Fromm battling job security, and now parenthood and sleepless nights as a new parent
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Time get back to work for Jake Fromm, not that the former Houston County and Georgia standout quarterback hasn’t been working.
“The month of January is for Jake and wife to kind of get away and have a little vacation time, get to go hunting, and make sure the wife gets to the beach,” Fromm said during a visit last month to speak at the Boys Scouts Pacesetters dinner at the Methodist Home for Children and Youth. “February and March, just really spend time training, and (I) like to be a little DIY homeowner and invest a little bit in the house.”
Is he able to fix a lot of things?
“It just gives you another opportunity to learn how to fix something.”
During that process, Fromm and wife Caroline were preparing for a major change in lifestyle: parenthood.
About two weeks after his visit to Macon, the Fromms became parents to William Luke Fromm, on March 20.
“It’s a Bible name,” Fromm said. “My wife and I both love it. It just kind of checks off a lot of boxes.”
The Fromms live in Athens, not too far from uncles Dylan and Tyler. The younger brothers played at Houston County until transferring to Warner Robins, their alma mater.
Dylan signed with Mercer, but soon chose medical school over football. Tyler started out at Auburn, but will play in 2024 at Georgia Southern.
Granted, the three don’t get many chances to huddle up at the family home.
“Had a great (gathering) right before training camp,” said Fromm, who returned to Athens and got a degree in financen. “And we announced we were pregnant. It was a fun, exciting time.”
Fromm went through OTAs in early April with Washington, his third team. He was drafted in the fifth round by Buffalo in 2020, to back up Josh Allen, signing a four-year deal worth $3.7 million.
There wasn’t much action, and he was released and re-signed to the practice squad in 2021. The New York Giants signed him during the 2021 season, and he got some action when Daniel Jones went down and interim starter Mike Glennon struggled.
So did the Giants. A year ago March, he became a free agent and was signed by Washington in October of 2022, only to be waived and re-signed to the practice squad, moving up to the active roster in December.
“One hand, it is maybe a little frustrating,” said Fromm, who is 27 of 60 for 210 yards, a touchdown and three picks, all in 2021 with New York, which went 4-13 in Joe Judge’s final season as head coach. “I mean, you’re a football player, right? You wanna play, you want to get on the field. I had a little bit of an opportunity.
“You never want to get too far removed from the love of the game and to go and play and make plays. At the same time, I’m living an actual dream as a young kid and being in the NFL.”
But Fromm’s task got harder over the weekend when Washington drafted Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU, then signed undrafted free agent Sam Hartman of Notre Dame and Wake Forest.
They’ll join Fromm, Jeff Driskell (signed earlier this month), and former Atlanta quarterback Marcus Mariota.
All will be battling to play under new head coach Dan Quinn, and under a major change in ownership, an investment group led by Josh Harris, the billionaire owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils.
“Mr. Harris wants to help out and commit, and put a lot into and invest in what’s going on,” the 25 year old said. “(He) kind of has a good pulse on the day to day activities, and wants to win. Rally, everybody was going to be different than the previous ownership.
It puts Fromm on tenuous ground with Washington and such a crowded quarterback room. Up next are OTA workouts in May, but Fromm’s future with Washington is up in the air. He’s staying optimistic and focused.
“Right now, just try to play as long as a I can” he said. “And try to stay away from the real world.”