(born
June 17 ,
1981 in
Burbank, California ) is an
American Football Quarterback with the
Baltimore Ravens of the
National Football League .
Boller began his high school career at
William S. Hart High School in
Newhall, California . At Hart High School, he was named California High School Player of the Year, throwing for 4,841 yards and 59 touchdowns in his senior season.
As a college player at
California , Boller was heralded as the quarterback that would bring California back to football greatness. Unfortunately, that was not to be, as Boller experienced first and second-year jitters that often led him not to start games, although he was quoted as saying right before his first collegiate start that ``I really don't get nervous; I don't know why."
In 1999, for Cal, he completed just 38.6 percent of his passes.
He was also prone to injury, and did not start the 1999
Big Game due to an injury against
Oregon . His third year was especially disastrous, with various injuries on the team combined with poor coaching resulting in a 1-10 season under his helm.
Boller's stock as a draft pick took off after his senior season, which was credited to head coach
Jeff Tedford , who replaced
Tom Holmoe as head coach. Tedford came with experience in coaching quarterbacks, and Boller's completion rate noticeably improved with a better supporting cast of players.
Boller became the Ravens' first round draft pick in 2003 (19th Overall Pick), and has been the starting QB for the Ravens since his rookie season. He was the second quarterback taken out of the
Pac-10 Conference after the
Cincinnati Bengals selected
Carson Palmer from
USC , with the first overall pick.
Boller started the first 11 games of the 2003 season until he injured his thigh in a loss to the
St. Louis Rams . He also started every game at quarterback for the Ravens
2004 season. He had his best game of his young career against the
New York Giants On
December 12 ,
2004 , throwing four touchdowns, no interceptions, and passing for 219 yards, as
Baltimore trounced
New York 37-14 at
M&T Bank Stadium . Kyle Boller is 14-11 as the Ravens starter entering the
2005 NFL Season , and his play has helped fuel speculation that Ravens coach
Brian Billick 's job is in jeopardy. He posted the highest
Passer Rating of his young career at 136.8 against the
Green Bay Packers on
December 20 ,
2005 , throwing three
Touchdown s, no
Interception s, completing 19 of 27 of his passes and amassing 253 yards, as
Baltimore defeated the
Green Bay Packers 48-3 at
M&T Bank Stadium on
Monday Night Football , largely due to Baltimore's Top 5 ranked defense.
Boller then followed up that game with another strong performance, throwing 3 touchdowns in knocking the
Minnesota Vikings out of the 2006 NFL Playoffs.
At the moment, the
Baltimore Ravens are expected to sign a veteran quarterback to help out Boller's growth as starter and to possibly compete for the starting spot.
- Boller's total yards his senior year under Tedford were greater than his first three years as a starting quarterback combined.
- The Ravens initially attempted to trade up to draft Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich , but instead traded two picks (2003 2nd round pick and 2004 1st round pick) to the New England Patriots for their 2003 1st round pick (#19 overall) which the Ravens used to draft Boller.
- Boller wore uniform #8 in 2003, as incumbent quarterback Chris Redman wore #7, but when Redman left following the '03 season, Boller switched back to #7, which he wore in college. His favorite quarterback growing up also wore #7 - John Elway .
- Boller's father, three uncles, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all Firefighters .
- Boller was reported to have a brief relationship with American actress Tara Reid , who had also previously dated Patriots QB Tom Brady .
- Boller was later reported to be romantically involved with Lauren Conrad from the television show Laguna Beach .
- Majored in American studies while at UC Berkeley , but did not graduate.
