The Ballad of Rich Jameson
by Eikim | 8 years ago | 0 Comments
The Ballad of Rich Jameson
Rich Jameson had an illustrious football career at the University of Louisville, where he set school records in passing yards and TDs, which led him to be known as the Big King on Campus (BIG KOC). The game of football came to him with ease, so much so that he was able to be out on the town every night and down a sixer of West Sixth IPA, throw back a few Old No. 7s, slay a college floozy, and be at practice the following morning throwing dimes. Life was good, not good, but great for the BIG KOC at the U of L.
The accolades poured in and college ended, the scouts raved about his talent and intangibles, the media donned him “the savior for a quarterback needy franchise”, but the parties and drinking continued and yet nobody knew.
“And with the 3rd selection in the first round of the Red Zone’s 30th season draft, the Houston Texans select, quarterback Richard Jackson Jameson, University of Louisville.” [Loud Applause and Shouts of Satisfaction].
What a time it was to be alive for a kid from Pine Knot, Kentucky.
So how, how did he get here in Cincinnati, with his fourth Red Zone franchise in just six years?
The Cincinnati Bengals were Rich Jameson’s favorite professional football team while growing up in Kentucky, and by a majority the Bengals have been his hometown’s favorite team too. You would’ve thought there were parades, celebrations, bottles of champagne popping, and fans clamoring for him to take them to the Big Game, but no, there was no fanfare when Jameson arrived here in the Queen City.
This is a story that’s been repeated in history of sports time and time again, and re-told time after time, but THIS, this is the Ballad of Rich Jameson.
Pine Knot’s not even a half a dot on a map, where the coal and timber industries have gone extinct, where 91% of the population depends on some type of welfare, and the only true hope for a paycheck is becoming a prison guard at the United States Penitentiary in McCreary County, Kentucky. You have no hope of escaping this type of place unless you have a unique ability like Rich Jameson had during his youth. He had a cannon for an arm, pinpoint accuracy in throwing an awkward shaped leather ball, and was able to run a football offense with unfettered poise. Everyone knew, coaches, friends, family, frenemies, strangers, and Jameson himself, they all knew he was a rare talent in this game called football. His name will most likely remain plastered on the banners, plaques, and trophies throughout McCreary Central High School forever.
Richard Jackson Jameson’s grandfather Jackson Jeremiah Jameson labored in the coal mines of eastern Kentucky for 30 plus years while barely earning a livable wage. Sure, it was enough to keep food on the table, a roof over everyone’s head, but never enough to escape a life of mediocrity. When Jack wasn’t working in the mines, he was off in a holler distilling high-proof spirits, that’s right, moonshine. While creating some of the most powerful spirits known around the Appalachians, Jack also became a dependent and abuser of alcohol, not very surprising since his father too was an alcoholic. Jack was unhappy in his life and when he’d return home in the mornings after ‘shining and bootlegging, he’d become violent and take out his rage on his wife and five children, to include Rich Jameson’s father John Jameson. Rich Jameson never met his grandfather because Jack took his own life in 1970 after being diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, he was 55 years old.
Rich Jameson’s father John Jackson Jameson was born in Pine Knot, Kentucky in 1960 and the youngest of the five Jameson children born to Jack and Hilda. John was a very active young man, extremely athletic from the get go, and his future appeared promising in regards to sports. John played just about every popular sport during his youth, but the sport he dominated in the most was football. When John began high school at the age of 14 in 1974 his father Jack had already been deceased for 4 years, but John always found himself running away from the memory of his abusive and alcoholic father. When John was just a child and his father Jack would return home heavily intoxicated and outraged after a night of moonshining, John would run, run as fast and hard and for as long as he could to get away from that house on the hill. 10 year old Johnny would always say to himself that if he ever had children he would never be like his dad.
As a freshman, John Jackson Jameson earned the starting quarterback job at McCreary Central High School earning the nickname Triple J because he was a triple threat. John started at quarterback, free safety, and was the team’s kick and punt returner. John blazed through the high school’s football records all the while earning two state championships in 1975 and 1976. Unfortunately, things changed forever for Triple J on a crisp Friday night in the fall of 1977 when he suffered a compound fracture to his lower left leg after he had scampered for a 22 yard gain and first down to seal the victory for the McCreary Central Raiders. John never played football or any other sport for that matter ever again and found himself stuck in Pine Knot with no foreseeable future and nothing to show for his efforts but a limp that he’d walk around with for the rest of his life.
Soon after graduating high school in June 1978, John took a job as a correctional officer at the United States Penitentiary in McCreary County, Kentucky. He married his high school sweetheart Linda Folsom in 1979 and they had two children, Joseph and John Jr. The first few years of their marriage were great, they loved one another and the money that John was earning was allowing them to live a modest life together. However, John could never get over the “what could’ve been” that had plagued him ever since that fall evening in 1977, and he began drinking heavily, really heavily. Some nights John never came home after tying one on and other nights he’d end up in the arms of another lover. This behavior continued on for many years, but on a crisp fall night in 1994, one of his mistresses, Samantha Grant, told him she was pregnant with his child, a boy. This enraged John, he couldn’t believe it, he didn’t want another child, he couldn’t bear to tell his wife and children this news, and he believed this was another cruel curse from one of the Gods above or below. In the very early morning hours of November 13, 1994, John Jackson Jameson died in a one car accident. He’d never have the opportunity to meet his son Richard Jackson Jameson who was eventually born on April 1, 1995.
Richard Jackson Jameson entered this world kicking and screaming making sure the world surrounding him knew he had arrived. His mother Samantha Grant envisioned greatness for her boy during her pregnancy, but she didn’t know just how truly great Rich Jameson would become. Rich was faster, stronger, bigger, and just overall more talented then any kid he competed against during his youth. He won at everything he played, whether it was as an individual effort or a team sport, he was just a winner and he made everyone around him better, much better.
Samantha would tell her young son stories about his father John; they were mostly about his glory days as the quarterback for the McCreary County Raiders. She told him of the game where his father John threw for 308 yards and 4 TDs, in addition to him rushing for 216 yards and two rushing TDs to win his first state championship in 1975. Hearing these stories about his father fueled the desire and competitive nature that would set young Rich Jameson on a path for greatness. Rich Jameson looked up to his father, but during his youthful days he didn’t know all of the family secrets either.
Rich Jameson destroyed every single one of his father’s high school football records; most passing yards in a season and high school career, the same goes for passing TDs, rushing yards and rushing TDs for a quarterback. He won four state high school championships, unheard of at the time, and on signing day, he chose the University of Louisville. After Rich Jameson graduated from high school in June 2013, but before departing for Louisville to redshirt and play football on a full-ride scholarship, Rich was introduced to his father’s widow Linda Folsom, who had moved her family out of the area, and they spent the day together. To this day Rich Jameson has never discussed what was exactly said between them when they met, but not long after this meeting is when Rich Jameson began his midnight benders and partying with those who had nothing to lose, but everything to gain being around him.
During Jameson’s redshirt freshman year, he really didn’t have much to do, sure, he had football practice and classes, but he was bored, so he drank. Jameson was so good at playing football while being hungover that he decided that he’d just drink every day and then play football. He’d drink whatever you put in front of him and nobody showed any concern because he still produced when he was on the football field. We’d never get to know a sober Rich Jameson at the University of Louisville and what true football greatness could’ve been. There may have been college championships had Rich Jameson been able to avoid imbibing the spirits. He avoided trouble for the most part while in college, however, he was accused of academic fraud his senior year. After a “thorough” investigation, it was determined that Jameson had done nothing wrong and he received no discipline. It’s not surprising that he was not reprimanded since during this time the Louisville Cardinals were enjoying one of their best seasons ever with the potential to reach the title game. Rich Jameson barely graduated from the U of L in May 2018 without a college championship and with a 1.8 GPA, but that didn’t matter because he’d soon be playing in the Red Zone and then the Red Zone Draft happened.
After being drafted by the tumultuous Houston Texans who were not in need of a starting caliber quarterback, Rich Jameson only saw action in two games in season 30, his first as a substitute for the injured Will Winkler against the Jacksonville Jaguars, in which Jameson was 7 for 10 for 131 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, with a performance rating of 106, and pulling out a 25 to 17 victory. His second game action occurred after Winkler threw 7 interceptions against the Philadelphia Eagles, he attempted no passes and took two sacks that game. Jameson was interviewed after the Eagles game and truly believed that after Winkler’s poor performance he deserved to start the following week, however, Jameson would not see the playing field for the remainder of season 30.
At the start of season 31 it was Will Winkler who was named the starting quarterback of the Houston Texans, not Rich Jameson, and this just further fueled his drinking habits and partying lifestyle. During season 31 Jameson was first called to action in week 4 after Winkler started the game going 0 for 6 and throwing 3 interceptions against the Indianapolis Colts. This pattern continued throughout the season, Winkler would start, Jameson would sub in and vice versa. Rich Jameson finished season 31 with 1,923 passing yards, 7 TD passes, and 17 interceptions, giving him an overall performance rating of 57.9.
It’s uncertain if Jameson sought the trade or if the Texans just gave up, but Rich Jameson was shipped to Coach Ricky Chapstick’s New England Patriots in exchange for a 1st and 2nd round pick. After the trade was completed Texans coach David Carr said, “Jameson could never find consistency, one game he was on point and the next game he was off. I’d like to think that his talent and chances were hindered by our former offensive coordinator’s play calling.”
When the Patriots brought Rich Jameson in they had a game plan for him, which they felt the Texans lacked, therefore being responsible for Jameson’s shortcomings on the field. Coach Chapstick stated, “We scouted him while at U of L, he dominated the air and ground games, and then you add in his electrifying personality, we would’ve loved to have drafted him, but we were too far down the draft board.”
Only into the third year of his rookie contract, Rich Jameson shined with the Patriots during OTAs and the pre-season, and they worked with him to adjust his decision making on the field. They reinforced the idea of making the extra read before tucking the ball to run. Jameson took Chapstick’s coaching to heart because he really wanted to succeed, he needed to, his life and career depended on it. Season 32 didn’t turn out as expected for Jameson and the Patriots, in fact, the “extra read” coaching appeared to be the main culprit for Jameson being sacked a league leading 50 times that season. During this up and down season with the Patriots Jameson never wavered, he said the right things to the media, was always toughing it out after big hits, and he played every game from start to finish, just knowing he could drink the pain away later that evening.
Following season 32 the Patriots traded Rich Jameson to the Cleveland Browns who were searching for a starting quarterback with the departure of Russel Wilson. Undoubtedly, Rich Jameson had the best season of his career with the Browns in season 33. The Browns went 13-3 in the regular season and Jameson it seemed was finally reaching his potential. This is how Jameson’s professional career should’ve gone from the start. Earning a bye week in the playoffs of season 33, Jameson took a short trip to Cancun, Mexico, were he got into trouble with the Mexican Authorities. Allegedly Jameson slept with an overly intoxicated guest at one of the resorts in Cancun and she filed a complaint. Miraculously, after a quick settlement was reached with the complainant, Jameson was able to return to the U.S. in time to begin prepping for the playoff matchup against the Buffalo Bills. However, this may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back for the Cleveland Browns. This particular Browns organization demanded much more of their players when they were off the football field.
The Divisional Round playoff game against the Bills was a game well managed by Jameson, he finished the game going 15 for 22, 209 passing yards, 1 passing TD, and 0 interceptions. The Cleveland Browns were going to the AFC championship game and Rich Jameson was in the driver’s seat and controlling his own destiny for the first time in his professional career. The Browns and their rising star QB were pitted against the New York Jets for a trip to the Red Zone Championship game. Jameson had a mediocre game, not his best performance when it mattered most, he threw two costly interceptions, but he tried to make up for that with a rushing TD and a passing TD. The Jets would eventually go on to win the game and Rich Jameson would find himself in a dive bar throwing back Headhunter IPAs and his old time favorite and go to Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7.
At the end of season 33 Rich Jameson believed a deal could be reached with the Browns, he had led the team to the playoffs and was one game away from playing for a Red Zone championship, but Jameson’s agent had other ideas. There were rumors and rumblings around the Browns organization that Jameson’s agent was demanding too much money for an inconsistent and unproven quarterback. In the end, the Browns felt they couldn’t commit long term to Jameson since he and his agent were unwilling to accept a short-term “show me deal” that could in turn become a long term lucrative deal if Jameson excelled.
Jameson entered the off-season of season 34 as a free-agent and for the first time in his professional career he would have a choice in which Red Zone franchise he would play for. When the Cincinnati Bengals and Coach Brett Snyder came knocking it intrigued Jameson, actually, it put him over the moon. The Bengals did not have a starting quarterback going into season 34 and when they saw Jameson was available they jumped at the opportunity to sign him. Rich Jameson agreed to a two year, $5.82 million contract to play for his “hometown” team. Rich Jameson was coming home and he was going to show the Red Zone league he was the real deal and win a championship for the city of Cincinnati, but then the season 34 Red Zone draft happened and the Bengals drafted not one, but two quarterbacks. This broke Rich Jameson’s heart and destroyed what confidence he had left. It’s believed that Jameson was promised the starting job during discussions with the Bengals in free-agency and he’d be allowed to prove himself in this league and show that the previous season with the Browns wasn’t a fluke.
Following the draft, Rich Jameson went on a spectacular bender, one for the ages. He would drink so much that his blood alcohol content tripled the legal limit. He hopped into his Ford F-150 Raptor and was swerving crazily when he flipped his truck into the Ohio River. There was no one around to witness this accident and nobody there to save him as his vehicle was quickly sinking. Jameson regained consciousness after his truck was completely submerged. With about 30 seconds to escape the vehicle before all the oxygen was depleted, he was able to break the driver’s side window with a tool called the LifeHammer that he kept stored in his center console. Jameson drunkenly swam to shore and as he laid on the river bank on the verge of passing out, he wondered how he had gotten here, not only at the river, but here at this tremendous low point in his life.
Season 34 began for the Bengals with Malcolm Quessenberry as the starting quarterback, Jarrett Murdock slated as the back-up quarterback, and Rich Jameson designated as the emergency third string quarterback. Rich Jameson would never see the playing field in season 34, the first time this had happened in his entire football life. Several times in season 34 Bengals’ officials had to escort Jameson’s lady friends from the facility and he would be reprimanded by upper management by having his pay docked. During the off-season heading into season 35, Rich Jameson checked himself into a rehabilitation facility and became a regular attendee at alcoholics anonymous meetings, so much for the anonymity, because everyone there at those meetings knew exactly who he was.
In Red Zone’s 35th season, Rich Jameson saw the playing field one time and he attempted just one throw that was intercepted, fitting that it was a game against the New York Jets whom just two short seasons ago he had played against to earn a trip to the big game. This one throw, this one bad throw had become a representation of Rich Jameson’s personal and football life.
We’ll never know what heights Rich Jameson could’ve reached, there are so many variables and so many what if’s, what if he was drafted by a different team, what if he never met his father’s widow, what if he never drank, what if he accepted a lesser deal with the Browns, what if the Bengals had not drafted two quarterbacks and started Jameson instead.
Red Zone players come and go, cycle after cycle, but so far none with a story such as this.
Thank you for your story Rich Jameson, we wish you the best in your future, we’re all rooting for you.