Jay Riemersma - Where is he now?
Jay Riemersma played Tight End at Michigan, after starting out as a Quarterback. As one of Michigan's primary receiving threats in 1994 and 1995, Riemersma was tough to tackle and had great hands (for a converted QB, at least). Unfortunately for me, my "top" Riemersma memory comes from a failed fake field goal in a 28-25 loss to MSU in 1995. I gotta feel bad for Jay, as the prime of his Michigan career came during one of the worst short streches of Michigan Football in recent times. However, Riemersma was talented enough to make it to the NFL, being drafted by Buffalo in the 7th Round of the 1996 Draft. He played for the Bills from 1996-2002, then for the Pittsburgh Steelers (2003-2004) before being set back by an Achilles tendon injury. His NFL career stats weren't too shabby, either.
Last year, Riemersma was named Interim Head Football Coach at Zeeland East High School, in Jay's hometown of Zeeland, Michigan. Despite posting an 0-9 record, it appears that Jay is being considered as the permanent hire. With Jay's desire to be a coach, and his experience at Tight End, there was some buzz this offseason about whether Michigan would bring him on as TE Coach (to replace the departed Terry Malone) or (more realistically) enroll him as a Graduate Assistant. In reality, Jay is still very inexperienced as a coach. But based on his production at Michigan, I wouldn't mind seeing him back in Ann Arbor sooner or later.
Other Random Goods: Jay is/was pretty smart, and pretty religious.
Permanent Link Here - posted by Nick at 4:29 PM
7 Comments:
some more riemersma info / comment:
my brother graduated from high school the same year as riemersma, and zeeland (there was no east / west at that time - see below) played at our preseason scrimmage. on one play, riemersma rolled to his left and was hit just as he threw. our guy drove him into the turf and knocked him out for 2 1/2 months with a shoulder injury...he did return for the playoffs, but i always wondered if that preseason injury had something to do with his shoulder troubles at michigan (i.e. changing his motion, compensating, etc.) and got him to the nfl. probably not, obviuosly. but he was a hell of a high school qb from what i saw the previous season and in that short time against us...the irony is that his shoulder troubles at michigan are probably what got him in the nfl.
as far as his coaching, a bit more background - zeeland opened a new high school in 2005, and the previously solid zeeland program was split in two. one half (zeeland west) was taken over by jeff shilito, late of east kentwood, muskegon orchard view and others - a wing-t devotee and a proven winner, if not a state champion. i think that many of zeeland's best players followed him to zeeland west. i did see zeeland east twice this past season, and there was just not much talent on the field...it's hard to tell what kind of coach riemersma will be (particularly since he took over on literally the first day of practice) - we'll be able to tell a lot more this year. if i were zeeland east i'd be willing to give him another shot, and i'm surprised that they haven't yet made it official
Matt - Thanks for the info.
I played pick-up ball against Jay and he was an unbelievable athlete. The first time I played against him, I was guarding him...I'm a black dude, and at the time I was 6'3, 160lbs, and very quick and from Detroit. Jay was a big boy...6'5 240lbs or so? I chose him because I figured while he could post me up, I'd out quick him and run him to death...right? Because he's a big chunky lead-footed white dude right?
Wrong. Amani and Merc and Jay were looking at each other and grinning. I didn't get it. They threw him the ball at the three-point line...I stepped in front of him and he exploded by me faster than anyone I had ever seen. Then by the time I tried to recover he dunked right over me. I should've just let him go. Obviously he was a pretty good b-ball player too...
"I'm a black dude and...."
Oh please. What black person starts off a post with that? Something that has NOTHING to do with the rest of the post.
hmm I thought I knew where he is because I thought I heard his name during a game last sunday, but now that I recall well, it was Jay Petterson
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