Max Wittek

{{Infobox NFL biography

| image = 2012-1103-USC-WittekMax.jpg

| image_size =

| alt = Max Wittek

| caption = Wittek during the 2012 season with the USC Trojans

| name = Max Wittek

| number = 6

| position = Quarterback

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|7|31}}

| birth_place = San Ramon, California, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lbs = 236

| high_school = Mater Dei
(Santa Ana, California)

| college = USC (2011–2013)
Hawaii (2014–2015)

| undraftedyear = 2016

| pastteams =

Jacksonville Jaguars ({{NFL Year|2016}})*

| status =

}}

Max Nolan Wittek (born July 31, 1993) is a former American football quarterback. He played at USC from 2011 to 2013, and transferred to Hawaii, sitting out the 2014 season.

Early life

Born in Contra Costa County, California,{{cite web|url=http://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/max_nolan_wittek_born_1993_22650838|title=Max Nolan Wittek, Born 07/31/1993 in California - CaliforniaBirthIndex.org|work=californiabirthindex.org}} Wittek grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut{{cite news | url=http://www.thehour.com/sports/national/college-football----barkley-s-injury-opens-door/article_37b4907a-a971-53ca-923d-802569f423a6.html | title=College football – Barkley's injury opens door for Wittek | newspaper=The Hour | date=November 21, 2012 | access-date=November 24, 2012 | first=Greg | last=Beachem}} but later moved to Santa Ana, California, where he attended Mater Dei High School. His immediate predecessor as starting quarterback for Mater Dei was future USC teammate Matt Barkley.Mark Whicker, [http://www.ocregister.com/articles/wittek-378337-matt-barkley.html Whicker: USC QB Wittek eager to get started], Orange County Register, November 20, 2012, accessed December 3, 2012. As a senior, he completed 153 of 282 passes for 2,252 yards with 24 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He was ranked as the third best pro-style quarterback recruit in his class by Rivals.com.{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/player-Max-Wittek-84144|title=Max Wittek|work=yahoo.com}} He committed to USC in April 2010.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=5134746|title=Santa Ana Mater Dei quarterback Max Wittek commits to USC|work=ESPN.com|date=April 25, 2010 }}

College career

Wittek was redshirted as a freshman in 2011. As a redshirt freshman in 2012, Wittek won the backup job to Matt Barkley.{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2012-aug-29-la-sp-0829-usc-football-20120829-story.html | title=Max Wittek is tabbed as USC's No. 2 quarterback | first=Gary | last=Klein | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | date=August 29, 2012 | access-date=November 25, 2012}} Wittek made his first career start on November 24, 2012, after Barkley suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. Prior to that game, he had completed eight of nine passes for 95 yards with a touchdown.{{cite magazine | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/wires/11/18/2060.ap.fbc.t25.usc.barkley.out.1st.ld.writethru.0520/index.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119225911/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/wires/11/18/2060.ap.fbc.t25.usc.barkley.out.1st.ld.writethru.0520/index.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 19, 2013 | title=Kiffin: USC's Matt Barkley out for Notre Dame game | date=November 18, 2012 | access-date=November 25, 2012 | magazine=Sports Illustrated}}

Scheduled to start his first USC game against rival and No. 1 ranked Notre Dame, Wittek made a stir by asserting his confidence in a Trojans victory: "I'm going to go out there, and I'm going to play within myself, within the system, and we're gonna win this ballgame."{{cite news | first=Pedro | last=Mauro | url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/ncf/story/_/id/8657756/max-wittek-says-usc-trojans-beat-notre-dame-fighting-irish | title=Max Wittek says USC will pull upset | work=ESPN.com | date=November 20, 2012 | access-date=November 21, 2012}} Notre Dame defeated USC 22–13 to advance to the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. Wittek threw for 186 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.{{cite news | title=Irish prevent more BCS chaos | url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/8673564/notre-dame-fighting-irish-headed-bcs-championship-game-ncf | first=Gene | last=Wojciechowski | date=November 25, 2012 | access-date=November 25, 2012 | work=ESPN.com}}

For the 2013 season, he and Cody Kessler competed for the starting job. He eventually lost the quarterback competition by the second week of the season.

In January 2014, Wittek decided to pursue a master's degree and compete for a QB position at another university.{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1950665-texas-football-why-adding-usc-transfer-max-wittek-makes-sense-for-texas|title=Texas Football: Why Adding USC Transfer Max Wittek Makes Sense for Texas|author=Zach Shelton|work=Bleacher Report}}{{cite web|url=http://www.insidesocal.com/usc/2014/02/06/former-usc-qb-max-wittek-talking-to-texas-louisville-and-ohio-state/|title=Former USC QB Max Wittek Talking To Texas, Louisville And Ohio State|work=Inside USC with Scott Wolf|date=February 6, 2014 }}{{cite web| url = http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10376693| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140130221153/http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10376693| archive-date = January 30, 2014| title = USC Backup QB Plans To Transfer - ESPN Video - ESPN}}{{cite web|url=http://college-football.si.com/2014/02/06/max-wittek-transfer-options/|title=Report: Former USC QB Max Wittek considering Texas, Ohio State, Louisville|author=Zac Ellis|work=SI.com|access-date=February 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140206234918/http://college-football.si.com/2014/02/06/max-wittek-transfer-options/|archive-date=February 6, 2014|url-status=dead}} In August, Wittek eventually announced his intention to transfer to Hawaii.{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/report--former-usc-qb-max-wittek-will-join-hawaii-later-this-month-174449360.html|title=Report: Former USC QB Max Wittek will join Hawaii later this month|date=August 11, 2014|work=Yahoo Sports}}

In September 2015 for Hawaii, Wittek threw for 202 yards and three touchdown passes in a 28–20 win over Colorado, in the season opener for both teams.{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/max-wittek-leads-hawaii-over-colorado-28-20-091950536--ncaaf.html|title=Max Wittek leads Hawaii over Colorado 28–20|date=September 4, 2015|work=Yahoo Sports}} Wittek started in 8 of Hawaii's first 9 games before injuring his right knee and later being diagnosed with chondromalacia, a degenerative knee condition. In those games he completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw just 7 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. His season ended in November when he was scheduled for surgery on his right knee. Wittek reportedly was slowed by sore knees as well as a foot injury.{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/uscnow/la-sp-usc-max-wittek-reportedly-season-ending-surgery-20151120-story.html|title=Injury ends college career of Hawaii QB Max Wittek, a USC transfer|date=November 20, 2015|publisher=|via=LA Times}} He finished the season with those statistics, including 1,542 yards passing as Hawaii completed the 2015 season with a 3–10 record.{{cite web|url=http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/11/05/ex-usc-qb-max-wittek-benched-as-hawaiis-starter/|title=Ex-USC QB Max Wittek benched as Hawaii's starter|date=November 5, 2015|author=John Taylor|work=NBC Sports}}

Professional career

On May 1, 2016, Wittek signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jaguars.com/news/article-JaguarsNews/Jaguars-agree-to-terms-with-nine-undrafted-rookie-free-agents/4a645a28-b29a-4d57-875e-a96e7a860c91|title=Jaguars agree to terms with nine undrafted rookie free agents|website=Jaguars.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813013120/http://www.jaguars.com/news/article-JaguarsNews/Jaguars-agree-to-terms-with-nine-undrafted-rookie-free-agents/4a645a28-b29a-4d57-875e-a96e7a860c91|access-date=May 2, 2016|archive-date=August 13, 2017}} He was waived from their roster August 23.{{cite tweet|user=mike_e_kaye|author=Mike Kaye|number=768062284182745088|date=August 23, 2016|title=#Jaguars have a made a roster move: QB Max Wittek waived, RB Cam Marshall signed.}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20121119060013/http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wittek_max00.html USC Trojans bio]

Category:1993 births

Category:Living people

Category:American football quarterbacks

Category:USC Trojans football players

Category:Players of American football from Newport Beach, California

Category:Sportspeople from Norwalk, Connecticut

Category:Players of American football from Fairfield County, Connecticut

Category:Sportspeople from San Ramon, California

Category:Players of American football from Contra Costa County, California

Category:Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football players

Category:Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California) alumni