Connor Bazelak
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Connor Bazelak (born September 22, 2000) is an American 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 ...
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 ...
for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
of 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
Missouri Tigers The Missouri Tigers intercollegiate athletics programs represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia. The name comes from a band of armed Union Home Guards called the "Fighting Tigers of Columbia" who, in 1864, protected Columbia ...
,
Indiana Hoosiers The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the demonym for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Coll ...
, and Bowling Green Falcons.


Early life

Bazelak grew up in
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
and attended Archbishop Alter High School, where he played basketball and football. As a senior, he passed for over 1,500 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions in a triple option offense out of the wishbone formation. Bazelak committed to play college football at Missouri over offers from Georgia, Purdue, North Carolina State, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.


College career


Missouri

Bazelak played in three games as a true freshman, allowing him to use a redshirt and maintain an extra season of NCAA eligibility. He started the final game of the season against Arkansas, but tore his ACL midway through the game. Bazelak completed 15 of 21 passes for 144 yards in his true freshman season. Bazelak took over at quarterback in each of the Tigers' first two games of his redshirt freshman season before being named the team's starter. Bazelak completed 218 of 324 passes for 2,366 yards and seven touchdowns with six interceptions and was named the SEC co-Freshman of the Year. Bazelak was named to the watchlist for the
Davey O'Brien Award The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National C ...
going into his redshirt sophomore season. He ended his 2021 season appearing in 11 games with 2,548 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.


Indiana

On January 6, 2022, Bazelak announced he would be transferring to play for the
Indiana Hoosiers The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the demonym for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Coll ...
. In week 1, Bazelak threw a game winning touchdown pass with under thirty seconds remaining in the 23–20 victory against
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
. He became the first Indiana quarterback to pass for 300 yards in a debut since
Antwaan Randle El Antwaan Randle El (; born August 17, 1979) is an American professional American football, football coach and former player who currently serves as the wide receivers coach and assistant head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football L ...
in 1998. In week 3, he threw for a season high 364 yards on 33–55 attempts and two touchdowns against Western Kentucky. On September 24, Bazelak set an Indiana record with 66 pass attempts against
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
. For the Hoosiers, Bazelak appeared in 10 games with nine starts. On the season, he completed 235-of-426 passes for 2,312 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. On November 29. 2022, Bazelak announced his decision to enter the transfer portal again.


Bowling Green

On January 13, 2023, Bazelak announced via his personal Twitter that he would be transferring to play for the Bowling Green Falcons. In his first start with the Falcons, he threw three interceptions in a loss against
Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...
. The Following week against Eastern Illinois he started the game 12-of-12 passing for 163 yards and one touchdown before his first incompletion, helping lead the Falcons to victory. He missed the following game against
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
with a leg injury. On September 30, Bazelek led the Falcons to a 38–27 upset victory against
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...
where he threw his 40th career touchdown pass. Against
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
in the Quick Lane Bowl, Bazelak completed 21 passes on 36 attempts for 221 yards and a score while also rushing for a touchdown. Bazelak finished the 2023 season throwing for 1,935 yards and recording 14 total touchdowns. On December 6, Bazelak announced on his personal Instagram page that he would use his final year of eligibility to return to Bowling Green with hopes of winning a MAC Championship. In week two, Bazelak threw his 50th collegiate touchdown pass in a near upset against
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
. Bazelak surpassed 10,000 career passing yards when he threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns in a loss against Old Dominion. In week seven against
Northern Illinois Northern Illinois is a region generally covering the northern third of the U.S. state of Illinois. The region is by far the most populous of Illinois, with nearly 9.7 million residents as of 2010. Economics Northern Illinois is dominated by ...
Bazelak became the 41st player in FBS history with 1,000 career completions. The following week against Kent State, Bazelak threw for a season high 313 yards and was 23-of-27 passing. His completion percentage of 85.2 set a single game program record for a quarterback with 20 plus attempts.


Statistics


Professional career

Bazelak signed with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
as an
undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
on May 9, 2025.


Personal life

Bazelak's father, Len Bazelak, played
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
at
Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...
and holds the school's record for career three-point percentage. Bazelak has two older sisters, Maddie Bazelak and Libby Bazelak. Maddie Bazelak was a multi-sport athlete at the
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
level, having played volleyball at
Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( ; also known as Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a Private university, private Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of ...
and basketball at
Ohio University Ohio University (Ohio or OU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Athens, Ohio, United States. The university was first conceived in the 1787 contract between the United States Department of the Treasury#Re ...
. Libby Bazelak played college basketball at
Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( ; also known as Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a Private university, private Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of ...
and concluded her college basketball career ranked 24th all-time in program history with 1,111 points.


References


External links


Tampa Bay Buccaneers bioMissouri Tigers bioIndiana Hoosiers bioBowling Green Falcons bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bazelak, Connor 2000 births Living people Players of American football from Dayton, Ohio American football quarterbacks Missouri Tigers football players Indiana Hoosiers football players Bowling Green Falcons football players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players