Jeff Blake

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

During his Bengals tenure, Blake was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1995. He holds the record for the longest Pro Bowl touchdown at 93 yards. Blake was born on December 4, 1970, in Daytona Beach, Florida, to Peggy and Emory Blake. His father was a slotback for the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts. Tragedy struck on July 5, 1976, when his mother died when trying to rescue her younger sibling from drowning at Wekiwa Springs State Park. Emory decided to cancel a tryout scheduled with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and find a job to be with his only son. He was soon hired as a physical education teacher and coach in the school system of Sanford, Florida. Blake was near his father's side growing up, whether that involved singing in the choir at Progress Missionary Baptist Church to his pastor father or as a sideline helper at Seminole High School to his coach father. Blake was a star quarterback at Seminole High School in Florida, with his father Emory as offensive coordinator. When it came to recruiting, Florida, Miami, and Florida State tried to recruit him outside of the quarterback position, which he resisted. Of the three to actually offer him a chance to play the QB position, Blake chose East Carolina University, who heavily recruited him and gave him confidence that he could play at the school because 'They were used to having black quarterbacks there...so in their eyes I was simply a quarterback.' After playing sparingly in his first two years at East Carolina, he got more time to play as the starter in 1990. The team went 5-6. In 1991 they won eleven games, their most wins in a season to date, while Blake finished sixth in the 1991 Heisman Trophy voting and the Pirates finished ranked #9 in the AP poll at the end of the season. He was inducted into the East Carolina Hall of Fame in 2007. Blake was selected in the sixth round by the New York Jets in 1992 and played in just 3 games before being cut the following offseason when head coach Bruce Coslet was fired. Coslet was hired as the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and brought Blake with him. The roster already had David Klingler as the starter and Donald Hollas as the presumed backup. The 1994 Bengals were 0–7 before Blake was thrust into the starting role due to injuries by Klingler and Hollas. He threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns in his debut against the Dallas Cowboys i

In Their Own Story

The turning point of Blake's career arrived in 1995 when he was named the starter and immediately established great chemistry with his receiving corps. That year, he threw for 3,822 yards and 28 touchdowns to just 17 interceptions, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl. It was during this era that Blake set an enduring record for the longest Pro Bowl touchdown at 93 yards. His play on the field resonated beyond the gridiron; his success helped drive the community support necessary to fund the Bengals' new stadium, which opened in 2000. Although he shared time with Boomer Esiason in 1997 and Neil O'Donnell in 1998, Blake returned as the primary starter in 1999 after the team drafted Akili Smith. Even though he went 3–9 that final year in Cincinnati, his legacy was cemented by his ability to keep the offense competitive and his unique contribution to the franchise's history.

Reader's Guide

Jeff Blake played quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1994 to 1999. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1995 and holds the record for the longest Pro Bowl touchdown at 93 yards. He threw for 3,822 yards with 28 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in his Pro Bowl season. Blake helped the Bengals achieve an 8-8 record in 1996, the only non-losing season for the team between 1991 and 2002. He signed a five-year, $13.1 million contract before the Pro Bowl. After leaving the Bengals in free agency, he played for the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, and Chicago Bears.

Did You Know?

• Blake's mother died on July 5, 1976, while trying to rescue her younger sibling from drowning at Wekiwa Springs State Park.
• Blake chose East Carolina University because they were used to having black quarterbacks and saw him simply as a quarterback.
• Blake's son Emory won a national championship with Auburn in 2010.
• Blake's daughter Torre auditioned for The Voice in 2024 and chose Snoop Dogg as her coach.