Ken Hobart

Ken Hobart
Date of birth (1961-01-27) January 27, 1961
Place of birth Kamiah, Idaho, U.S.
Career information
Status Retired
CFL status International
Position(s) QB
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg)
College Idaho
High school Kamiah (ID)
Supplemental draft 1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10
Drafted by New York Jets
Career history
As player
1984 Jacksonville Bulls
1984 Denver Gold
1985 Edmonton Eskimos*
19851987 Hamilton Tiger-Cats
19891990 Ottawa Rough Riders
Awards 1985 - Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy
Honors 1986 - 74th Grey Cup Champion
Records Tied for most passing touchdowns in a playoff game (5) 1985[1]

Kenneth Charles "Ken" Hobart (born January 27, 1961) is a former professional football player, a quarterback in the USFL and CFL, where he played from 1985–1990.[2]

Collegiate career

Hobart played college football at the University of Idaho from 1980–1983, starting at quarterback for the Vandals for four seasons. The first two were in the veer option offense under Jerry Davitch, and the final two in a passing attack under new head coach Dennis Erickson.[3][4] In Erickson's first season in 1982, Hobart led the Vandals to an 83 record in the regular season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division I-AA playoffs, falling on the road 3038 to eventual champion Eastern Kentucky, and was named offensive player of the year in the Big Sky Conference.[5][6] In Hobart's senior season of 1983, the Vandals again went 8–3, but lost all three games in conference play and were not selected for the 12-team national playoffs. Throwing for over 10,000 yards in his collegiate career, he was a Division I-AA All-American in 1983.[4][7][8][9]

Hailing from tiny Kamiah (KAMM-ee-eye) on the Clearwater River in north central Idaho, Hobart was a bespeckled 155-pound (70 kg)[10] wishbone quarterback at Kamiah High School and led the Kubs to the A-3 (now 2A) state title in his senior season.[11][12][13][14] After graduation in 1979, he enrolled at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston with the intent of playing college baseball as a pitcher. After a semester, Hobart transferred to UI in January 1980 and walked-on the football team to become the starting quarterback in his redshirt freshman season.[10] Nicknamed the "Kamiah Kid" by longtime Vandal broadcaster Bob Curtis,[15] Hobart also competed for the Idaho track team in the decathlon and still ranks as one of the top decathletes in the school's history, in a program which later produced Dan O'Brien. (Idaho dropped baseball as a varsity sport in May 1980.)[16] After his football eligibility was used up, he was also asked to play basketball for the Vandals.[17] Hobart graduated in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in management.[18]

Professional career

Hobart started his professional football career in 1984 with the Jacksonville Bulls of the USFL, as a second round pick in the 1984 USFL Draft.[19] and signed a contract in January.[10] He was traded to the Denver Gold,[20] and was selected tenth in the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft by the New York Jets,[21] but never played in the NFL.[22][23]

As the USFL folded in 1985, Hobart moved north to Canada, where he played for five seasons in the CFL, three with Hamilton and two with Ottawa. The Edmonton Eskimos originally held his CFL rights, and he was traded in June 1985 to Hamilton.[24] That season, he set the CFL record for rushing yards by a quarterback (928) a total that has since only been surpassed 5 times and was winner of the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy and runner up as CFL MVP.[3][25][26][27] He was a member of the Hamilton's Grey Cup championship team in 1986,[28] then broke his left fibula in the second game of the 1987 season.[29]

After a brief stint in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers in 1988, he stayed and sold cars in San Diego,[30] then returned to the CFL for two seasons with Ottawa.

Personal

Following his playing career, Hobart returned to north central Idaho and resides in Lewiston with his wife and three children, Zane, Klaree, and Laney.

After his first season in Canada in 1985, Hobart returned to his hometown to co-coach the Kamiah boys basketball team for a season.[23]

References

  1. "Playoffs (Individual)". CFL Records. TSN.ca. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
  2. CFLapedia.com - Ken Hobart - accessed 2010-05-27
  3. 1 2 Blanchette, John (November 8, 1985). "Hobart isn't a quitter, eh?". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 25.
  4. 1 2 Wright, Josh (October 6, 2009). "Ken Hobart - A family man now". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  5. "All-Big Sky". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. December 2, 1982. p. 1B.
  6. "Hobart acclaimed best in the Sky". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. December 4, 1982. p. 12.
  7. Stalwick, Howie (November 18, 1983). "Hobart's not through". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 29.
  8. Stalwick, Howie (December 6, 1983). "Hobart named I-AA All-American". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C1.
  9. "Hobart named to Kodak 1-AA first team". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. December 6, 1983. p. 3B.
  10. 1 2 3 Stalwick, Howie (January 30, 1984). "Ken Hobart signs huge USFL pact". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. p. 13.
  11. "Kubs solve Parma defense". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. November 12, 1978. p. 1B.
  12. "Kamiah plays for state championship tonight". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. November 17, 1978. p. 1B.
  13. "Kubs bring home state title, 16-14". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. November 18, 1978. p. 1B.
  14. idhsaa.org - Idaho high school football - state champions
  15. Brown, Jessica (July 27, 2012). "Legendary Idaho Vandal broadcaster passes away at age 87". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  16. Goodwin, Dale (May 13, 1980). "Baseball is 'out' at Idaho". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 19.
  17. Stalwick, Howie (January 11, 1984). "Hobart not done with Idaho athletics?". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 24.
  18. "Ken Hobart". Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame. Idaho Athletic Media Relations. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
  19. USFL.info - Jacksonville - 1984 Draft - accessed 2010-05-27
  20. Stalwick, Howie (May 9, 1984). "Confused, bitter Ken Hobart seeking new start with Denver". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 21.
  21. Stalwick, Howie (December 4, 1984). "Where will Hobart be next year?". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. B1.
  22. Stalwick, Howie (January 17, 1985). "Hobart 'waives' hello to $100,000". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 22.
  23. 1 2 "Hobart takes coaching position with Kamiah". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. August 17, 1985. p. 17.
  24. "Hobart 5th quarterback to join Tiger-Cats' den". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. Canadian Press. June 5, 1985. p. C5.
  25. "Hobart only unanimous choice for Eastern all-star team". The Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario. Canadian Press. November 7, 1985. p. C3.
  26. Blanchette, John (November 8, 1985). "Kamiah Kid learns he can have fun without the sun". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. p. 17.
  27. Campbell, Don (June 12, 1986). "Ti-Cats want to pounce on Cup". The Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario. p. C5.
  28. Lee, Greg (June 7, 1987). "Ex-Vandal Ken Hobart hearing talk of trade". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. D6.
  29. Lee, Greg (July 12, 1987). "Hobart faced with a series of bad breaks". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. D8.
  30. Stalwick, Howie (September 19, 1989). "Hobart gets handle on rash of bad luck". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. p. B2.
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