Jon Kitna
![]() Kitna with the Cowboys in 2010
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Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Date of birth: | September 21, 1972 | ||||||||||||||
Place of birth: | Tacoma, Washington | ||||||||||||||
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Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school: | Tacoma (WA) Lincoln | ||||||||||||||
College: | Central Washington | ||||||||||||||
Undrafted: | 1996 | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
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As coach: | |||||||||||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||
Regular season: | 22–5 (.750) | ||||||||||||||
Postseason: | 2–3 (.400) | ||||||||||||||
Career: | 24–8 (.750) | ||||||||||||||
Player stats at PFR |
Jon Kelly Kitna (born September 21, 1972) is an American football coach and former quarterback. After playing college football for Central Washington University, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 1996 and was allocated to the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe in 1997. He led the Dragons to a World Bowl championship, and became the starting quarterback for the Seahawks in 1998 after spending the 1997 and most of the 1998 seasons as the backup to Warren Moon. Following a four-year stint with Seattle, Kitna signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2001. He played for the Bengals from 2001 to 2005 as their starting quarterback, and, later, the mentor to Carson Palmer. He was a member of the Detroit Lions from 2006 to 2008, and the Dallas Cowboys from 2009 to 2011. Kitna was re-signed by the Cowboys as a third string quarterback on December 24, 2013.
From 2012 to 2014, Kitna was head football coach and a math teacher at his alma mater Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington. In 2015, he resigned to take the head coaching job at Waxahachie High School in Waxahachie, Texas.
Contents
College career
Born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, Kitna attended Central Washington University without an athletic scholarship, and was a quarterback for the Wildcats from 1992-1995. In 1995 the Wildcats won the NAIA Football National Championship with Kitna as their quarterback.[1]:{{{3}}}
Professional career
Believing that his football career was over after the NAIA championship, Kitna finished his math education degree at Central Washington[2]:{{{3}}} and began applying for high-school coaching jobs. Seattle Seahawks head coach Dennis Erickson visited the campus to give a tryout for his nephew, a receiver on the Central Washington team. Impressed by Kitna's strong passes, Erickson offered him the opportunity to attend the Seahawks' 1996 training camp. Kitna made the practice squad, and after the 1996 season was sent to NFL Europe.[1]
Barcelona Dragons
Kitna was named the MVP in NFL Europe's 1997 championship game, when he led the Barcelona Dragons to the World Bowl Championship (World Bowl V), winning 38–24 over the Rhein Fire.[3]
Seattle Seahawks
Kitna was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seahawks. He served as a backup to Warren Moon in 1997 and most of 1998, but started the final five games of the 1998 season. Then, in 1999, he started 15 games for the Seahawks, leading them to a 9–7 record (Kitna going 8–7 in games started) and winning the AFC West, though Seattle would lose the wild card game to the Miami Dolphins.
In 2000, Kitna opened the season with a four-interception performance against the Dolphins which opened the door for coach Mike Holmgren to start Brock Huard. During that season, Kitna and Huard rotated as starting QBs due to injury and benchings. On November 5, down 15-14 on 3rd-and-16 with 1:28 left in the game, Kitna dodged a possible 17-yard sack by San Diego Chargers defensive end Neil Smith and made an 18-yard pass to Darrell Jackson. This pass set up the game-winning field goal by Rian Lindell.[4] His last win for the Seahawks came on a rain-soaked Husky Stadium turf in December of that year, beating the AFC Championship Game-bound Oakland Raiders on a TD pass to rookie Darrell Jackson in the final minute of play.[5]
Cincinnati Bengals
In 2001, he signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals.[6]
In 2003, Kitna played every offensive down, and was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year after throwing for over 3,500 yards and 26 touchdown passes in leading the Bengals to a respectable 8–8 record, the team's first non-losing season since 1996.
Kitna's secondary role with the team was to prepare young quarterback Carson Palmer (the Bengals' #1 draft pick in 2003). It was a role Kitna accepted gracefully. By 2004, Palmer was ready, leading the Bengals to another 8–8 season. Kitna was the backup for Palmer in that season. The two QB's developed a close friendship off the field, particularly because both men are avid golfers.
Kitna was unexpectedly thrust back behind center during the Bengals' AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 8, 2006. Palmer went down with a knee injury on his second play from scrimmage and Kitna stepped in off the bench and into a relief role. Kitna finished 24-40 for 197 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and a fumble as the Bengals fell to the eventual Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh Steelers 31–17.[7]
Detroit Lions
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Kitna signed with the Detroit Lions as an unrestricted free agent in early 2006.[8][9] In both 2006 and 2007, Kitna threw for over 4,000 yards. In 2008, Kitna was injured and placed on injured reserve in week 5. The team ended the regular season with an 0–16 record.[10]
Dallas Cowboys
Kitna was traded to the Dallas Cowboys on February 28, 2009, for Anthony Henry. His role was Tony Romo's primary back-up with Stephen McGee being the third-string QB. Kitna did not play a single down for the Cowboys in the 2009 regular season. He remained idle until October 25, 2010, when Tony Romo was removed after suffering a broken clavicle which ended Romo's season.[11] Kitna ended up injuring himself on December 25, 2010, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals. He was replaced by third-stringer McGee in the season finale against the Eagles. Kitna played well in relief of Romo throwing for over 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns in the 9 games he started, compiling a 4-5 record and a career high 88.9 passer rating in the process.
Kitna retired from the NFL on January 12, 2012.[12]
On December 24, 2013, Kitna was called out of retirement to serve as back-up quarterback to Kyle Orton for the Dallas Cowboys, following a back injury to Romo.[13] He donated his salary ($55,294 before taxes) from his 2013 signing with Dallas for the final game to the Lincoln High School Booster Club.[14]
Coaching career
From 2012 to 2014, Kitna was a math teacher and head football coach at alma mater, Lincoln High School.[2] As coach he led the team to a 5–5 record in the 2012 season.[1]:{{{3}}} Lincoln improved to 8–2 in 2013[15] and 11–1 in 2014.[16] Lincoln shared the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association District 3A Narrows regular season championship in 2013, with a 5–1 conference record tied with Lacey Timberline.[17] In 2014, Lincoln went 7–0 in conference play and won the outright regular season championship.[18]
In January 2015, he resigned from Lincoln and accepted the head coaching job at Waxahachie High School in Waxahachie, Texas, south of Dallas.[19]
Personal life
Kitna became a Christian while attending Central Washington University.[1]:{{{3}}} His parents, who had previously been non-religious, later became Christians as well.[20] Kitna has 4 children with his wife Jeni.[21] His son Jordan was the starting quarterback at Lincoln High for the 2014 season and threw for 55 touchdowns in an 11–1 season.[22]
Head coaching record
High school
Team | Year | Overall | Postseason | |||||||
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Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
Tacoma (WA) Lincoln | 2012 | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 4th in WA 3A Narrows | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Bellevue (WA) in 3A First Round. |
Tacoma (WA) Lincoln | 2013 | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | T-1st in WA 3A Narrows | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Sammamish (WA) Eastside Catholic in 3A First Round. |
Tacoma (WA) Lincoln | 2014 | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 1st in WA 3A Narrows | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to Sammamish (WA) Eastside Catholic in 3A Quarterfinals. |
Tacoma (WA) Lincoln Total | 24 | 8 | 0 | .750 | 2 | 3 | .400 |
See also
References
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External links
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- ↑ Detroit Lions | All News
- ↑ Jon Kitna, QB for the Dallas Cowboys at NFL.com
- ↑ Jon Kitna News
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- ↑ http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/lincoln-abes-%28tacoma,wa%29/football-fall-13/schedule.htm
- ↑ http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/lincoln-abes-(tacoma,wa)/football-fall-14/schedule.htm
- ↑ http://www.maxpreps.com/league/UfCxKmBTd0WqaBLVinVy9Q/standings-3a-narrows.htm
- ↑ http://www.maxpreps.com/league/eRpFod5YdUCkyFhJsRbK4g/standings-3a-narrows.htm
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- ↑ http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/jordan-kitna/FQMwJvTwEeKZ5AAmVebBJg/gendersport/football-stats.htm
- Pages with reference errors
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- 1972 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Tacoma, Washington
- American Christians
- American football quarterbacks
- Players of American football from Washington (state)
- Central Washington Wildcats football players
- Barcelona Dragons players
- Seattle Seahawks players
- Cincinnati Bengals players
- Detroit Lions players
- Dallas Cowboys players
- World Bowl MVPs
- American schoolteachers
- High school football coaches in the United States