Quentin Jammer Has Stayed The True Professional And Silent Leader For The Chargers
By Danny Cox
Name: Quentin Jammer – CB - #23
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 204 lbs.
Age: 33
Hometown: Matagorda Co., TX
College:Texas
Experience:11 years
The career of an NFL player is not always one that lasts a decade. Sometimes, it is even one that lasts half a decade. Injuries can decimate a career or talent can simply fade and the once college star can find himself on the NFL unemployment line in a hurry. Perhaps, if they can convince enough people that they can still play, they'll bounce around from team to team.
It isn't often that a player will have their entire career in professional sports be with just one team, no matter how long or short they play. Quentin Jammer though, has been more than content playing with the San Diego Chargers for his entire career so far.
All eleven years of it.
At 33 years of age, Jammer is still playing at a high rate for the position of cornerback and still producing for the Chargers. He has played in 15 games for the Chargers in 2012, and racked up 63 tackles, eight defended passes, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. One of those interceptions was the first pick-six of his career and it came off of Peyton Manning halfway through the season.
It was evident back in college that Jammer would make it into the NFL, and that showed repeatedly during his time on Mack Brown's team at the University of Texas. Following his junior and senior years, Jammer a first-team All-Big 12 Conference selection, and that's no easy task.
As a senior in 2001, Jammer was chosen as a unanimous first-team All-American and also named co-MVP of the Longhorns. Throughout his four-year career at Texas, Jammer had seven interceptions and 195 total tackles.
That was more than enough for the Chargers to take a chance on him, and they did so with the fifth overall pick of the first round in the 2002 NFL draft. Like many young players though, Jammer had a prolonged holdout before finally getting his contract in place. With that being said, he started only four games during his rookie year, but did end up playing in 14 total and notching 67 tackles.
In 2003, his second year in the NFL, the Chargers put Jammer into the starting cornerback position and have not taken him out of it since. That year was actually one of the best of his career as he had 71 tackles, 10 passes defended, and four interceptions. In only one other season of his career has Jammer had that many interceptions, and it was in 2006.
Jammer has been a player that hardly ever speaks out, hardly ever makes a fuss, and hardly ever complains about anything. He does go out and do his job week in and week out, and that's what the Chargers could really use more of. They need more players that know how to work hard and stay healthy.
Throughout his career, Jammer was watched other cornerbacks and safeties come and go around him, but he's stayed the one true constant in the Chargers' secondary. He is often criticized for heading up a poor pass defense for San Diego, but he really can't be fully put into the line of fire.
Over the years, San Diego's pass rush has been almost nonexistent and Jammer's supporting cast in the secondary was also quite questionable. One man can't do it all by themselves, but that is exactly the type of effort Jammer puts out there every single week.
For more Local Football Bloggers and the latest Chargers news, see CBS Sports Los Angeles.
Danny Cox knows a little something about the NFL, whether it means letting you know what penalty will come from the flag just thrown on the field or quickly spouting off who the Chicago Bears drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft (Jim Harbaugh). He plans on bringing you the best news, previews, recaps, and anything else that may come along with the exciting world of the National Football League. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
