Viking quarterback makes move to the NFL

The Portland State athletic department announced Monday that All-Big Sky Conference quarterback Jimmy Blanchard has agreed to terms with the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. Although Blanchard went undrafted this last weekend, he will join the Jaguars later this week at their minicamp.

After leading the Vikings to their first-ever NCAA 1-AA playoff appearance, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Blanchard concluded his career with Portland State this past fall.

Blanchard became PSU’s second all-time leading passer in school history. His statistics speak for themselves. Blanchard completed 612 of 1,038 passes for 8,458 yards and 63 touchdowns. He threw the longest touchdown pass in PSU history (99 yards to Terry Charles in 1999) and set an NCAA all-division record by throwing 342 consecutive passes without an interception (also in 1999). He was also a finalist for the Walter Payton Player of the Year Award.

Blanchard played in a total of 39 regular season games between 1997 and 2000. Following an 8-3 regular 2000 regular season and a playoff appearance, he was named first-team All-Big Sky Conference.

During his junior season, Blanchard led the Vikings to an 8-3 mark. He was a second-team All-Big Sky Conference choice and was ranked second in the nation in passing efficiency.

In addition, Blanchard was a four-time Academic All-Big Sky Conference honoree. He earned three Big Sky Player of the Week and two National Player of the Week honors during his PSU career. Blanchard earned his Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration last spring and will follow the footsteps of his father (and high school coach), Tom Blanchard. Tom Blanchard played in the NFL and played for the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.