T. J. Yates

Taylor Jonathan "T. J." Yates (born May 28, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Texans in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft after playing college football at North Carolina.

Early years
Yates only played one year of high school football (though he had played youth-league football.) In 2005, Yates played quarterback and punter for Pope High School, in the north Atlanta suburb of Marietta, where he earned Atlanta Metro First-Team All-Area honors.

College career
Yates played quarterback for the North Carolina Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2007 to 2010. Yates currently holds the school records for total career passing yards, single-season passing yards and single-season total offense, having broken records set by predecessors Darian Durant and Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice during his time at North Carolina. He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Professional career
Yates was selected with the 152nd pick in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. He first saw action in a November 27, 2011 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars when quarterback Matt Leinart left the game with a collarbone injury. Yates made his first ever professional career start in the next game against the Atlanta Falcons and also became the first ever former University of North Carolina quarterback to start an NFL game. Yates started his second game on December 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Yates completed 26-of-44 passes for 300 yards. He threw two touchdowns and one interception and led the Texans to their tenth win, clinching a playoff spot for the first time in franchise history. For his performance in the Bengals game he was named the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week. On January 7, 2012, Yates led the Texans to their first ever playoff win with the score of 31-10 over the Cincinnati Bengals (the same team Yates and the Texans beat to clinch their first ever playoff berth), becoming the fifth rookie quarterback to win a playoff game. The game was the first playoff game in NFL history that had two rookie quarterbacks starting for their respective teams (Andy Dalton was the other rookie). The Texans eventually lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round.

Yates began the 2012 season second on the depth chart, behind quarterback Matt Schaub, but ahead of John Beck and undrafted rookie Case Keenum.