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Charles David Whitehurst Jr. (born August 6, 1982), is an American former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the Clemson Tigers, and was selected by the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
in the third round of the
2006 NFL draft The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offe ...
. Nicknamed "Clipboard Jesus", Whitehurst also played for the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
,
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
,
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
and
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
.


Early life

Born in
Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...
, Whitehurst attended Chattahoochee High School in what is now
Johns Creek, Georgia Johns Creek is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 82,453. The city is a northeastern suburb of Atlanta. History In the early 19th century, the Johns Cr ...
and was a three-year letterman in
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
and a four-year letterman in baseball.


College career

While playing
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at Clemson, Whitehurst became the first quarterback to go 4–0 in the rivalry between Clemson and the
University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...
, including a 63–17 rout of the Gamecocks in Columbia on November 22, 2003. The following year, he was used as a multiple weapon by coach
Tommy Bowden Tommy Pearce Bowden (; born July 10, 1954) is an American former college football coach. He served as the head coach at Clemson University from 1999 until October 13, 2008. He is a son of Bobby Bowden, former head football coach of Florida Sta ...
and the Tigers offense. In addition to passing for 2,067 yards, seven touchdowns, and 17 interceptions, he had one punt for 25 yards and also had a two-yard reception. Whitehurst graduated from Clemson in December 2004 with a bachelor's degree in marketing and began graduate school by the start of his senior season in 2005. Whitehurst left Clemson with 9,665 passing yards, 49 touchdowns and 46 interceptions and a 124.2 quarterback rating. On the ground, he gained 98 yards on 266 attempts and 10 touchdowns.


College statistics


Professional career


San Diego Chargers (first stint)

Whitehurst was drafted by the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
in the third round (81st overall) of the
2006 NFL draft The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offe ...
. He played in two regular season games as the third-stringer to Billy Volek and starter
Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football for the ...
. His first career appearance was in Week 2 against the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
in 2006. Whitehurst rushed once for 14 yards and a touchdown in a 40–7 win. His second appearance came in Week 5 at San Francisco, which also resulted in a win, 48–19. He had one rush for a one-yard loss. He entered two more games but did not record a stat, Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns (a 32–25 win) and Week 12 in a 24–21 win against the Buffalo Bills. From 2007 to 2009, he did not enter another NFL game.


Seattle Seahawks

Whitehurst was traded to the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
on March 17, 2010, in exchange for a 2011 third-round draft pick to San Diego, and the two teams switched second-round picks in the
2010 NFL draft The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...
. He was signed to a two-year, $8 million contract. Seattle's front office later stated they had already picked up a potential franchise quarterback in the draft by acquiring Whitehurst with the 2011 selection. On November 7, 2010, Whitehurst made his first-career start and completed 12-of-23 passes for 113 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a Week 9 loss against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
due to an injury suffered by starting
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Matt Hasselbeck Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Seattle Seahawks. He played college football for t ...
. Whitehurst started on January 2, 2011, in a ''Sunday Night Football'' game against the division rival
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
to determine the
NFC West The National Football Conference – Western Division or NFC West is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Card ...
champion. Whitehurst was five-for-five for 85 yards on the opening drive and finished the first half going 16-for-21 with 138 yards and one touchdown. He finished the game 22-of-36 and 192 yards as the Seahawks clinched their division. Hasselbeck returned as the starter for the subsequent playoff game. Prior to the 2011 preseason, Whitehurst was named the backup to Tarvaris Jackson, the former Vikings quarterback whom Seattle acquired in the 2011 offseason. However, Jackson and Whitehurst were expected to compete for the starting job once Whitehurst became familiar with the new offensive schemes. Whitehurst went 14-of-19 passing with one touchdown to put Seattle on the board against the Vikings in 2011's second preseason action. Whitehurst took over for an injured Jackson during a Week 5 matchup at the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. In that game, Whitehurst outscored Jackson's 14 points in the first three quarters by putting up 20 points in the fourth quarter, going 11-for-19, 149 yards, and a 27-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin, securing a 36–25 Seattle victory. Coach
Pete Carroll Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as head coach for the NCAA's ...
named Whitehurst the starting quarterback until Jackson healed from a pectoral injury, although no official date of Jackson's medical clearance had been released. Whitehurst was named the starter for Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns, because Jackson had suffered a pectoral injury against the Giants. Whitehurst went 12-of-30 for 92 yards, with no touchdowns and two turnovers. Whitehurst started in Week 8 against the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, but was benched for an injured Jackson after going 4-of-7 for 52 yards.


San Diego Chargers (second stint)

On March 16, 2012, Whitehurst signed a two-year contract to reunite with his former team, the Chargers.


Tennessee Titans

On March 13, 2014, Whitehurst signed a two-year contract with the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
replacing
Ryan Fitzpatrick Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick (born November 24, 1982) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Fitzpatrick started at quarterback for nine teams, the ...
as the backup quarterback. Whitehurst appeared in seven games with five starts and recorded career-highs in completions (105), pass attempts (185), passing yards (1,326), touchdowns (seven), and an 87.4 passer rating while rushing 20 times for 90 yards. He recorded a career-high two touchdown passes against the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
on October 5, 2014. He posted a career-best 287 passing yards against the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
on December 18, 2014. Whitehurst made the start in Week 4 against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
after Jake Locker's injury, his first start since Week 8 of the 2011 season. He was waived by the team on November 11, 2015.


Indianapolis Colts

On November 12, 2015, Whitehurst was claimed off waivers by the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
. Whitehurst's best game of the season was on December 27, 2015, against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, completing 9-of-14 passes for 78 yards and a 78.9 passer rating. He appeared in four games for the Colts before being placed on
injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
on December 28, 2015.


Cleveland Browns

Whitehurst signed with the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
on September 19, 2016. After starting quarterback Cody Kessler was injured in the first quarter of the Week 5 game against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, Whitehurst completed 14-of-24 passes for 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception as the Browns lost by a score of 33–13. Whitehurst also hyperextended his left knee late in the fourth quarter but returned for the final play of the game, which was a kneel down. On October 11, 2016, he was released by the Browns with an injury settlement.


NFL career statistics


Personal life

Whitehurst's father, David Whitehurst, played quarterback for the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
from 1977 to 1983 and the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
in 1984. Whitehurst's sister, Carrie, also went to Clemson, where she was a forward on the Clemson Tigers' women's basketball team. Whitehurst's nickname is "Clipboard Jesus," given to him for his long hair and lengthy career as a backup quarterback.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitehurst, Charlie 1982 births Living people Players of American football from Green Bay, Wisconsin Players of American football from Alpharetta, Georgia American football quarterbacks Clemson Tigers football players San Diego Chargers players Seattle Seahawks players Tennessee Titans players Indianapolis Colts players Cleveland Browns players