Jeff Samardzija

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Jeff Samardzija

Chicago Cubs — No. 50
Pitcher
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
[[]], [[]] for the
Record	0-0
ERA	0.00
Strikeouts	0

Jeffrey Alan Samardzija (born January 23, 1985 in Merrillville, Indiana) is a Serbian-American baseball player as a pitcher with the Boise Hawks and the Peoria Chiefs, both affiliates of the Chicago Cubs. He is also a former American football player as a wide receiver at the University of Notre Dame. A senior, Samardzija is majoring in marketing.

Contents 1 Early Years 2 College years 3 Professional career 4 Personal 5 External links

[edit] Early Years

Samardzija grew up in Valparaiso, Indiana where he attended Valparaiso High School, and was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, he was a three-time first team All-State honoree, and was twice named the team's Most Valuable Player. After his senior year, he was invited to participate in the Indiana football All-Star game. In baseball, he was a first team All-State honoree. Samardzija graduated from Valparaiso High School in 2003 with a 3.40 GPA. Athletics were something of the norm early in Jeff's life. Father Sam Samardzija was a semi-pro hockey player, and older brother Sam Jr. was also an All State football and baseball player who went on to play for Indiana University.

[edit] College years

Jeff made his first impact at Notre Dame in baseball as a right-handed pitcher, finishing second in the Big East Conference in both ERA (2.95) and opponents' batting average (.209), and being named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Magazine. He continued to play baseball at Notre Dame until he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 5th round (149th overall) of the Major League Baseball Draft, though he has now become better-known in football.

In football, he was a reserve for his first two seasons, catching a total of 24 passes, and not starting until the 2005 Insight Bowl at the end of his sophomore season. He has emerged as a star in the 2005 season, ending the regular season with 77 catches, 15 of them for touchdowns, for 1215 yards.

He set single-season school records in both receiving yardage and touchdown receptions. Samardzija also caught a TD pass in each of Notre Dame's first eight games in 2005, giving him the school record for consecutive games with a TD reception. Samardzija made 78 catches for 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games in 2006 season to finish as the all-time Fighting Irish leader in reception yards with 2,593.^[1]

The son of Sam Sr. and the late Debora Samardzija, Jeff was selected as one of the three finalists for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's top wide receiver. Samardzija will be eligible for the NFL Draft in the spring of 2007. However, he recently announced that he will take his name out of the NFL Draft and stick to playing baseball.

[edit] Professional career

On January 19, 2007, Samardzija announced he would forego the National Football League Draft and commit to a baseball career. Samardzija signed a five-year deal to play baseball full-time, starting with the Chicago Cubs. The deal is worth $16.5 million in guaranteed money, with a no-trade clause and a club option for a sixth and seventh year.[1] He was speculated to be a first round prospect in the 2007 NFL Draft by Guru Mel Kiper, JR but Peter Gammons on ESPN stated that Samardzija has the potential to be a starting pitcher in baseball.^{[citation needed]}

Even though Samardzija has passed up on the NFL he is still considered to be a possible second day pick do to his incredible ability.

[edit] Personal

• Off the diamond Samardzija enjoys fishing, snowboarding, listening to music, and the great outdoors in his home state of Indiana.^{[citation needed]}

• He is of Serbian descent, as his grandparents emigrated from Europe in the 1940s.^{[citation needed]}

• His musical tastes include Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, Secret Machines, & Led Zeppelin.^{[citation needed]}

• Samardzija's fans, peers, and coaches affectionately nicknamed him "Shark" during his career at Notre Dame. [2]

[edit] External links

• Official Website
• College Football Profile
• College Baseball Profile
• Jeff Samardzija Minor League Baseball Pitching Statistics