Jeff Komlo(1956-2009)
Jeff Komlo is an American professional football quarterback who played for the Detroit Lions, the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. He was born in Cheverly, Maryland.
Coming out of DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, Jeff Komlo wasn't heavily recruited. He'd been a star for both the football and baseball team, but opted to focus on football. On the baseball team, Komlo played shortstop and was the team's clean up hitter. However, he aspired to be like his father William, who played college football for Maryland in the 1950s. He first attended Fork Hill Military Academy to sharpen his skills, and then transferred to Delaware, where he was told by Head Coach Raymond he'd need to earn a scholarship, but he could try and make the team as a walk-on, which Komlo did. Komlo played at the University of Delaware under head coach Tubby Raymond and led the Blue Hens to a second-place finish in the 1978 NCAA Division II playoffs. During his Delaware career, Komlo set 11 school records and passed for 5,256 yards.
Komlo was selected by the Lions in the ninth round of the 1979 NFL Draft, and played three seasons with the Michigan club. At the beginning of the 1979 season, then head coach Monte Clark chose to open the season with Komlo as the starter. He was one of a few rookie quarterbacks, not drafted #1 by his team, to start the first game. In his NFL career, he played in 25 games and threw for 12 touchdowns but also tossed 28 interceptions. Inserted into the line-up after the second game, Komlo went 2-12 as a starter. He was the starter for both of the Lions wins that year. One was a 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons and the next was a 20-0 win over division rival Chicago Bears. In 1980, he saw mainly spot duty, but he was the unquestioned back-up to Danielson. 1981 was pretty much a repeat of the previous season, with Komlo getting in spot duty, but he was mainly the third string quarterback, with Danielson being supplanted as starter by Eric Hipple. His last appearance for the Lions came in a 27-21 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Jeff Komlo's career ended in 1983, after one-season spells with the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Coming out of DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, Jeff Komlo wasn't heavily recruited. He'd been a star for both the football and baseball team, but opted to focus on football. On the baseball team, Komlo played shortstop and was the team's clean up hitter. However, he aspired to be like his father William, who played college football for Maryland in the 1950s. He first attended Fork Hill Military Academy to sharpen his skills, and then transferred to Delaware, where he was told by Head Coach Raymond he'd need to earn a scholarship, but he could try and make the team as a walk-on, which Komlo did. Komlo played at the University of Delaware under head coach Tubby Raymond and led the Blue Hens to a second-place finish in the 1978 NCAA Division II playoffs. During his Delaware career, Komlo set 11 school records and passed for 5,256 yards.
Komlo was selected by the Lions in the ninth round of the 1979 NFL Draft, and played three seasons with the Michigan club. At the beginning of the 1979 season, then head coach Monte Clark chose to open the season with Komlo as the starter. He was one of a few rookie quarterbacks, not drafted #1 by his team, to start the first game. In his NFL career, he played in 25 games and threw for 12 touchdowns but also tossed 28 interceptions. Inserted into the line-up after the second game, Komlo went 2-12 as a starter. He was the starter for both of the Lions wins that year. One was a 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons and the next was a 20-0 win over division rival Chicago Bears. In 1980, he saw mainly spot duty, but he was the unquestioned back-up to Danielson. 1981 was pretty much a repeat of the previous season, with Komlo getting in spot duty, but he was mainly the third string quarterback, with Danielson being supplanted as starter by Eric Hipple. His last appearance for the Lions came in a 27-21 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Jeff Komlo's career ended in 1983, after one-season spells with the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.