Eric Hipple is a career quality starter β a quarterback whose body of work places Hipple in the top quarter of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Hipple's career arc reflects exactly that kind of reliable professional-grade performance.
Eric Hipple
Height6'2"
Weight196 lb
BornSep 16, 1957
Age68
CollegeUtah StateSee College Stats
Rookie yr1980
Draft1980 Β· Rd 4, Pick 85 Β· DET
A top 20% all-time quarterback who consistently made an impact across multiple seasons.
Career Value Β· VORP
VORP 114 Β· #931 Β· High-ValueWorth 114 points of value above a freely-available replacement quarterback β top 21% of all 4,642 ranked at the position. 5 of 7 seasons cleared the replacement bar, by +22.8 on average.See board β
Seasons above replacement
5 cleared
2 replaced
Beat replacement (adds to VORP) Below it β adds 0, never a debit
36
Replacement
the KC-H bar
β
5
Seasons over
cleared the bar
Γ
+22.8
Avg surplus
peak +28
5 seasons Γ ~22.8 surplus β VORP 114
Combined Season Grid
The full season-by-season grids, joined on one timeline. Every selected stat family stays visible at onceβno tab hopping.
2 grids split in one view
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | TD% | Int% | Y/A | AdjY/A | TD:INT | Rate | Sk | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb | |||||
| 1981 | β | DET | 16 | β | 140 | 279 | 50.2% | 2,358 | 14 | 15 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 0.9 | 73.4 | β | 41 | 168 | 7 | 4.1 | 17.1 | β | β | β |
| 1982 | β | DET | 9 | β | 36 | 86 | 41.9% | 411 | 2 | 4 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 45.3 | β | 10 | 57 | 0 | 5.7 | 0.0 | β | β | β |
| 1983 | β | DET | 16 | β | 204 | 387 | 52.7% | 2,577 | 12 | 18 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 5.2 | 0.7 | 64.7 | β | 41 | 171 | 3 | 4.2 | 7.3 | β | β | β |
| 1984 | β | DET | 8 | β | 16 | 38 | 42.1% | 246 | 1 | 1 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 1.0 | 62.0 | β | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | β | β | β |
| 1985 | β | DET | 16 | β | 223 | 406 | 54.9% | 2,952 | 17 | 18 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 7.3 | 6.1 | 0.9 | 73.6 | β | 32 | 89 | 2 | 2.8 | 6.3 | β | β | β |
| 1986 | β | DET | 16 | β | 192 | 305 | 63.0% | 1,919 | 9 | 11 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 6.3 | 5.3 | 0.8 | 75.6 | β | 16 | 46 | 0 | 2.9 | 0.0 | β | β | β |
| 1988 | β | DET | 5 | β | 12 | 27 | 44.4% | 158 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.9 | 5.9 | β | 63.5 | β | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5.0 | 0.0 | β | β | β |
| 1989 | β | DET | 1 | β | 7 | 18 | 38.9% | 90 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 16.7 | 5.0 | -2.5 | 0.0 | 15.7 | β | 2 | 11 | 1 | 5.5 | 50.0 | β | β | β |
| Career | β | 87 | β | 830 | 1,546 | 53.7% | 10,711 | 55 | 70 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 6.9 | 5.6 | 0.8 | 68.7 | β | 145 | 550 | 13 | 3.8 | 9.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | |
Passing
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | TD% | Int% | Y/A | AdjY/A | TD:INT | Rate | Sk | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 24 | DET | 16 | β | 140 | 279 | 50.2% | 2,358 | 14 | 15 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 0.9 | 73.4 | β | 18.3 |
| 1982 | 25 | DET | 9 | β | 36 | 86 | 41.9% | 411 | 2 | 4 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 45.3 | β | 3.8 |
| 1983 | 26 | DET | 16 | β | 204 | 387 | 52.7% | 2,577 | 12 | 18 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 5.2 | 0.7 | 64.7 | β | 13 |
| 1984 | 27 | DET | 8 | β | 16 | 38 | 42.1% | 246 | 1 | 1 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 1.0 | 62.0 | β | 3.6 |
| 1985 | 28 | DET | 16 | β | 223 | 406 | 54.9% | 2,952 | 17 | 18 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 7.3 | 6.1 | 0.9 | 73.6 | β | 13.1 |
| 1986 | 29 | DET | 16 | β | 192 | 305 | 63.0% | 1,919 | 9 | 11 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 6.3 | 5.3 | 0.8 | 75.6 | β | 10.1 |
| 1988 | 31 | DET | 5 | β | 12 | 27 | 44.4% | 158 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.9 | 5.9 | β | 63.5 | β | 2 |
| 1989 | 32 | DET | 1 | β | 7 | 18 | 38.9% | 90 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 16.7 | 5.0 | -2.5 | 0.0 | 15.7 | β | β |
| Career | 87 | 830 | 1,546 | 53.7% | 10,711 | 55 | 70 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 6.9 | β | β | 68.7 | β | 63.9 |
Rushing
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 24 | DET | 16 | β | 41 | 168 | 7 | 4.1 | 17.1 | β | β | β |
| 1982 | 25 | DET | 9 | β | 10 | 57 | 0 | 5.7 | 0.0 | β | β | β |
| 1983 | 26 | DET | 16 | β | 41 | 171 | 3 | 4.2 | 7.3 | β | β | β |
| 1984 | 27 | DET | 8 | β | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | β | β | β |
| 1985 | 28 | DET | 16 | β | 32 | 89 | 2 | 2.8 | 6.3 | β | β | β |
| 1986 | 29 | DET | 16 | β | 16 | 46 | 0 | 2.9 | 0.0 | β | β | β |
| 1988 | 31 | DET | 5 | β | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5.0 | 0.0 | β | β | β |
| 1989 | 32 | DET | 1 | β | 2 | 11 | 1 | 5.5 | 50.0 | β | β | β |
| Career | 87 | 145 | 550 | 13 | 3.8 | β | 0 | β | 0 |
KV-H Anatomy
KV-H 58 Β· Strong StarterA strong starter career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 58 of 100, era-normalized against pass yds/g peers across 7 scored seasons.
55
Sustained
career value
Γ.6
64
Peak
best 3 seasons
Γ.4
Γ1
Longevity
career length
Blend 58.6 Γ longevity 1 = KV-H 58Β· confidence 95%
What builds the career mark of 55
On-field 36.7
Availability 18.3
On-field production Staying available
Season-by-season quality (era-relative pass yds/g)
1981bestavg 491988
All-Time Standing
how this career measures against the all-time greats at the position11
Depth
of 100
Reached 12% of the all-time Passing Yards leader β a rotational/depth all-time profile at the position.
12% of the all-time Passing Yards leader12
0 categories β₯25% of the all-time leader0
A 0β100 scale where 100 = matched the all-time leaderat this position. Built only from visible encyclopedia data β career production vs. the all-time leader, plus efficiency (EPA) and comparable-player confidence β so it's a transparent context score, not a subjective rating. Tiers: Elite β₯ 85 Β· Strong β₯ 65 Β· Solid β₯ 45 Β· Depth < 45. Comparable-player confidence: 87%.
Career Aging Trajectory
vs. position group average Β· KV-H basisAmber = this player (normalized to own peak). Indigo = average QBs aging curve. Group peak age: 29. Source: StatVault KV-H era (1999+).
College Passing
| Season | School | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | TD% | Int% | Y/A | AdjY/A | TD:INT | Rate | Sk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Utah State | 74 | 151 | 49.0% | 760 | 2 | 10 | 1.3 | 6.6 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 40.7 | β |
| 1977 | Utah State | 91 | 173 | 52.6% | 1,301 | 10 | 11 | 5.8 | 6.4 | 7.5 | 5.8 | 0.9 | 70.0 | β |
| 1978 | Utah State | 150 | 287 | 52.3% | 2,088 | 9 | 15 | 3.1 | 5.2 | 7.3 | 5.6 | 0.6 | 64.6 | β |
| 1979 | Utah State | 144 | 239 | 60.3% | 1,924 | 13 | 6 | 5.4 | 2.5 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 2.2 | 93.5 | β |
| Career | 459 | 850 | 54.0% | 6,073 | 34 | 42 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 7.1 | 5.7 | 0.8 | 69.6 | 0 |
Reference Graph
Career teammates and draft class, derived from year-by-year rosters β every name is linked.
Top Teammates
Rob RubickTE6yMark NicholsWR5yPete MandleyWR4yBilly SimsRB4yJim ArnoldP3yDavid LewisTE3yChuck LongQB3yJerry BallDT2yTony PaigeFB2yAlvin MooreRB2yRobbie MartinWR2yGarry JamesRB2yScott WilliamsRB2yCarl PainterRB2yRay CrockettCB1yBarry SandersRB1yPat CarterTE1yDave AhrensOLB1yStephen StarringWR1yRodney PeeteQB1yButch WoolfolkRB1yWalter StanleyWR1yRobert ClarkWR1yRaphel CherryDB1y
1980 Draft ClassΒ· this player went #85
Franchise Succession
the room, before and afterEric opened the Detroit Lions QB lineage the corpus knows, and handed it to Rodney Peete (1989β1993).
Similar Players
Statistical + physical similarity across every player in the database, position-relevant (0β100%).
Movementderived from season history
- 1989final season
Last recorded season with DET
- 1980draft
Drafted by DET β Round 4, Pick 85
Athletic & Unique Profile
verified measurements and curated source-tagged facts6'2" / 196 lb
Frame
Knox
StatVault's proprietary player intelligence, informed by full career data. How Knox works β
Historical Knox Β· KV-H
Era-normalized career quality β z-scored against 7-season peers. See all β
58
peak 64
Season Report CardsΒ· KV-H era-normalized per season
B1981
C1982
B1983
D1984
B1985
C+1986
F1988
Availability
Career durability β games played vs. scheduled, across 8 seasons.
72%
Era Translator
Pass Yds translated to the 2025NFL β each season's standing among its own-era peers, projected onto 2025's scoring environment. Modern-era (1999+) coverage.
| Season | Actual Pass Yds | Pass Yds/G | β 2025 Pass Yds | β 2025 /G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 2,358 | 147.4 | 3,951+1,593 | 232.4 |
| 1982 | 411 | 45.7 | 3,103+2,692 | 182.5 |
| 1983 | 2,577 | 161.1 | 3,874+1,297 | 227.9 |
| 1984 | 246 | 30.8 | 2,739+2,493 | 161.1 |
| 1985 | 2,952 | 184.5 | 3,958+1,006 | 232.8 |
| 1986 | 1,919 | 119.9 | 3,383+1,464 | 199 |
| 1988 | 158 | 31.6 | 2,688+2,530 | 158.1 |
Data: nflverse:draft_picks, nflverse:players, wikipedia:season-stats (CC-BY-SA, facts-only), wikipedia:college-stats (CC-BY-SA, facts-only), nfl.com:official-stats (facts-only reference), nfl.com:official-stats (games-played, facts-only reference) Β· multi-source verified via the StatVault Oracle Β· updated 6/18/2026
Career Value Β· VORP
114 career value over replacement β #931 all-time of 4,642. 16.3/season above a replacement-level QB.
Draft OutcomeValue β
Pick #85 (Rd 4) Β· DET Β· 1980 Β· +19.3 vs expected KV-H
58actual
38.7 expected Β· Ξ+19.3
Fan Rating
Rate Eric Hipple β All-Time
Tap a star to rate
Explore More
Similar Players