Happy Birthday Jason Campbell

How do you autograph a football jones?

Please join me and the entire staff of The Curly R in wishing Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell a happy birthday, Jason turned 27 on New Years's Eve, 31 December 2008.

A native of Laurel Mississippi, Jason graduated from Taylorsville High School in Taylorsville Mississippi in 2000 and elected to attend Auburn University. Jason played saw significant playing time all four years, including his final two as the starter, finishing his college career after the 2004 season with 552 completions in 854 attempts, a 65 percent completion rate with 45 touchdown passes and 24 interceptions, nearly a two to one TD to INT ratio. Jason's collegiate awards and honors included the 2003 Music City Bowl MVP, 2004 First Team All-SEC, 2004 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, 2004 SEC Championship Game MVP, 2005 Sugar Bowl MVP, five SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors and the distinction of quarterbacking Auburn to their first ever undefeated season Jason's senior year in 2004.

In 2005 the Redskins and Joe Gibbs traded three picks, a first, third and fourth, to nab Jason with the 25th overall selection in that year's draft. Jason became the team's starter full time in the tenth game of the 2006 season and entered 2007 training camp as the undisputed starter.

The 2008 season saw the Redskins hire Jim Zorn as head coach to replace the retired Joe Gibbs and there is simply no question that Jason has benefited from coach Zorn's instruction and leadership, after struggling with fumbles and interceptions through 2006 and 2007, Jason led the league in interception ratio with one INT per 84 passes thrown, the only rated quarterback with fewer interceptions in 2008 threw 260 fewer passes than Jason and the only other rated quarterback with the same number of INTs, six, threw 130 fewer.

As the Redskins went in 2008 so did Jason, as Redskins fans let us look at Jason's upside on display in the first half of 2008. With better blocking Jason can be an elite quarterback, as of right now Jason enters 2009 on the last year of his rookie contract, the Redskins need to step up and give Jason top starter money, lock him up for the long term and build around him, Jason will get it done for the Redskins.

Happy birthday Jason!



Jason Campbell signing autographs in 2008 training camp: Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP photo from here.