Erik Ainge was selected as the 2003 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year ... Erik Ainge was a PrepStar All-America selection ... Erik Ainge was rated by Superprep as the nation's No. 19-ranked quarterback prospect ... Erik Ainge is listed by ESPN.com recruiting expert Tom Lemming as the No. 21-ranked quarterback prospect in the nation ... Erik Ainge was also listed by TheInsiders.com as a three-star prospect and the nation's No. 26-ranked quarterback prospect ... Erik Ainge was rated by recruiting expert Max Emfinger as a four-star dropback quarterback prospect ... Erik Ainge was named first-team all-Metro quarterback in both his junior and senior years ... Selected as a Northwest Nugget (given to the top six athletes in Northwest United States) Named all-state as a senior ... Erik Ainge led the state in touchdowns, passing yards and completions ... Set school record for single-season passing, breaking the mark he set as a junior ... Erik Ainge passed for 3,118 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions as a senior in 2003 ... Erik Ainge best game as a senior came against Aloha High School, when he went 20-of-28 for 475 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions (accounting for 62 points in three quarters of action) ... Erik Ainge was also a skilled basketball player, he was named second-team all-Metro shooting guard as a junior, when he averaged 16.4 points per game ... Erik Ainge was selected by Street & Smith as a preseason honorable mention All-America guard his senior year ... Erik Ainge played baseball as a freshman and sophomore, seeing action as a pitcher, shortstop and first baseman ... he threw a 90-mph fastball in baseball.
High School
Ainge was a star athlete at Glencoe High School in Hillsboro, Oregon. As a freshman and sophomore, he played baseball and basketball in addition to football. Ainge was the starting pitcher on his baseball team and was said to throw a 90 mph fastball. He also averaged 17 points, 8 rebounds, and three assists in basketball as a junior, and as a senior was a preseason honorable mention on the Street and Smith's All-American team. He was a two-year starter at quarterback on the football team, leading the Crimson Tide as deep as the Oregon state quarterfinals. As a junior he passed for 2,559 yards and 16 touchdowns. As a senior, he passed for 3,078 yards, 24 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Perhaps his most impressive game as a senior came against Aloha High School, when he passed for 475 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions to lead the Crimson Tide to 62 points through three quarters of action. Following his senior season Ainge was named all-state, prep star all-American, and the 2003 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year. During his senior season Ainge also became one of the most highly recruited quarterbacks on the west coast receiving offers from schools like Oregon, Arizona State, UCLA, and Tennessee. He eventually signed with the University of Tennessee.
College
As a freshman at UT in 2004, Ainge threw 17 touchdown passes in 9 games, breaking Peyton Manning's freshman TD record of 15. His 1,452 passing yards ranked second behind Manning in UT freshman history. Ainge split time for much of the year with Brent Schaeffer, who later transferred to Ole Miss. After an injury just before halftime against Notre Dame, Ainge was replaced by former University of Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Casey Clasuen's brother Rick
In 2005, his sophomore season, he threw 5 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions. One of his most infamous moments was in a game against LSU where he was being sacked in the end zone and flung the ball up into the air just before he was ruled down for a safety. The ball was intercepted on the 2 yard line and run back for a touchdown. Ainge's head also rammed the goalpost on the play, tweaking his neck. The injury was not serious but he was sidelined by coach Phillip Fulmer for the remainder of the game. As a result, Senior QB Rick Clausen took over as the starting QB until the final game of the season. Ainge finished his sophomore season with a strong performance and a win at Kentucky.
As a junior in 2006, Ainge was named the starter heading into spring practice, and for the first time in his career was able to take all of the first team reps throughout the preseason. Ainge also had a new position coach and offensive coordinator when David Cutcliffe replaced Randy Sanders. He led his team to 7-1 record before being injured in the closing minutes of a game against South Carolina. He would then miss the majority of the next two losses for Tennessee Volunteers before returning to lead his team to season-ending wins against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. During the season Ainge would set career highs in most statistical categories and break the Tennessee single-season record for completion percentage. He now owns a 17-5 record as a starter. The 2007 Outback Bowl was the first bowl appearance for Ainge. He had a solid outing in a 20-10 loss to Penn State. Ainge missed the 2005 Cotton Bowl due to injury, and the Vols did not qualify for a bowl game following his sophomore season.
On March 8, 2007 it was reported that Ainge would have to undergo surgery for a torn meniscus. Ainge stated that the injury occurred during weight-lifting exercise. It remains unclear what effect this will have on his 2007 season. A similar injury to former Vols receiver Robert Meachem caused him to miss his entire freshman season. Rivals.com named Ainge as one of the top-10 quarterbacks going into the 2007 season
02/21/08 - Ainge, out of Hillsboro's Glencoe High School, wants to raise his stock from a third- or fourth-round pick to a first- or second-round pick. Brink, out of Eugene's Sheldon High School, wants to assure he's drafted at all. Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart, on the other hand, has a chance to convince teams that he's worthy of a top 10 overall pick. Ainge has been training in Pensacola, Fla., with quarterback guru Edmund "Zeke" Bratkowski, who played in the NFL in the 1950s and 1960s. Ainge, who said he's added another 10 pounds of muscle to reach 230 on his 6-foot-6 frame, wants to do well in the psychological testing and interview process to show teams he has the mental makeup to become a successful NFL quarterback. "I feel advanced mentally," he said. "What we did on offense at Tennessee wasn't what most colleges do." - The Oregonian, The Oregonian Staff
Erik Ainge More Awards and Recognitions:
- Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week, September 18, 2004 (vs. Florida Gators)
- 2004 Freshman All-America The Sporting News (2nd)
- SEC Offensive Freshman of the Year The Sporting News
- Freshman All-SEC Coaches
- 2005 Academic All-SEC
- USA Today National Player of the Week, September 4, 2006 (vs. California)
- SEC Offensive Player of the Week, September 11, 2006 (vs. Air Force)
- SEC Offensive Player of the Week, October 2, 2006 (at Memphis Tigers)
- SEC Offensive Player of the Week, October 9, 2006 (at Georgia)
- Cingular All-America Player of the Week, October 9, 2006 (at Georgia)
- Walter Camp Div. I-A National Offensive Player of the Week, October 9, 2006 (at Georgia)
- 2008 Senior Bowl Offensive MVP for the South
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