Jebediah Lee Putzier (pronounced PUTT-zeer) (born January 20, 1979) 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 wi ...

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

. Putzier also played for the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, and the UFL's

Omaha Nighthawks The Omaha Nighthawks were a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which played in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. During their first season, the Nighthawks played their home gam ...

Early years

Putzier attended Eagle High School in his hometown

Eagle, Idaho Eagle is a city in Ada County, Idaho, 10 miles northwest of Boise. The population was 30,346 at the time of the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is wate ...

. In addition to playing football, Putzier also garnered athletic letters in basketball, track and baseball.

College career

Putzier initially walked on to the

Boise State Broncos football The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Broncos play their home games o ...

team. After playing wide receiver for the first three years of his career, Putzier switched to tight end. He led all college tight ends with twelve touchdown receptions his senior season, and garnered all-

Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Texas. Due to mos ...

honors. The season was highlighted by a three-touchdown effort against

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

Professional career

Denver Broncos

Putzier was drafted by the

in the sixth round (191st overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft. After only recording four receptions his first two years, he contributed to the Broncos in 2004 with 36 catches. His play earned him a 5-year $12.5 million offer sheet from the New York Jets which the Broncos matched. Despite putting up 37 receptions in 2005 the Broncos released him in spring 2006 in what was considered to be a salary cap purge.

Houston Texans

Putzier signed with the Houston Texans in 2006, coming back to former Broncos offensive coordinator

Gary Kubiak Gary Wayne Kubiak (born August 15, 1961) is a former American football coach and quarterback. He served as head coach for the NFL's Houston Texans from 2006 to 2013 and the Denver Broncos from 2015 to 2016 before stepping down from the position ...

. After losing spots on the depth chart in 2007, the Texans released Putzier on February 20, 2008.

Seattle Seahawks

On March 4, 2008, Putzier was signed by the Seattle Seahawks. After appearing in seven games for the team, he was released on November 25.

Denver Broncos (second stint)

Late in the 2008 season, Putzier signed with the Broncos. He was resigned on March 16, 2009, but was cut late in 2009 training camp.

Hartford Colonials

After not playing for any professional team in 2009, Putzier signed to play in the United Football League. He was released by the

Hartford Colonials The Hartford Colonials, originally the New York Sentinels, were a professional American football team that played in the United Football League in its 2009 and 2010 seasons. A charter member of the UFL, the Sentinels began play in 2009 nominally ...

on June 16, 2010.

Omaha Nighthwaks

Putzier played in the 2010 UFL season with the

. On October 2, Putzier caught a game-winning touchdown from

Jeff Garcia Jeffrey Jason Garcia (born February 24, 1970) is a former American football quarterback. After attending high school and junior college in Gilroy, California, Garcia played college football at San Jose State University. A four-time CFL All-Sta ...

to defeat the

Sacramento Mountain Lions The Sacramento Mountain Lions was a professional American football team based in Sacramento, California that played in the United Football League. The franchise originated as the California Redwoods, and played its home games in San Francisco and ...

. Putzier tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns in 2010, scoring three on the year.

Personal life

Putzier also played basketball at Boise State and majored in English. Putzier is married, divorced and remarried. Due to concussions and cortisone shots, he had to quit his job for a medical equipment company. After a suicide attempt, Putzier was later diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.

References

External links

Denver Broncos bioHouston Texans bioSeattle Seahawks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Putzier, Jeb 1979 births Living people American football wide receivers American football tight ends Boise State Broncos men's basketball players Boise State Broncos football players Denver Broncos players Houston Texans players Seattle Seahawks players Hartford Colonials players Omaha Nighthawks players People from Eagle, Idaho American men's basketball players