Timmy Chang

Timothy Kealii'okaaina Awa Chang (born October 9, 1981) is a retired American football player. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Hawai'i where he set several major college football passing records, some of which he still holds.

Chang has also been a member of the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Rhein Fire, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Early years
Born in Waipahu, Hawai'i, Chang attended St. Louis School in Honolulu and was an honors student and a three-year letterman in football and basketball. Chang was selected a prep All-American by eight major organizations and publications. As a member of the St. Louis School football team, Chang completed 491 passes for 7,715 yards and 87 touchdowns in his three-year career. Chang graduated from Saint Louis High School in 2000.

College career
Following high school, Chang played five seasons (2000–2004) for the University of Hawai'i Warriors where he started 50 of 53 career games at quarterback. Chang completed 1,388 of 2,436 passes (57.0 percent) for 17,072 yards and 117 touchdowns, breaking the old NCAA Division I-A all-time records of 1,231 completions in 1,883 attempts by Kliff Kingsbury of Texas Tech University (1999–2002) and 15,031 yards by Ty Detmer of Brigham Young University (1989–91). Chang participated in 2,587 plays, breaking the old NCAA career record of 2,156 by Kingsbury. Chang's 16,910 yards in total offense broke the previous NCAA record of 14,465 by Detmer. Chang also had six rushing touchdowns and was a four-time All-Western Athletic Conference selection.

Chang currently holds the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision all-time interception record with 80, second most total offensive yards (16,910), second most career passing yards (17,072), most career plays from scrimmage (2,587),and is sixth to Case Keenum's 139 touchdown passes.

Chang was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2003 Hawaii Bowl in a triple-overtime victory over the University of Houston, and was named Co-MVP, with Chad Owens, of the 2004 Hawaii Bowl in a victory over the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Chang was a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award award for the 2004 season. He made a cameo in NCAA Football 06 in an opening.

Professional career
Chang was signed by the Arizona Cardinals after going undrafted in the 2005 NFL Draft, but was cut in training camp. That year, Chang also played in the preseason for the Detroit Lions but did not make the final roster. He then signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, who allocated him to the NFL Europe in 2006. He played for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europa for the 2006 season, in which he completed 50 of 89 passes for 656 yards, 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, while sharing playing time with Drew Henson. He was in training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2006, but was cut before the start of the regular season.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL acquired the negotiating rights to Chang in a February 12, 2007 trade with the Edmonton Eskimos. Chang signed with Hamilton on March 13, 2007. During the 2007 season, he started two of 18 games played, completing 42 of 89 pass attempts for 467 yards, one touchdown, and seven interceptions. Chang played in his first regular season game on June 30, 2007 against the Calgary Stampeders when he replaced the struggling Jason Maas towards the end of the fourth quarter, completing his first career CFL pass, a 51-yard pass to Jesse Lumsden, overall finishing 4 of 7 for 86 yards. He threw his first career CFL touchdown on July 14 during the Ticats 29-20 loss to Montreal, a 71-yard pass to Brock Ralph.

Chang was released by the Tiger-Cats on August 29, 2008 and signed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers the following day. He retired in 2009 and returned to the University of Hawaii to complete his bachelor's degree.

On May 19, 2012, Southern Methodist University head football coach June Jones, who coached Chang at Hawai'i, announced that Chang would join his staff as graduate assistant.

Personal life
On July 2, 2009, Chang was arrested at his Mililani home on suspicion of robbery. Honolulu police say a woman was filming a fight in the Pearlridge area and when Chang told the woman to stop filming it, a struggle ensued and the suspect allegedly took the camera and threw it on the roof of a nearby building. Chang has been released pending further investigation. Chang was booked on criminal property damage and harassment, and pleaded guilty to both crimes in February 2010. His plea deal included six months probation.