Trent Jason Green (born July 9, 1970) 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 ...
for 15 seasons 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
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 ...
. He 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 eighth round of the
1993 NFL draft
The 1993 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 25–26, 1993, at the Marriot M ...
, and also played for the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
, and
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 ...
. He also played in the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
(CFL) for the
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place.
The Lions playe ...
. He earned a
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the team members of the winning team of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl ring offers a collectible memento for the actual players and t ...
with the Rams in
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV was an American football game played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 30, 2000, to determine the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1999 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion ...
over 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 ...
and was selected to two
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
s with the Chiefs.
Green is one of 13 quarterbacks to have completed a
99-yard pass play
A 99-yard pass play is the longest play involving a forward pass that is possible in an American football game. It gains 99 yards and scores a touchdown for the offensive team. The play has occurred thirteen times in NFL history, most recently by ...
in the NFL. Since his retirement from playing Green has worked as an NFL
color analyst
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...
on radio and television.
Early life
Green grew up in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, and attended
St. John Vianney High School in
Kirkwood, Missouri
Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis located in western St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 29,461. Founded in 1853, the city is named after James P. Kirkwood, chief engineer of the Pacific Railr ...
, a suburb of St. Louis.
College career
Green played college football for the
Indiana University Hoosiers. In 1991 Indiana played in the
Copper Bowl and dominated a highly regarded
Baylor team 24–0. Led by Green, it was one of the most impressive performances by any team during the 1991 bowl season. During Green's four-year career he threw for 5,400 yards with 23 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. He graduated with a degree in business.
Professional career
San Diego Chargers, BC Lions, Washington Redskins
In 1993, Green was selected as the twenty-sixth pick in the eighth round and 222nd overall by the San Diego Chargers. He spent a year as a backup and saw no playing time. After being cut in 1994 by the
British Columbia Lions of the
CFL
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the highest pr ...
, he joined the Washington Redskins. Outside of one pass thrown in 1997, he would not see NFL action until 1998, when he threw for 3,441 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Green's breakout season came just in time, as he became an unrestricted free agent after the 1998 season. He rejected a four-year, $12 million offer from the Redskins.
St. Louis Rams (first stint)
On February 15, 1999, Green agreed to a four-year, $17.5 million contract with the St. Louis Rams which included a $4.5 million signing bonus.
In 1999, Green was slated to be the starter for the Rams, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in a preseason game on a hit by
Rodney Harrison of the Chargers.
Kurt Warner took over for Green, and led the Rams to a 13–3 season, culminating in a 23–16 victory over 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
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV was an American football game played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 30, 2000, to determine the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1999 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion ...
and Warner being named NFL MVP.
Warner's success relegated Green to the backup position for the 2000 season. He started five games in the middle of the season while Warner was out with a broken hand. Green and Warner combined to lead the Rams to the then-highest team passing yards total in NFL history that season.
Kansas City Chiefs
Green was traded in 2001 to 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 ...
for the 12th overall pick in the
2001 NFL draft
The 2001 NFL draft was the 66th draft annual of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players. The draft, which is officially referred to as the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at the Th ...
.
Dick Vermeil, recently hired by the Chiefs, made trading for Green and signing
Priest Holmes top priorities, as he envisioned them joining
Tony Gonzalez,
Dante Hall, and
Will Shields to form a powerful offense.
During his first season in Kansas City, Green struggled. He threw for 3,783 yards and 17 touchdowns, but also threw 24 interceptions. Green displayed marked improvement in 2002, throwing 26 touchdowns to only 13 interceptions as the Chiefs went 8–8. Green tied the record for the longest career pass play in NFL history (99 yards) on December 22, 2002, on a pass to
Marc Boerigter in a game against the San Diego Chargers. In 2003, Green had his breakout year, throwing for 4,039 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He led the Chiefs to a 13–3 record and a first-round bye in the playoffs. However, in the divisional playoff game, they lost a 38–31 shootout to
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
and the Indianapolis Colts. The game was notable for there being no punts by either team, a first in NFL playoff history. Green was selected to his first Pro Bowl that year.
In 2004, the Chiefs went 7–9 as Priest Holmes suffered a season ending injury. At the time, Holmes was leading the league in both rushing and scoring. However, Green still had a stellar year, passing for 4,591 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. His passing total for 2004 was second only to Minnesota's
Daunte Culpepper. Green has the distinction of having four consecutive seasons with a QB rating of 90.0 or better, three of those with over 4,000 passing yards. Green started 80 consecutive games during his first five years with the Chiefs, a team record.
Green had another strong season in 2005, throwing for 4,010 yards (second only to
New England's Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
), and throwing just 10 interceptions, his lowest season total ever, earning another Pro Bowl selection. In week 17, the Chiefs needed a
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
loss, and a victory against the Cincinnati Bengals to reach the playoffs. The Chiefs defeated the Bengals 38-3, however the Steelers won and secured the final playoff spot, leaving the Chiefs out of the postseason at 10-6 (The Steelers would go on a run as the sixth seed to win the
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
). This would also mark longtime coach Dick Vermeil's final game
Green's 2006 season was put in jeopardy by a severe
concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...
he suffered during
the first game of the season on September 10, 2006, 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 ...
in
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...
. Green attempted to slide during a third-quarter play, but was hit hard by Cincinnati defensive end
Robert Geathers, who had lowered his shoulders, but instead struck the quarterback in an unusual position. However, the official determined that no foul had been committed and Geathers insisted that he had tried to check up, but was pushed by Chiefs
receiver Eddie Kennison.
CBS announcer
Randy Cross, a former offensive lineman with the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, believed the hit was unintentional and supported the officials' decision. National Football League officials took the same position and, on September 13, 2006, declined to fine Robert Geathers because he did not have complete control of his body. Green was rendered unconscious and the game was delayed for over fifteen minutes while he received medical attention. He reportedly regained consciousness in the tunnel and could not recall the play. According to Chiefs general manager
Carl Peterson, preliminary doctor's visits revealed a "very, very severe concussion" and stated that Green would be out indefinitely.
On Saturday, October 21, 2006, it was reported that Green was cleared by doctors to return to practice. Chiefs president and general manager Carl Peterson said that this did not mean that he was cleared to play. Peterson confirmed that Green's return to practice would be in a controlled environment to see how far along he is in his recovery from a "very, very severe concussion." On November 15, 2006, Kansas City Chiefs head coach,
Herman Edwards announced that Green would take back his starting quarterback job from
Damon Huard who took over when Green suffered a concussion.
Green helped Kansas City return to the playoffs, however they lost against
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
and 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 ...
in the
Wild-Card round.
On February 27, 2007, Damon Huard was re-signed by the Chiefs for $7.5 million over three years, causing a
"quarterback controversy" in Kansas City. Green initially was asked to take a pay cut in his 2007 salary, and had been granted permission to seek a trade to another team. Teams interested in Green prior to the
2007 NFL draft included the Miami Dolphins
[Teicher, Adam]
Browns may go for Green
''Kansas City Star'', page D5, March 28, 2007. (who offered a seventh-round draft pick to the Chiefs, but the Chiefs declined, instead seeking a fifth-round pick),
the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
,
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 ...
.
Green was not traded on draft weekend as previously expected. Green said he would not return to Kansas City, therefore making his release possible. Green had told the Chiefs that Miami was his preference
being that he previously worked under both head coach
Cam Cameron
Malcolm "Cam" Cameron (born February 6, 1961) is an American football coach who was most recently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the LSU Tigers football program. Cameron attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana an ...
and quarterbacks coach
Terry Shea.
Miami Dolphins
On June 5, 2007, the Chiefs agreed to trade Green to the Miami Dolphins for a conditional fifth-round pick in the
2008 NFL draft
The 2008 NFL draft was the 73rd NFL draft, annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York (state), New York ...
, pending a physical from Green
[Pasquarelli, Len]
Green goes to Dolphins from Chiefs in trade
''ESPN.com'', June 5, 2007. which was subsequently passed. Green was introduced at a news conference in Miami on June 6. The draft pick would have become a fourth-round pick if Green played more than 70 percent of Miami's offensive plays. On August 20 the Dolphins named Green the starter with
Cleo Lemon named as his backup, despite the fact that neither of them had thrown a touchdown pass to that point in pre-season play. Second-round pick John Beck was named third string.
Green's position with his new team—as well as his career—was instantly put in jeopardy on October 7 as he suffered another severe concussion early in a game against the Texans at Houston. With just under 4 minutes to play in the first quarter, Green put his shoulder low to the knees of 315-pound Houston defensive tackle
Travis Johnson in a successful attempt to block him on a play that started with a fumbled handoff to Dolphins rookie wide receiver
Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn, who was running right-to-left across the backfield when the exchange was fumbled, recovered the ball near the sidelines and then reversed field. Johnson went down in a sprawling tumble on the block at the same time Green fell face-down to the turf, knocked out cold after striking Johnson's knee with his helmet. Johnson, upon getting up and seeing Ginn had been stopped and the play ended, immediately walked towards Green's body, jabbing his finger at the motionless quarterback. Johnson was flagged with a 15-yard penalty for
taunting, and medical personnel quickly made their way to Green. After being examined on the field for nearly five minutes, Green was carted off on a stretcher as Cleo Lemon stepped in to take his place.
After the game an angry Travis Johnson had harsh words for Green, comparing him to "the scarecrow
howants to get courage" and calling the block "malicious."
[Corbett, Ji]
Concussion threat could mean end of Green's career
''USA Today.com'', October 11, 2007. Texans head coach
Gary Kubiak, while in some ways siding with Johnson in saying that NFL officials should review the rules on "chop" blocks, also called Johnson's reaction over a fallen player "inexcusable."
While many fans and sportswriters alike called for Green to retire,
[Wilson, Rya]
Trent Green Should Not Be Allowed to Make Decisions About His Future
''AOL Sports'', October 12, 2007.[Snyder, Dero]
Fins must save Green from himself
''The (Southwest Florida) News-Press'', October 12, 2007. Green was back with the team in practice, albeit in street clothes, the Friday after the injury after returning from
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...
where he was evaluated by the same medical team that made the diagnosis in 2006. Coach Cam Cameron had initially expressed his plans for Green to return to the game before the end of the 2007 season.
[Bureau source]
Green Says He's Not Done Playing
''Orlando Sentinel'', October 11, 2007. However, on October 20, 2007, the Dolphins announced that Green would be placed on injured reserve, and made Cleo Lemon their starting quarterback. Following the season, Green became one of nine players released by the Dolphins on February 11, 2008.
St. Louis Rams (second stint)
On March 10, 2008, Green agreed to a three-year deal worth about $9 million with the St. Louis Rams, rejoining the team he played for in 1999 and 2000. On September 23, 2008, Green was named the starter for week 4 versus the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
. He completed 17 of 32 passes for 236 yards with one interception and a quarterback rating of 64.1. On November 9, 2008, against the Jets, Green took over for
Marc Bulger after Bulger was shut out by the Jets in the first half. The Rams released Green on February 25, 2009.
Retirement
Green retired from professional football on June 12, 2009, citing a desire to pursue a career in broadcasting. Green's
agent
Agent may refer to:
Espionage, investigation, and law
*, spies or intelligence officers
* Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another
** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...
, Jim Steiner, said "He had a long, prosperous, very successful career. He believes he can still play, but the demand isn't real high out there right now and he's not the type of guy who is going to sit around for four or five months waiting for the phone to ring."
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
Post-NFL career
In the
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL). The 50th anniversary of the original eight charter members of the American Football League was celebrated during this season.
The preseason started ...
, Green started doing work as a
color analyst
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...
on regional NFL games for the
Fox network for one season, as well as a studio analyst for the ''
NFL Total Access'' show on the
NFL Network
NFL Network (occasionally abbreviated on-air as NFLN) is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League NTP and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and N ...
. He also worked with
Ian Eagle calling ''
Thursday Night Football
''Thursday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''TNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time (8:20 prior to ...
'' games on
Westwood One
Westwood One, Inc. is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming.
The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1976. The co ...
radio and with
Paul Burmeister on
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 ...
preseason broadcasts.
In April 2014, Green was hired by
CBS as an NFL analyst alongside
Greg Gumbel
Gregory Girard Gumbel (May 3, 1946 – December 27, 2024) was an American television sportscaster. He was best known for his various assignments for CBS Sports (most notably, the National Football League and NCAA basketball). He became the firs ...
, and later with
Kevin Harlan
Kevin Robert Harlan (born June 21, 1960) is an American television and radio sports announcer, and a 3 time National Sportscaster of Year as voted by his peers. The son of former Green Bay Packers President and CEO Bob Harlan, he broadcasts NF ...
.
Trent Green sometimes works as a guest analyst for the NFL on Westwood One.
In July 2012, Green was named the forty-first greatest quarterback of the NFL's post-merger era, according to Football Nation.
On November 22, 2016, Green was named the
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...
's Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award winner.
Personal life
Green has two sons and a daughter. One son, Trent Jr. (T.J.), is a quarterback for
Northwestern. His other son Derek, is a former
SMU and
Long Island University
Long Island University (LIU) is a private university in Brooklyn and Brookville, New York, United States. The university enrolls over 16,000 students and offers over 500 academic programs at its main campuses, LIU Brooklyn and LIU Post on Long I ...
quarterback that now plays for the Bologna Warriors, a team of the
Italian Football League.
See also
*
Most consecutive starts by a quarterback (NFL)
Notes
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Trent
1970 births
Living people
American football quarterbacks
BC Lions players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
Indiana Hoosiers football players
Kansas City Chiefs players
Miami Dolphins players
NFL announcers
Players of American football from Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Players of American football from St. Louis
Players of Canadian football from St. Louis
San Diego Chargers players
St. Louis Rams players
Washington Redskins players
Alliance of American Football announcers