Article on Blake by Somers

40yearfan

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Blake vows to show 'em all
Passion, determination motivate Cards QB

Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
May. 2, 2003 12:00 AM


Jeff Blake leans forward until his face is just inches away, so uncomfortably close that you glance back, checking for a path of retreat.

It doesn't take much to set him off: A question about the doubts that have chased him like an angry defensive end throughout his career, another about the obstacles he has faced in keeping a job as an NFL starting quarterback.

"Listen, I'm a 6-foot brother, a sixth-round draft pick from East Carolina," he says. "The odds of me making it to this point of my career are one in 18 million, one in a trillion. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Not that Blake, 32, is satisfied with making it just this far - ready to enter his 12th NFL season with his fifth team, the Cardinals.

To him, Arizona represents another chance - not at retribution, but at validation. It's an opportunity to open the eyes of others, to finally get someone to see him as more than a journeyman or a temporary replacement while the team develops someone else.

Until then, Blake will play the way he always has: with a huge chip on his shoulder.

"I'm kind of glad it happened that way," says Blake, who will take part in this weekend's minicamp. "Having the chip on your shoulder gives you incentive to always go out and shut people's mouths."

It's that chip that intrigued the Cardinals when they searched for a replacement for Jake Plummer, who left for Denver via free agency this off-season.

Uncertain of what they have in Josh McCown, a third-round pick last year, the Cardinals wanted a veteran to serve as a bridge to the future.

Blake wowed the Cardinals with his passion for the game and his desire to prove that the Jets, Bengals, Saints and Ravens all had made colossal mistakes over the past 11 years.

"He's got plenty of gas left in the tank," Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis said. "That's one position where, as you get a little more seasoning on you, there are a lot of good things that happen, and mostly they happen from the shoulders up."


A new start


That was the chief criticism of Plummer, who threw more touchdown passes than interceptions just once in his six seasons with the Cardinals.

Plummer had a penchant for the spectacular and the stupefying, and the Cardinals and many of their fans were out of patience.

Blake's career statistics are considerably better. He has thrown 39 more touchdown passes than interceptions in his career, completed 56 percent of his passes and has a rating of 79.2.

Still, Blake hasn't been able to hang on to a starting job. The Jets drafted him in the sixth round in 1992 and cut him two years later. Cincinnati claimed him off waivers, and in 1995 and 1996, he was one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. He threw for 52 touchdowns, was intercepted 31 times and went to the Pro Bowl.

But he was benched in 1997, played in just nine games in 1998, and by 1999 the team was counting on Akili Smith to replace him.

In 2000, he moved to New Orleans as a free agent and started the first 11 games before being sidelined with a foot injury. He led the Saints' resurgence that year, with the team going 7-3 in games he started and finished.

But he was replaced by Aaron Brooks, who played well down the stretch and was given the job the following year.

In 2002, Blake moved on to Baltimore and started 10 games after Chris Redman was injured.

Baltimore wanted him back, but the two sides couldn't reach a contract agreement, which brought Blake to Arizona. The Cardinals signed him to a three-year contract worth $7.5 million, including a $1.5 million signing bonus.

At each stop, Blake says, he performed well. At each stop, the team seemed eager to find his replacement.

He can't figure out why. There were stories, quoting unnamed sources, that criticized his leadership skills and implied that his teammates disliked him.

Blake denies that.

"People always think they have something better," Blake says. "They're never going to say, 'He just can't play.' They would try to belittle a person and try to take something out of that person, physically, mentally or emotionally. Because they know if I have a chance to come back and play against them, I'm going to kick their butts."


A tough start


Blake should be accustomed to the slights. No major college recruiters wanted him as a quarterback, even though he was one of the best in Florida as a senior at Seminole High in Sanford.

His father, Emory, was the team's offensive coordinator, and fans used to boo when Blake would check off from pass to run at the line of scrimmage.

"They were booing me," Emory says. "I said, 'Jeff, go ahead and pass the ball because people want to see you pass.' "

But college recruiters felt he was too short, and most wanted him to play receiver or defensive back. At 6 feet tall and Black, Blake wasn't the stereotypical quarterback.

Emory told his son not to give in to the vision of others - or, more accurately, to their lack of vision.

"I told him somebody would look at him for who he was and want him for what he was," says Emory, who played in the Canadian Football League and the World Football League. "They may have got somebody bigger, but they did not have somebody better. We stuck to our guns."

Jeff grew up respectful but tough.

He was just 5 when his mother, Peggy, died after saving her younger sister from drowning at a family outing.

Peggy Blake made it to shore but had too much water in her lungs to survive.

"He (Jeff) was old enough to understand, but he wasn't totally accepting of the fact it had happened," says Emory, a minister for 20 years, the last 19 at Progress Missionary Baptist Church in Sanford. "But when you have a tragedy, you use it to get you to another level. And Jeff's done that throughout his career. You control just what you are in charge of."

It's a philosophy Blake has tried to use in his professional career. Blake hasn't been fortunate enough to play on many good teams. When you've started in Cincinnati, New Orleans and Arizona, you've completed the Bermuda Triangle of the NFL.

"But I'm still here," he says. "I didn't disappear. I've stood the test of time.

"I haven't been blessed to play on stellar teams. I've always played with fixer-uppers, and that's cool with me. You have to have that thing inside your heart, inside your mind - that commitment, that dedication
 

Cbus cardsfan

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Originally posted by 40yearfan Blake will play the way he always has: with a huge chip on his shoulder.
.

He can't figure out why. There were stories, quoting unnamed sources, that criticized his leadership skills and implied that his teammates disliked him.
[/B]



That's funny,someone has been saying those things on this board about Blake since January.You can alreday see the potentialy bad attitude in the first article written about him.Like, i said,if things go bad it won't be his fault.Just ask him.
 

gnomepete

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Personally, I like to see an athlete with something to prove or something to make up for - ESPECIALLY one with some real skill (like Blake's long ball throws). I have seen time after time that a good game, season, few years are often the result of a skilled player with something to prove.

Plus, face it, PC to say so or not, football IS a warlike situation where a leader with chutzpah can make a big difference.

If memory serves, Cincinnati was where the reports of his lack of leadership came out. 1) He was much younger. Anyone who's watched (or gone through it) sees changes in attitude with age. 2) Cincinnati's front office was WORSE than the Cardinals, including really being cheap rather than just unwilling to mortgage the future by blowing the doors off future years salary cap.

IF he's not Mr. Leadership, I think that Emmitt and a few older Cards will be all over him.

Anyway, we'll figure it out if we just shut up and see how it plays out.

Pete
 

az643dp

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I love it. Our starting QB and our starting RB will be playing whith serious chips on their shoulders!

Also, once Pace signs, he will be pissed at all the questions too. It should make him better.

YEAH!!!!!!!! We need to play pissed off and not just collect checks!

Also, when the Tugboat gets in there, he will want to prove that even though we brought Emmitt in, he is still a great back.
 

jtav10

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jeff has played for terrible teams. hes been knocked down, beat up and blamed for most everything. through all of it he has fought hard been productive and led crap teams to decent records. i wish hed been given the reigns to a team unconditionally like plummer,who is terrible, but hes had to earn his minutes by playing well. so what you have now is a fighter and he is a big improvement over what youve had.
 

Shane

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Re: Re: Article on Blake by Somers

Originally posted by Cbus cardsfan
That's funny,someone has been saying those things on this board about Blake since January.You can alreday see the potentialy bad attitude in the first article written about him.Like, i said,if things go bad it won't be his fault.Just ask him.


Ummm ok!

Sorry but I think you are looking for more excuses to not like this guy just because you didnt like the signing to begin with?
 

Cbus cardsfan

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I don't need any more excuses to dislike the guy.I didn't like him before the Cards signed him and anyone who reads here knows why.Also,Baltimore questioned his leadership last year and that was the main reason they didn't re-sign him.
 

Krangodnzr

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Originally posted by Cbus cardsfan
.Also,Baltimore questioned his leadership last year and that was the main reason they didn't re-sign him.

Yeah...ok. :rolleyes:

That is total bs. The Ravens offered him a low ball offer, told him we want you to be a leader on this football team, and if you look at other (more fair) offers, we will pull the deal. Blake CHOSE to not go back, not the other way around.

You're just upset that we signed the guy.
 

RedStorm

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I think Blake is the best thing to happen for us this offseason. I am really looking forward to watching him play.
 

WizardOfAz

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Re: Re: Article on Blake by Somers

Originally posted by Cbus cardsfan
That's funny,someone has been saying those things on this board about Blake since January.You can alreday see the potentialy bad attitude in the first article written about him.Like, i said,if things go bad it won't be his fault.Just ask him.


Since when is playing with a chip on ones shoulder a bad thing?
 

Angel

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If he has a chip, he hides it well.

The one time I've seen him interviewed, on Sports Tonight, Mark Curtis gave him several opportunities to trash not only where he's been but where he is and those who have departed before him but at each turn he handled himself well and made Curtis (the Jenny Jones of sports reporting) look slightly foolish. I REALLY liked that about him.

Well we have played with youth, with heart, and a number of other things---maybe it isn't a bad idea that we try playing with some good old fashioned pissed off.
 

Shane

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Originally posted by Cbus cardsfan
I don't need any more excuses to dislike the guy.I didn't like him before the Cards signed him and anyone who reads here knows why.Also,Baltimore questioned his leadership last year and that was the main reason they didn't re-sign him.

Thats utter BS!

He didnt sign with the Ravens because they wanted him to start but offered him barely 1.5 million?

Not exactly a fair amount for a guy you are saying is a starting caliber QB in the NFL now is it???

They want him and he declined! Cant say I blame him one Iota!
 

Cbus cardsfan

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Originally posted by Krangthebrain
Yeah...ok. :rolleyes:

That is total bs. The Ravens offered him a low ball offer, told him we want you to be a leader on this football team, and if you look at other (more fair) offers, we will pull the deal. Blake CHOSE to not go back, not the other way around.

You're just upset that we signed the guy.


Total BS???????????Read the Sporting News.I quoted them back in January about they questioned his leadership in big games and the ability to make the key play during the game.You're right, i don't like the guy buy that doesn't mean i make stuff up.Get your facts straight before accusing me of total bs.
 

jtav10

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actually you are wrong. leadership was never brought up until after the last game when the ravens lost to the steelers. blakes qb rating was 106 that game but he threw an pick to end the game. the news slammed him after the game although there were 3 other key turnovers by other players when the ravens were leading the game. blakes comment was that he wasnt the only person who screwed up. blake is my favorite player so i watched every raven game and watched the boards everyday so i know a little more about the facts than you do. billick wanted blake back real bad and said so but newsome low balled jeff and luckily he caught on with the cards. this is lucky for you and him. by the way he has 2 things your old qb didnt have. a rocket arm and a lot of heart. THE CARDS WITH BLAKE ARE PLAYOFF BOUND...
 

Krangodnzr

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Originally posted by Cbus cardsfan
Total BS???????????Read the Sporting News.I quoted them back in January about they questioned his leadership in big games and the ability to make the key play during the game.You're right, i don't like the guy buy that doesn't mean i make stuff up.Get your facts straight before accusing me of total bs.

I am accusing you of nothing, only that you don't have your facts straight. Brian Billick, the biggest a-hole in all of football told Blake that "we are offering you a leadership role on this football team, and we really want you back," then offers him a lowball offer for a starting QB.

He told Blake that if he didn't accept the deal right away, he would pull the deal. That isn't exactly the nicest way to deal with a player that you are offering a "leadership" role. Blake took that as a slap in the face (which I think any of us would) and said "fine, I will find a new team. I don't want to be a Raven anymore". Billick then tried to work things out, but Blake decided that he wouldn't listen and he left.
 

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