Erik Douglas Ainge (born June 12, 1986 in Portland, Oregon) is a collegiate football player for the University of Tennessee. Ainge is one of two sophomore quarterbacks on the roster, and is expected to share playing time in the 2005 season with Brent Schaeffer .

Ainge was an athletic star at Glencoe High School in Hillsboro, Oregon. As a freshman and sophomore, he played baseball and basketball in addition to football. As a junior, he was named a second-team All-American shooting guard in basketball. As a senior, he was named a preseason All-American guard by Street & Smith, although he was sidelined with turf toe. He was a three-year starter at quarterback on the football team, leading the Crimson Tide as deep as As a senior, he passed for 3,078 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Perhaps his most impressive game as a senior came against Aloha High School , when he went 20-of-28 for 475 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions and lead the Crimson Tide to 62 points through three quarters of action.

Ainge comes from a strong family history of sucess in athletics. His father, Doug Ainge, attended Brigham Young University on a basketball scholarship, and was drafted to the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He declined their offer. His uncle, Danny Ainge, is a former professional basketball and baseball player who starred in the NBA for the Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trailblazers and Phoenix Suns, and also played Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays. He is currently the director of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics.

External links

• Official bio at University of Tennessee sports page