#7 Billy Volek | QB
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Position: QB College: Fresno State Height: 6-2 Weight: 214 Age: 32 Experience: 9th NFL Season Acquired: Trade '06 (Titans) Hometown: Fresno, California |
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Career StatsBilly Volek had an opportunity to leave San Diego this spring when he became an unrestricted free agent, but the nine-year veteran and California native quickly decided that the grass doesn’t get any greener than playing for one of the NFL’s most successful franchises while living in America’s Finest City. In February, Volek signed a new three-year contract that will keep him as the primary backup to Philip Rivers through the 2010 season.
Volek gives the Chargers an experienced backup who is extremely well respected in the locker room. In eight NFL seasons, Volek has played in 30 games and started 10. All 10 starts came with the Tennessee Titans. Since joining the Chargers via trade in October of 2006, Volek has appeared in six games.
His most significant action as a Charger came in January’s Divisional Playoff win at Indianapolis when Rivers was forced to the sideline at the end of the third quarter with a knee injury. Volek came off the bench and led the Bolts on an eight-play, 78-yard touchdown drive. His one-yard quarterback sneak for the go-ahead touchdown with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winning score.
Volek spent 10 years of his childhood in the small town of Walla Walla, Wash., where former Titans’ teammate Peter Sirmon and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe were raised. Volek, who is the same age as Sirmon and four years younger than Bledsoe, became friends with both future NFL players at an early age. Billy's older brother, Joe, was best friends with Sirmon's older brother, John. Billy's dad, John Volek, is a former head football coach at SacramentoState and Fresno (Calif.) CityCollege and is now the athletic director at SierraCollege in Rocklin, California.
Billy played collegiately at Fresno State and is one of several quarterbacks from the school who have gone on to have successful NFL careers, including Trent Dilfer, David Carr and Kevin Sweeney. Carr, the first pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, was Volek's backup during his junior and senior seasons.
Since 1970, Billy leads all NFL quarterbacks in passing yards (2,789) in his first 10 starts. During a two-game stretch in 2004, Volek passed for 426 yards against Kansas City and 492 yards at Oakland, becoming only the fourth player in NFL history to record back-to-back 400-yard passing games and just the second player in NFL history to record 900 or more passing yards over a two-game span.
TRANSACTION HISTORY: Signed with Tennessee as undrafted rookie, April 20, 2000…signed four-year contract with Titans, March 25, 2004…traded to Chargers for sixth-round draft choice in 2007, Sept. 19, 2006.
2007: Saw first significant action of season, replacing injured Philip Rivers in second quarter at Tennessee Dec. 9…played most of second quarter before Rivers returned to start second half…played entire second half in relief of Rivers Dec. 16 vs. Detroit, only attempting one pass…again played most of second half Dec. 24 vs. Denver and in fourth quarter Dec. 30 at Oakland…came into AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Indianapolis in fourth quarter in relief of injured Rivers (knee) and led game-winning touchdown drive…entered game with Bolts up 21-17, but Colts scored after Chargers went three-and-out to retake lead, 24-21…Volek drove team 78 yards in eight plays on ensuing drive, capped by one-yard touchdown run on QB sneak for final points in 28-24 win…went three-for-three passing for 48 yards on game-winning drive.
2006: Spent Weeks 1-2 as third quarterback for Tennessee Titans...was inactive as third quarterback for Chargers Weeks 3-5...did not play as backup quarterback Weeks 6-15...saw limited action Week 16 against Arizona while Philip Rivers was out with foot injury...took one snap at end of first quarter and took over at end of third quarter...did not play in playoff game vs. New England.
2005: Made lone start of season at Arizona Oct. 23…connected with rookie wide receiver Brandon Jones for 38-yard touchdown pass on opening drive…left game late in fourth quarter due to concussion and did not return...replaced injured Steve McNair at Miami Dec. 24 in second quarter and threw career-long 55-yard touchdown pass to Drew Bennett…threw four-yard touchdown pass to Ben Troupe in fourth quarter at Jacksonville Jan. 1…later threw pass that was tipped and caught by Bo Scaife for 10-yard touchdown. 2004: Started eight games while McNair was out with sternum injury…passed for 426 yards against Kansas City Dec. 13 and 492 yards at Oakland Dec. 19 to become fourth player in NFL history with back to back 400-yard passing games…others were former Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts (1982), Dan Marino (1984) and Phil Simms (1985)…with 918 passing yards in two weeks, became second player in NFL history to record 900 or more passing yards over two-game span…Simms passed for 945 yards in 1985 in consecutive games against Dallas and at Cincinnati…made second-career start at San Diego Oct. 3 and completed 39 passes, second-most in Titans’ history…threw two touchdown passes at Cincinnati in Halloween day 27-20 win…threw one-yard touchdown pass to Shad Meier on final play of first half of Bengals game…recorded first-career 300-yard game with 334 yards and touchdown passes of 29 yards to Derrick Mason in first quarter and 47 yards to Drew Bennett in fourth quarter at Chicago Nov. 14…threw three first-quarter touchdown passes to Drew Bennett of 48, 28 and 48 yards at Indianapolis Dec. 5 while leading team to franchise-record 24 first-quarter points…went six of nine for 180 yards and three touchdowns in quarter…completed 29 of 43 for 426 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions for career-high 130.6 passer rating against K.C. Dec. 13... threw touchdown passes of 42, 22 and seven yards to Drew Bennett and four yards to Derrick Mason…yardage total (426) was fifth-highest in franchise history…completed passes to 10 different receivers in Chiefs game…went 40 of 60 for 492 yards and four touchdowns for second consecutive week at Oakland Dec. 19…threw touchdown passes of 17 and 23 yards to Drew Bennett, seven yards to Ben Troupe and three yards to Derrick Mason…also scored touchdown on one-yard quarterback sneak…60 passing attempts tied George Blanda (Nov. 7, 1965) for second-most in franchise history…also was second-most single-game completions and yards in team history…left Jan. 2 game against Detroit in fourth quarter with shoulder injury. 2003: Played in first-career game, filling in for injured McNair at Indianapolis Sept. 14…threw first-career touchdown pass covering 50 yards to Eddie Berlin on fake punt in first quarter of 37-17 win at Carolina Oct. 19…replaced injured McNair again at Atlanta Nov. 23 with team trailing 21-14 and led three scoring drives, including one that ended with 14-yard touchdown pass to Justin McCareins in fourth quarter of 38-31 win over Falcons…made first-career start at Buffalo Dec. 14 for injured McNair and led squad to 28-26 victory…threw for 295 yards and two scores against Bills…found Derrick Mason nine times for 137 yards, including passes of 32 and 37 yards in fourth quarter…scored first career touchdown on one-yard quarterback sneak to give team 28-20 lead…suffered lacerated spleen during game and was put on “Reserve-Injured” list Dec. 18 due to injury. 2002: Spent entire season as emergency third-string quarterback behind Steve McNair and Neil O’Donnell….declared inactive for all 16 regular season and two postseason games. 2001: Inactive for 14 games and played in one contest….served as O’Donnell’s backup but did not play at Jacksonville Sept. 23…played in first-career game at Minnesota Dec. 9. 2000: Served as McNair’s backup vs. Baltimore Nov. 12 and was the third-string emergency quarterback for remaining 15 games and Jan. 7 playoff game against Baltimore.
COLLEGE: Three-year starter at Fresno State, who threw 57 touchdown passes and only 12 interceptions during career…team MVP as senior and first-team All-Western Athletic Conference after passing for 2,559 yards, 30 touchdowns and only three interceptions on 235 of 355 passing for 153.0 quarterback rating…led Bulldogs to Las Vegas Bowl as senior…in final regular-season game for Bulldogs, threw career-high five touchdown passes against San Jose State…ranked second in WAC as junior with pass efficiency rating of 131.7…redshirted in 1995…played at Fresno State from 1995-99…majored in sociology.
PERSONAL: Born April 28, 1976 in Hemet, California…named Northwest Yosemite League Offensive Player of Year after his senior season at Clovis West High School in Fresno, Calif….participated in numerous charitable activities in Tennessee, including visits to schools, hospitals and soldiers of 101st Airborne Division stationed at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky…also participated in Special Olympics events with former teammate Frank Wycheck and performed public service announcements for Tennessee Humane Society…married, Kerri, and couple has daughter, Morgan, and sons, Carter and Benett.
