T. J. Yates

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T.J. Yates
TJ Yates (cropped).jpg
Yates in training camp on August 9, 2011.
No. 13     Houston Texans
Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1988-05-28) May 28, 1988 (age 24)
Place of birth: Marietta, Georgia
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight: 219 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school: Marietta (GA) Pope
College: North Carolina
NFL Draft: 2011 / Round: 5 / Pick: 152
Debuted in 2011 for the Houston Texans
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
  • NFL Rookie of the Week, 2011
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2012
Pass attempts 144
Pass completions 86
Percentage 59.7
TDINT 3-4
Passing yards 987
QB Rating 75.8
Stats at NFL.com

Taylor Jonathan "T. J." Yates (born May 28, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Texans in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft after playing college football at North Carolina.

Contents

Early years [edit]

Yates only played one year of high school football (though he had played youth-league football.) In 2005, Yates played quarterback and punter for Pope High School, in the north Atlanta suburb of Marietta, where he earned Atlanta Metro First-Team All-Area honors.[1]

College career [edit]

Yates played quarterback for the North Carolina Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2007 to 2010. Yates currently holds the school records for total career passing yards, single-season passing yards and single-season total offense, having broken records set by predecessors Darian Durant and Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice during his time at North Carolina.[2] He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Statistics [edit]

Year Team Attempts Completions Completion % Yards TDs INT
2006 North Carolina
Redshirt
2007 North Carolina 365 218 59.7% 2,655 14 18
2008 North Carolina 135 81 60.0% 1,168 11 4
2009 North Carolina 355 214 60.3% 2,136 14 15
2010 North Carolina 422 282 66.8% 3,418 19 9
College Totals 1,277 795 62.3% 9,377 58 46

Professional career [edit]

Yates was selected with the 152nd pick in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. He first saw action in a November 27, 2011 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars when quarterback Matt Leinart left the game with a collarbone injury.[3] Yates made his first ever professional career start in the next game against the Atlanta Falcons and also became the first ever former University of North Carolina quarterback to start an NFL game.[4] Yates started his second game on December 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Yates completed 26-of-44 passes for 300 yards. He threw two touchdowns and one interception and led the Texans to their tenth win, clinching a playoff spot for the first time in franchise history. For his performance in the Bengals game he was named the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week.[5][6][7][8] On January 7, 2012, Yates led the Texans to their first ever playoff win with the score of 31-10 over the Cincinnati Bengals (the same team Yates and the Texans beat to clinch their first ever playoff berth), becoming the fifth rookie quarterback to win a playoff game.[9] The game was the first playoff game in NFL history that had two rookie quarterbacks starting for their respective teams (Andy Dalton was the other rookie).[10] The Texans eventually lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round.

Yates began the 2012 season second on the depth chart, behind quarterback Matt Schaub, but ahead of John Beck and undrafted rookie Case Keenum.

Regular Season Statistics [edit]

Year Team Games Played Games Started Attempts Completions Completion % Yards TDs INT Carries Yards Avg TD FUM FUM Lost Rating
2011 Houston Texans 6 5 134 82 61.2% 949 3 3 14 57 4.1 0 5 3 80.7
2012 Houston Texans 4 0 10 4 40% 38 0 1 2 -1 -.5 1 2 1 11.7
Professional Totals 10 5 144 86 59.7% 987 3 4 16 56 3.5 1 7 4 75.8

References [edit]

  1. ^ Player Bio: TJ Yates, Tarheelblue.com.
  2. ^ Yates Selected To NFLPA All-Star Game, TarHeelBlue.com, 18 January 2011.
  3. ^ "Matt Leinart done for season". ESPN. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2011. 
  4. ^ Chris Vivlamore, "T.J. Yates makes quick rise to Texans starter", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 1, 2011.
  5. ^ YATES VOTED PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK, Cypress (TX) Times, December 17, 2011.
  6. ^ Yates voted Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week, Houston Texans, December 16, 2011.
  7. ^ Texans' Yates wins NFL Rookie of the Week honors, NFL.com, December 16, 2011.
  8. ^ Rookie QB T.J. Yates rock solid in first 2 NFL starts for Houston Texans, Associated Press, December 16, 2011.
  9. ^ Duncan, Chris. Texans Win First Playoff Game, 31-10 Over Bengals, ABC News/Associated Press, January 7, 2011.
  10. ^ . [1] Rookie Quarterbacks to win playoff games. January 7, 2012.

External links [edit]