Eric_Hipple
Eric Hipple
American football player and public speaker (born 1957)
Eric Ellsworth Hipple (born September 16, 1957) is an American public speaker and a former professional football player. He played as a quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah State Aggies.
Hipple at a book signing in September 2009. | |||||||
| No. 17 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | (1957-09-16) September 16, 1957 (age 66) Lubbock, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 196 lb (89 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| College: | Utah State | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1980 / Round: 4 / Pick: 85 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||
Eric Hipple was born in Lubbock, Texas.
Hipple attended Utah State University with an athletic scholarship.[1] At 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and 198 lb (90 kg), he was a star quarterback for the team. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the university's Jon M. Huntsman School of Business.[2]
Hipple was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 1980 NFL Draft. He played his entire 10-season NFL career for the Lions from 1980 to 1989. He missed the whole 1987 season with a sprained thumb.
- Career statistics
- 102 games
- 1,546 attempts
- 830 completions
- 10,711 yards
- 55 touchdowns
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Lng | Rtg | ||
| 1980 | DET | 15 | 0 | Did not play | |||||||||
| 1981 | DET | 16 | 10 | 6−4 | 140 | 279 | 50.2 | 2,358 | 8.5 | 14 | 15 | 94 | 73.4 |
| 1982 | DET | 9 | 4 | 2−2 | 36 | 86 | 41.9 | 411 | 4.8 | 2 | 4 | 52 | 45.3 |
| 1983 | DET | 16 | 16 | 9−7 | 204 | 387 | 52.7 | 2,577 | 6.7 | 12 | 18 | 80 | 64.7 |
| 1984 | DET | 8 | 1 | 1−0 | 16 | 38 | 42.1 | 246 | 6.5 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 62.0 |
| 1985 | DET | 16 | 15 | 7−8 | 223 | 406 | 54.9 | 2,952 | 7.3 | 17 | 18 | 56 | 73.6 |
| 1986 | DET | 16 | 10 | 3−7 | 192 | 305 | 63.0 | 1,919 | 6.3 | 9 | 11 | 46 | 75.6 |
| 1987 | DET | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||
| 1988 | DET | 5 | 0 | − | 12 | 27 | 44.4 | 158 | 5.9 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 63.5 |
| 1989 | DET | 1 | 1 | 0−1 | 7 | 18 | 38.9 | 90 | 5.0 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 15.7 |
| Career | 102 | 57 | 28−29 | 830 | 1,546 | 53.7 | 10,711 | 6.9 | 55 | 70 | 94 | 68.7 | |
As a result of the suicide in 2000 of Hipple's 15-year-old son, Hipple is involved in educating people about the dangers of depression.[1] Hipple delivers speeches on suicide prevention and mental illness at high schools, youth groups, members of the military and their families, local organizations and corporations.[3] He is the Outreach Coordinator of the Depression Center of the University of Michigan.[3] A documentary film by the Depression Center features Hipple.[3] He also co-authored a study about depression and pain in retired professional football players.[3]
Hipple's book, Real Men Do Cry, was published in 2008.[4] It discusses Hipple's playing career with the Lions, his bouts with depression, and details of the warning signs of teens who have died from suicide.[5]
In 2000, Hipple's 15-year-old son Jeff died by suicide via shotgun.[5] Hipple has acknowledged he has also suffered from bouts with depression,[5] including his adolescence.[1] After his son's death, Hipple abused drugs and alcohol.[5] and was convicted of drunk driving and served time in jail.[1] He filed for bankruptcy as well.[5]
In 2005, Hipple disarmed a man wielding a knife at a party in Michigan.[6]
A football poster of Hipple can be seen on the wall in the 1983 feature film Mr. Mom.
He was a guest star in the show Home Improvement as himself in Season 3 Episode 18 building a house for Habitat for Humanity guest starring several top name athletes and Former President Jimmy Carter.
- Bloch, Jim (November 29, 2006). "Hipple and Kramer deliver tips on recognizing depression, preventing suicide". Voicenews.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
- "Alumni and Friends". usu.edu. Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Utah State University. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
- Johnson, Beth (September–October 2007). "Sharing experience and hope: Telling His Story to Save Others". Inside View. University of Michigan Depression Center, University of Michigan Health System, University of Michigan. Retrieved June 7, 2018 – via depressioncenter.org.
- Hipple, Eric; Horsley, Gloria; Horsley, Heidi (2008). Real Men Do Cry: A Quarterback's Inspiring Story of Tackling Depression and Surviving Suicide Loss. Quality of Life Publishing Company. ISBN 9780981621920.
- Pluto, Terry (September 30, 2010). "Guilt and pain: Ex-NFL QB Eric Hipple preaches understanding when it comes to suicidal depression". Plain Dealer. Retrieved June 7, 2018 – via Cleveland.com.
- Emkow, Bill (July 26, 2005). "Eric Hipple subdues knife-wielding man". Muskegon Chronicle. Retrieved January 5, 2013 – via mlive.com.
- Official website
- "Freeing Eric Hipple", ESPN video feature