Brian Jeffrey Symons (born November 19, 1980) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

. Symons played professionally for the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

and the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL), the Frankfurt Galaxy and

Berlin Thunder The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe. History The Thunder came into existence as an expansion team, after the London/England Monarchs franchise shut down operations, prior to the 1999 season. Home games ...

NFL Europe NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa League) was a professional American football league that functioned as the developmental minor league of the National Football League (NFL). Originally f ...

, and the

Tampa Bay Storm The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional arena football team based in Tampa, Florida, US. It played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Originally the team was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and operated as the Pittsburgh Gladiators. The f ...

of the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

. He was originally drafted by the Texans in the seventh round of the

2004 NFL Draft The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...

(248th overall). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

where he was a record setting passer. Symons never played in a regular season NFL game.

High school career

Born and raised in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, Symons was a standout quarterback at Cypress Creek High School. Symons completed 126 passes in 228 attempts for 1,597 and 11 touchdowns during senior season and rushed for 411 yards and seven touchdowns and was named first-team all-District 16-5A as a junior and senior. Symons completed 259 passes in 478 attempts for 3,704 yards and 27 touchdowns in two years as a starter during high school career. He was a member of SuperPrep Magazine's southwest top 100 and was listed as one of the top 100 players in the state by the ''

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal ''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal'' is a newspaper based in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is owned by Gannett. History ''The Lubbock Avalanche'' was founded in 1900 by John James Dillard and Thad Tubbs. According to Dillard, the name "Avalanche" ...

'', ''

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

'', ''

Fort Worth Star-Telegram The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company. History In May 1905, Amon G. Carter acc ...

'', and ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...

''. He was also a three-year starting pitcher in baseball for CCHS. Symons was offered

scholarships A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarshi ...

by the

Texas Tech Red Raiders The Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University, located in Lubbock, Texas. The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders, while the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raide ...

and

Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to a nickname given to the early participants in the Land Run ...

. Symons chose Texas Tech over Oklahoma, then coached by

Spike Dykes William Taylor "Spike" Dykes (March 14, 1938 – April 10, 2017) was an American football coach. A high school and college football coach throughout his career, he last served as head coach at Texas Tech University from 1986 to 1999. Coaching car ...

. Symons was recruited by Mike Leach while he was the Sooners' offensive coordinator. Leach would later become his head coach in 2000 when he was hired as the head coach of the Red Raiders.

College career

Symons played for the Red Raiders from 1999 to 2003. Symons was the second-string quarterback for part of his

redshirt freshman Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...

season in 1999, and backed up

Kliff Kingsbury Kliff Timothy Kingsbury (born August 9, 1979) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously a collegiate football coach from 2008 to ...

from 2000 to 2002. From 2000 to 2002 Symons saw action in 17 games completing 56 passes out of 80 attempts for a 70% completion rate and 7 touchdown passes in back-up duty.

2003 season

Symons started for one season as quarterback for the

. During his only season as a starter (his senior year), Texas Tech finished the season 8–5, and Symons broke the FBS record for single-season passing yards at 5,833 yards (since surpassed by

Bailey Zappe Bailey Michael Zappe (, ) (born April 26, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played his first three seasons of college football at Houston Baptist and used his last ...

Western Kentucky Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state. ;Always included * The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recogniz ...

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

). Symons set the NCAA 12-Game Passing Record with 5,336 yards in 2003. He broke

Ty Detmer Ty Hubert Detmer (born October 30, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He won the Heisman Trophy in 1990 while playing college football for the BYU Cougars. Detme ...

’s record of 5,188, set in 1990 at

BYU Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...

. Symons also established a new NCAA 12-Game Total Offense Record with 5,476 yards this season. At the time of his graduation Symons held the

Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its fo ...

and Tech record with 48 touchdown passes in one season. Symons broke

’s school and Big 12 single-season record of 45 touchdown passes. During the season, B. J. Symons tore his ACL while celebrating a touchdown pass against Iowa State. Although his statistics suffered slightly, he was still able to complete the most prolific season of passing in NCAA history. After finishing his career by extending his single-season passing record to 5,833 yards, he told reporters he will undergo reconstructive surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament. Symons ended his senior year with 52 TD passes, second only to the 54 thrown by Houston's

David Klingler David Ryan Klingler (born February 17, 1969) is an associate professor of Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary and a former American football quarterback. College career A 6-foot, 2-inch quarterback, Klingler rewrote numerous college p ...

in 1990. His favorite target,

Wes Welker Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San ...

, tied an NCAA record by catching a pass in his 47th consecutive game. During the season, he had a stretch where he threw for 4,036 yards in just 9 games including 586 yards against

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

, 661 yards against the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...

, and 505 yards against

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

2003 Houston Bowl

Tech was selected to play in the EV1.net

Houston Bowl The Houston Bowl was an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that was played annually in Houston, Texas, from 2000 to 2005. For its first two years, the game was known as the galleryfurniture.com Bowl, named for the website o ...

against the

Navy Midshipmen The Navy Midshipmen are the athletic teams that represent the United States Naval Academy. The academy sponsors 33 varsity sports teams and 12 club sport teams.Reliant Stadium NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retrac ...

in Houston, Texas, giving Symons the opportunity to play his final collegiate game in his hometown. Symons threw touchdown passes to Nehimiah Glover, Jarrett Hicks, and 2 touchdown passes to Mickey Peters en route to a 38–14 win over Navy. Symons was selected as offensive MVP for the game, capping off his season with 5,833 passing yards and 52 touchdown passes.

Accolades

*2003

Most Valuable Player *

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

Coaches' Second-team *''

'' All-Big 12 Second-team *

Sammy Baugh Trophy The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of state auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More ...

recipient (nation's top collegiate quarterback) *

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

All-Big 12 Second-team *

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...

National Offensive Player of the Year *''

'' All-Big 12 Second-team *Big 12 Conference Academic Second-team *''

San Antonio Express-News The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the state of Texas, with ...

'' All-Big 12 Second-team * CollegeFootballNews.com All-America Honorable Mention * NCAA record for single-season passing yards (5,833 yards) * 10th in 2003

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

voting

Professional career

In the

NFL Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footba ...

, Symons weighed 211 pounds, was 6 feet 3 inches, and ran a 5.20-second

40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...

. He was selected in the seventh round of the

by the

. After spending a season with the Texans, he signed with the Frankfurt Galaxy and was the backup to

Akili Smith Kabisa Akili Maradufu Smith (born August 21, 1975) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round (3rd overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft, the third quarterback in the first three choices, beh ...

. He was then signed and later cut by the

in 2006. Symons then played with the

for the rest of the season, until the NFL Europe folded. In 2007, he signed with the

of the

. He was released from his contract when the team went bankrupt in 2009.

NCAA records

When his college career ended, Symons was the holder of 11 individual NCAA FBS records. The NCAA record book also mentions Symons for the following items: * Single-Game Yards Passing: 661 (Rank-4th) (vs Ole Miss) September 27, 2003 * Single-Game Yards Passing: 586 (Rank-23rd) (vs North Carolina St.) September 20, 2003 * Season Yards Per Game Passing: 448.7 (Rank-2nd) 2003 * Season Touchdown Passes: 52 (Rank-3rd) 2003 * Single-Game Yards Total Offense: 681 (Rank 5th) (vs Ole Miss) September 27, 2003 * Single-Game Yards Total Offense: 618 (Rank 14th) (vs North Carolina St.) September 20, 2003 * Season Yards Per Game Total Offense: 459.7 (Rank 2nd) 2003 * Annual Total Offense Champion (2003)

Personal life

Symons graduated from

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

with a

Bachelor of Business Administration Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is a bachelor's degree in business administration awarded by colleges and universities after completion of undergraduate study in the fundamentals of business administration and usually including advanced ...

degree in management from the

Rawls College of Business The Rawls College of Business (officially Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration, commonly referred to as Rawls Business) is the business school of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Rawls Business offers curriculum for both und ...

. He retired from Football at the end of 2009. He currently resides in the Houston, TX area where he works in

Investment banking Investment banking pertains to certain activities of a financial services company or a corporate division that consist in advisory-based financial transactions on behalf of individuals, corporations, and governments. Traditionally associated wit ...

, is married and has three children.

Footnotes

References

External links

Texas Tech profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Symons, B. J. 1980 births Living people American football quarterbacks Berlin Thunder players Chicago Bears players Frankfurt Galaxy players Houston Texans players Tampa Bay Storm players Texas Tech Red Raiders football players Rawls College of Business alumni Players of American football from Houston

High school career

College career

2003 season

2003 Houston Bowl

Accolades

Professional career

NCAA records

Personal life

See also

Footnotes

References

External links