Gardner Minshew was thrust into the spotlight when Nick Foles, who the Jaguars signed to an $88 million contract this offseason, broke his collarbone in Week 1. Suddenly, Minshew was the starter.
Minshew didn't shine in the first two weeks of the season, but he had a breakout game in Week 3, as he threw for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns to help the Jags beat the Titans on "Thursday Night Football."
Making Minshew even more of a surprise star, he's had an unlikely, circuitous path to the NFL that saw him nearly give up on playing football.
Minshew began his college career as a walk-on at Troy University but transferred after one year to Northwest Mississippi Community College.
Minshew was told he'd have to compete with the incumbent starting quarterback upon arriving at NWCC. The NWCC coach said Minshew won the job in about a week.
He eventually led the team to a national community college championship.
Source: The Spokesman-Review
After winning a title at Northwestern Mississippi, Minshew transferred to East Carolina University. Minshew expected to be the third-string quarterback but quickly found himself playing when one quarterback was moved to running back, and the other got injured.
Minshew was faced with a dilemma. He expected to red-shirt for a year but instead was poised to lose a year of eligibility because he played one game. He came up with an idea: break his hand to get a medical red-shirt.
Minshew said he got a bottle of whiskey and a hammer and began hitting his own hand several times. Minshew said he finally gave up because he wasn't able to break his own hand. He told his coaches he slammed it in a car door, and it remained swollen for several weeks.
"I always tell people, 'What would you do to play more ball?' And that's damn near anything," Minshew said recently.
Source: Pardon My Take
Minshew ended up having a strong 2017 season, throwing for 2,140 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions in 10 games.
After his junior year, Minshew decided to transfer again, but with a different goal in mind: coaching.
Minshew was going to join Alabama. He had almost no shot to start but he could learn to coach under Nick Saban. Minshew felt the experience under Saban would help him get a job down the road. Saban even reportedly was going to offer Minshew a job once he graduated.
However, Washington State head coach Mike Leach instead called Minshew and made him an offer: "Do you want to come lead the country in passing?"
Minshew instead took Leach's offer, choosing to play football for another year in Leach's famous Air Raid offense.
Minshew didn't lead the nation in passing, but he came close, finishing second in yards and fourth in touchdowns. He threw for over 4,700 yards, 38 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and helped Washington State win the Alamo Bowl.
While Minshew's journey to the NFL and on-field performances have endeared him to fans, it's his personality and the off-field story that has taken his profile to a new level.
First, there is the mustache. Minshew said the whole Washington State team grew out their mustaches during training camp, but later shaved. He decided to keep his.
The 'stache has inspired several celebrity comparisons, from Ben Stiller's character in "Dodgeball"...
There is more to the legend of Minshew. His grandfather wanted to name him Beowulf. Minshew's parents rejected the idea.
Source: The Spokesman-Review
Minshew's father, Flint, also received attention during Week 3 for looking like he could run on the field and play.
His teammates revealed that Minshew has a thing for naked calisthenics in the locker room.
Source: The Athletic
Minshew apparently wears very little frequently. Early at Washington State, he won teammates over by doing a cannonball into a pool in just a jockstrap.
Source: The Athletic
Minshew is far from a joke, however. In high school, he used to sit in on defensive meetings so he could better understand defensive schemes and how to beat opponents.
Source: The Spokesman-Review
When Minshew was in 8th grade, former New York Giants and Alabama head coach Ray Perkins called Minshew "the best junior high quarterback I think I’ve ever seen."
Source: The Spokesman-Review
He hired a popular trainer to prepare for the NFL draft and consistently beat everyone else to the practice facility, no matter how early they got there.
Source: The Spokesman-Review
Leach said he used to laugh when scouts would ask him questions about Minshew, questioning whether they had actually watched them. Leach compared Minshew to Drew Brees.
"The funny thing is people would call me about him – 'How's his arm?' 'Well his arm's good,'" Leach said.
"'Is he accurate?' And I'm wondering if they're real scouts when they start asking me if he's accurate.
"'How strong is his arm?' And again, it's running through my mind, 'did you really watch any film?'
"He's got great pocket presence. That's probably what he does best. He doesn't take negative plays. But then they'd say, 'How tall is he?' They're all set for that. I'd say, 'Well, he's exactly as tall as the all-time leading passer in the history of the NFL, which is Drew Brees.'"
Source: NFL Network