William Jacob Fromm (born July 30, 1998) is an American professional football quarterback for the Detroit Lions (NFL). He played college football at Georgia and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Fromm has also been a member of the New York Giants and Washington Commanders.

Jake Fromm
refer to caption
Fromm with the New York Giants in 2022
No. 18 – Detroit Lions
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1998-07-30) July 30, 1998 (age 26)
Warner Robins, Georgia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:Houston County (Warner Robins)
College:Georgia (2017–2019)
NFL draft:2020 / round: 5 / pick: 167
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Practice squad
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2023
TDINT:1–3
Passing completions:27
Pass attempts:60
Passing yards:210
Completion percentage:45.0
Passer rating:38.9
Rushing yards:65
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Fromm was born on July 30, 1998, in Warner Robins, Georgia. In his early years, Fromm played baseball with his local Warner Robins team, which came within two games of the 2011 Little League World Series championship game. During the LLWS, Fromm at times would play in front of crowds larger than 25,000.[citation needed] Fromm later attended Houston County High School. During his career he had 12,745 passing yards and 116 touchdowns.[1] He was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com.[2][3]

Fromm originally committed to play college football at the University of Alabama but changed his commitment to the University of Georgia.[4][5] Fromm's senior year was discussed in the web-series QB1: Beyond the Lights.[6]

College career

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Fromm entered his true freshman year at Georgia in 2017 as the backup to Jacob Eason. In the first game of the season, after Eason suffered an injury, Fromm replaced him and completed 10 of 15 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown against Appalachian State.[7][8] Fromm was then named the starter for the team's next game against Notre Dame.[9][10] Fromm threw for 141 yards and a touchdown. In the next game, the Bulldogs defeated Samford with a 42–14 win. After a win against Vanderbilt, Fromm played his best game against Missouri. He threw for 326 yards and completed 18 of 26 passes. This performance led the Bulldogs to be the third-ranked team in the nation. After a 42–7 win vs Florida, the Bulldogs became No. 1 after Penn State lost. Fromm and the Bulldogs would eventually go on to win the 2017 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship against Auburn. He was named SEC co-newcomer of the year by the Associated Press.[11] He led Georgia to a 54–48 victory over Oklahoma in double overtime in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018, to earn them a spot in the CFP final against Alabama.[12] Fromm and the Bulldogs went on to lose to Alabama in the College Football National Championship, 23–26. Fromm threw for 232 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, while completing 16 of 32 passes.[13]

 
Fromm at Georgia in 2018

In the 2018 season, Fromm helped lead Georgia to an 11–3 record, albeit with losses to Alabama in the SEC Championship and Texas in the Sugar Bowl. He passed for 2,749 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and six interceptions.[14][15]

In the 2019 season, Fromm once again led Georgia to the SEC Championship, where they lost to LSU.[16] He finished his college career with a victory over Baylor in the Sugar Bowl.[17]

On January 8, 2020, Fromm announced his intention to skip his senior season at Georgia; he had already declared for the 2020 NFL draft.[18]

College statistics

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Georgia Bulldogs
Season GP Passing Rushing
Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int QBR Att Yds Avg TD
2017 15 181 291 62.2 2,615 9.0 24 7 160.1 55 79 1.4 3
2018 14 207 307 67.4 2,761 9.0 30 6 171.3 41 -27 -0.7 0
2019 14 234 385 60.8 2,870 7.4 24 5 141.2 38 -12 -0.3 0
Career 43 622 983 63.2 7,236 7.3 78 18 157.5 134 40 0.3 3

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic
6 ft 1+78 in
(1.88 m)
219 lb
(99 kg)
31+18 in
(0.79 m)
8+78 in
(0.23 m)
5.01 s 1.68 s 2.96 s 4.51 s 7.27 s 30.0 in
(0.76 m)
9 ft 3 in
(2.82 m)
35
All values from NFL Combine[19][20]

Buffalo Bills

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The Buffalo Bills drafted Fromm in the fifth round with the 167th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.[21]

Fromm signed a four-year, $3.771 million contract, including a $302,960 signing bonus, with the Bills on May 7, 2020.[22]

On August 31, 2021, Fromm was released from the Bills and re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[23][24]

New York Giants

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Fromm with the New York Giants in 2022

On November 30, 2021, Fromm was signed by the New York Giants from the Bills practice squad. This was after an injury to starting quarterback Daniel Jones.[25] He replaced interim starter Mike Glennon in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys on December 19.[26] Fromm got his first career start in Week 16 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, throwing for 25 yards in 17 attempts with one interception.[27] He finished the season with 27 completions for 210 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions.[28] On March 16, 2022, Fromm was non-tendered by the Giants, making him a free agent.[29]

Washington Commanders

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Fromm signed with the Washington Commanders' practice squad on October 18, 2022.[30] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 9, 2023.[31] On August 29, 2023, Fromm was waived by the Commanders and re-signed to the practice squad.[32][33] He was signed to the active roster on December 30 after starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett was injured.[34] Fromm was released by Washington on May 14, 2024.[35]

Detroit Lions

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Fromm signed with the Detroit Lions on August 12, 2024.[36] He was released during cuts on August 27, 2024 and signed onto the practice squad the next day.[37][38]

Personal life

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Fromm is a Christian.[39] His nickname is "Jake Fromm State Farm" in reference to an advertising campaign from State Farm, which later paid him to represent them during coverage of Super Bowl LV.[40] The nickname started as a running joke from high school.[41] In June 2020, Fromm apologized after screenshots emerged of a text conversation from 2019 in which a friend wrote, "But no guns are good. They need to let me get suppressors", before Fromm added, "Just make them very expensive so only elite white people can get them".[42]

In 2021, Fromm married his college girlfriend, Caroline Ostman, who had been a member of the Georgia volleyball team.[43] In 2022, he graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Finance.[44]

References

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  1. ^ Butt, Jason (February 14, 2017). "Fromm shows competitive side in docuseries detailing his senior season". The Telegraph. McClatchy. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  2. ^ "Jake Fromm, 2017 Pro-style quarterback". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  3. ^ "Jake Fromm, Georgia, Pro-Style Quarterback". Scout.com. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  4. ^ Zenitz, Matt (March 21, 2016). "Why 4-star QB Jake Fromm flipped commitment from Alabama to Georgia". AL.com. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  5. ^ Crabtree, Jeremy (March 3, 2016). "QB recruit Jake Fromm commits to Georgia Bulldogs". ESPN. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  6. ^ Sentell, Jeff (February 2, 2017). "Watch: Documentary series trailer featuring UGA freshman Jake Fromm". DawgNation. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  7. ^ Butt, Jason (September 4, 2017). "Far Fromm unprepared: UGA QB displays 'it-factor' to teammates". The Telegraph. McClatchy. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  8. ^ Staples, Andy (September 4, 2017). "Georgia Quarterback Jake Fromm Is 'No Ordinary True Freshman'". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  9. ^ Paschall, David (September 5, 2017). "Jake Fromm to make historic start for Georgia". Chattanooga Times Free Press. WEHCO Media. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  10. ^ Schlabach, Mark (September 4, 2017). "UGA freshman Jake Fromm to start in place of injured Jacob Eason". ESPN. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  11. ^ "Jake Fromm - 2019 Football Roster". georgiadawgs.com. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  12. ^ "Rose Bowl - Georgia vs Oklahoma Box Score, January 1, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  13. ^ "College Football Championship - Alabama vs Georgia Box Score, January 8, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  14. ^ "Jake Fromm 2018 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  15. ^ "2018 Georgia Bulldogs Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  16. ^ "Georgia vs LSU Box Score, December 7, 2019". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  17. ^ "Sugar Bowl - Baylor vs Georgia Box Score, January 1, 2020". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  18. ^ Schlabach, Mark (January 8, 2020). "Georgia quarterback Fromm entering NFL draft". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  19. ^ "Jake Fromm Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  20. ^ "2020 NFL Draft Scout Jake Fromm College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  21. ^ Patra, Kevin (April 25, 2020). "Buffalo Bills take Georgia QB Jake Fromm in fifth round". NFL.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  22. ^ Giacovelli, Corey (May 8, 2020). "Report: Buffalo Bills sign DE A.J. Epenesa, QB Jake Fromm, WR Gabriel Davis". Buffalo Rumblings. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  23. ^ "Bills release 23 players to set the initial 2021 53-man roster". BuffaloBills.com. August 31, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  24. ^ "Bills sign 15 players to the 2021 practice squad". BuffaloBills.com. September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  25. ^ Eisen, Michael (December 1, 2021). "Giants sign QB Jake Fromm off Buffalo Bills' practice squad". Giants.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  26. ^ "Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants - December 19th, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  27. ^ "New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles - December 26th, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  28. ^ "Jake Fromm Stats Summary". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises LLC. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  29. ^ Tibbs, Aly (March 17, 2022). "Jake Fromm now an unrestricted free agent". University of Georgia Wire. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  30. ^ Selby, Zach (October 18, 2022). "Commanders sign Jake Fromm to practice squad". Commanders.com. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  31. ^ "Commanders sign 9 players to Reserve/Future contracts". Commanders.com. January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  32. ^ Selby, Zach (August 29, 2023). "Commanders release 20 players, place four on IR". Commanders.com. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  33. ^ "Commanders sign 15 players to practice squad". Commanders.com. August 30, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  34. ^ Brener, Jeremy. "Commanders Sign Jake Fromm After Jacoby Brissett Injury - NFL Tracker". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  35. ^ "Jake Fromm: Let go by Washington". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  36. ^ Reisman, Jeremy. "Detroit Lions waive/injured Antoine Green, add new QB". Pride of Detroit. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  37. ^ "Former Georgia Football Quarterback Jake Fromm Waived by Detroit Lions". Georgia Bulldogs On SI. August 28, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  38. ^ Ramsey, Jared. "Detroit Lions sign QB Jake Fromm to practice squad". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  39. ^ Doering, Joshua (January 2, 2020). "Georgia QB Jake Fromm after Sugar Bowl win: 'I want to represent Christ the best I can'". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  40. ^ "Jake Fromm predicts Jake Fromm predicts his 2020 NFL Scouting Combine 40-yard dash time". NFL.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  41. ^ Bratton, Michael Wayne (January 30, 2020). "State Farm makes it official: Former Georgia QB shows up at Super Bowl as Jake Fromm State Farm". Saturday Down South. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  42. ^ Louis-Jacques, Marcel (June 4, 2020). "Bills rookie QB Jake Fromm apologizes for 'elite white people' text". ESPN. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  43. ^ Farner, Keith (July 3, 2021). "Jake Fromm marries longtime girlfriend, former Georgia volleyball player". Saturday Down South. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  44. ^ "Twenty-Four UGA Student-Athletes Expected to Graduate". University of Georgia Athletics. December 15, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
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