28th). His 592 yards and six touchdowns against East Carolina in 1998 are both school records, and as a senior in 1999, he was the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and recipient of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
No. 2: Teddy Bridgewater
Years at UofL: 2011-13
UofL Career Stats: 781-for-1,142 (68.4 percent) passing for 9,817 yards and 72 touchdowns to 24 interceptions, 226 rushes for 170 rushing yards (0.75 average) and six touchdowns.
Summary: Had Bridgewater stayed for a fourth year, he could have challenged Redman for his career passing records at Louisville. He's the Cardinals' career leader in completion percentage and wins by a starting quarterback (28), and is third in both career passing yards and touchdown passes. As a sophomore in 2012, he threw for 3,718 yards and 27 touchdowns to only eight interceptions, guiding Louisville to an 11-2 record with a win over Florida in the Sugar Bowl as decisive underdogs. The next season, he completed 71.0 percent of his passes for 3,970 yards and 31 touchdowns - which ranks second, third and first in a single season season at UofL, respectively - to just four picks, en-route to Louisville's second-ever 12-win season at 12-1 with a win over Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
No. 1: Lamar Jackson
Years at UofL: 2015-17
UofL Career Stats: 619-for-1,086 (57.0 percent) passing for 9,043 yards and 69 touchdowns to 27 interceptions, 655 rushes for 4,132 rushing yards (6.31 average) and 50 touchdowns.
Summary: When discussing the best player in Louisville football history - let alone quarterback - the conversation starts and ends with Jackson. In just three years, he set the school records for: career yards of total offense with 13,175, touchdowns responsible for at 119 (now second to Malik Cunningham's 120), rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and many more. He compiled 5,114 total yards and 51 total touchdowns in 2016 as just a sophomore, becoming the first Heisman Trophy winner in school history, while also earning consensus First-Team All-American honors. He followed that up with another spectacular season in 2017, putting up 5,261 yards and 45 touchdowns, but came in third in Heisman Trophy voting behind Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield and Stanford RB Bryce Love. He's one of just two Louisville players to have his jersey number (No. 8) permanently retired, alongside Johnny Unitas' No. 16.
Other Louisville Position Top Fives:
- Running Back
- Wide Receiver
- Tight End
- Offensive Line
- Interior Defensive Line (coming soon)
- Defensive End (coming soon)
- Linebacker (coming soon)
- Cornerback (coming soon)
- Safety (coming soon)
(Photo of Lamar Jackson: Rich Barnes - USA TODAY Sports)
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