Devin Funchess

Devin Akeem Funchess[1] (born May 21, 1994) is an American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

Devin Funchess
Funchess with the Panthers in 2018
No. 11 – Green Bay Packers
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1994-05-21) May 21, 1994
Detroit, Michigan
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:Harrison
(Farmington Hills, Michigan)
College:Michigan
NFL Draft:2015 / Round: 2 / Pick: 41
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2020
Receptions:164
Receiving yards:2,265
Receiving touchdowns:21
Player stats at NFL.com

High school career

Funchess attended Harrison High School in Farmington Hills, where he was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and track.[2] As a junior in 2010, he caught 34 passes for 709 yards and five touchdowns, leading his team to the Michigan Division II state championship.[3][4] As a senior in 2011, he was named to the Detroit News Blue Chip List after tallying 21 receptions for 452 yards and five touchdowns on offense, while also recording three sacks, one forced fumble, one interception, and three pass break-ups on defense.[5] In track & field, Funchess competed as a long jumper, recording a personal-best leap of 5.53 meters (18 ft, 1.5 in) at the 2011 Oakland County Championships, where he placed 25th.[6]

Considered a four-star recruit by ESPN.com, Funchess was listed as the fifth-ranked tight end in the nation in 2012.[7]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Devin Funchess
TE
Farmington Hills, MI Harrison HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Apr 22, 2011 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 8 (TE)   Rivals: 14 (TE)  247Sports: 10 (TE)  ESPN: 5 (TE)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2012 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 27, 2014.

    College career

    Funchess committed to the University of Michigan in 2011, becoming one of the top prospects in Michigan's 2012 recruiting class.[8]

    2012 season

    Funchess playing for Michigan in 2012.

    Funchess saw extensive playing time as a freshman for the 2012 Michigan football team.[9] After Brandon Moore sustained a knee injury, Funchess became the team's leading tight end and was described in October 2012 as "one of Michigan's biggest early-season revelations."[10] In the second game of the season, and Funchess' first as a starter, he had 106 receiving yards and a touchdown against Air Force.[11][12][13][14] He became the first Michigan tight end with 100 receiving yards in a game in 15 years; Jerame Tuman accomplished the feat in 1997.[15] Funchess was named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week for his performance against Air Force.[16][17] Against UMass the following week, he caught two passes for 34 yards and scored his second career touchdown at Michigan.[18][19]

    Funchess scored his third touchdown pass on October 13, 2012, in a 45–0 victory over Illinois.[20] On November 10, 2012, he scored in the fourth quarter on an eight-yard pass from Devin Gardner to give Michigan a 28–24 lead over Northwestern.[21] In the final home game of the season, a 42–17 victory over Iowa, Funchess scored his fifth touchdown on a 29-yard pass from Gardner.[22]

    Funchess was a 2012 All-Big Ten honorable mention selection by the media.[23][24] He was also named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team.[25]

    2013 season

    As a sophomore for the 2013 Michigan team, Funchess became the Wolverines' second leading receiver behind Jeremy Gallon. On October 5, 2013, he caught seven passes for 151 yards against Minnesota. He had a 46-yard reception against the Golden Gophers, and his total of 151 yards was also a career-high.[26][27] After the Minnesota game, head coach Brady Hoke said: "We wanted to get him out on the perimeter a little bit, mismatch in a lot of ways. He runs awful well and is a big target. We're just trying to really take advantage of his skill set."[28] In an overtime loss to Penn State on October 12, 2013, Funchess caught four passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-long 59-yard touchdown reception.[29] Through the first six games of the season, Funchess had 19 catches for 408 yards and four touchdowns. His average of 21.5 yards per catch was the highest in the Big Ten Conference.[30]

    After the 2013 season, Funchess was named as Big Ten's Tight End of the year.[31]

    2014 season

    On August 30, 2014, Funchess played his first game as a wide receiver for the Wolverines. He changed his number from No. 87 to No. 1; he is the first receiver to wear No. 1 since Braylon Edwards in 2004.[32] Funchess tallied seven receptions for 95 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in the season opener against Appalachian State.[33] On December 9, 2014, Funchess announced that he would be foregoing his remaining eligibility and declared for the 2015 NFL Draft.[34]

    Career statistics

    Receiving
    YearTeamGamesRecYdsAvgTDs
    2012Michigan 131523415.65
    2013Michigan 134974815.36
    2014Michigan 116273311.84
    Total 37126171513.615

    Professional career

    Funchess and tight end Ed Dickson playing for the Panthers in 2015.
    Pre-draft measurables
    HeightWeightArm lengthHand size40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
    6 ft 4 14 in
    (1.94 m)
    232 lb
    (105 kg)
    33 12 in
    (0.85 m)
    9 34 in
    (0.25 m)
    4.70 s1.66 s2.74 s4.48 s6.98 s38 12 in
    (0.98 m)
    10 ft 2 in
    (3.10 m)
    17 reps
    All values from NFL Combine and Pro Day[35]

    2015 season

    Funchess was drafted in the second round with the 41st overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2015 NFL Draft.[36] On August 14, 2015, he made his preseason debut for the Panthers against the Buffalo Bills. Funchess' first catch was a 34-yarder where he tightroped the sideline on a pass from Derek Anderson. Funchess had one more catch, and finished the night with 53 yards total. When the Panther's primary receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in training camp, Carolina looked for Funchess to help fill that spot and emerge as a consistent target for Cam Newton.[37]

    Funchess had a breakout game during Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers; Funchess made 3 catches for 71 yards and a key touchdown to help the Panthers earn their first 8–0 start in franchise history.[38] The following week, Funchess caught both of his targets for a total of 41 yards during the Panthers' 27–10 victory over the Tennessee Titans.[39] The following week, Funchess made his first NFL start against the Washington Redskins and responded with four receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown during the Panthers' 44–16 victory.[40] During the Panthers' 41–38 victory over the New Orleans Saints, Funchess recorded a key 13-yard touchdown reception.[41] During the Panthers' 38–35 victory over the New York Giants to move them to 14–0, Funchess recorded a key touchdown reception against cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.[42] Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the regular season finale, Funchess set career bests with seven receptions and 120 yards. The yardage is the second-most by Panthers' rookie (David Gettis had 125 yards against the San Francisco 49ers on October 24, 2010).[43] Funchess finished the regular season with 31 catches for 473 yards, the fifth most in franchise history for a rookie receiver; his five touchdown catches were second most for a rookie.[44]

    On February 7, 2016, Funchess was part of the Panthers team that played in Super Bowl 50. The Panthers fell to the Denver Broncos by a score of 24–10.[45] In the Super Bowl, Funchess had two catches for 40 yards.[46]

    2016 season

    Funchess played in 15 games in 2016, with seven starts, recording 23 catches for 371 yards and four touchdowns. He was placed on injured reserve on December 29, 2016 after suffering a knee injury against the Falcons in Week 16.[47]

    2017 season

    Funchess was part of a Panthers' wide receiver unit that contained Kelvin Benjamin, Russell Shephard, Curtis Samuel, Kaelin Clay, and Damiere Byrd.[48] In Week 4, against the New England Patriots, he had seven receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the 33–30 victory.[49] In Week 12, against the New York Jets, he had a season-high 108 receiving yards on seven receptions.[50] Overall, on the season, he had 63 receptions for 840 yards and eight touchdowns.[51] The Panthers made the playoffs and faced off against the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card Round.[52] In the 31–26 loss, he had four receptions for 89 yards.[53]

    2018 season

    In a Week 3 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, Funchess scored his first receiving touchdown of the season.[54] In Week 6 and Week 8, he scored a touchdown in consecutive games against the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.[55][56]

    Indianapolis Colts

    On March 14, 2019, Funchess signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts.[57] He was placed on injured reserve with a broken collarbone on September 10, 2019.[58] He was designated for return from injured reserve on November 13, 2019, and began practicing with the team again.[59] However, he was not activated by the end of the three-week practice window on December 4, 2019, and remained on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

    Green Bay Packers

    On April 2, 2020, Funchess signed with the Green Bay Packers[60] The deal was reportedly for one year with a $1.2 million base salary for the 2020 season and a $1 million signing bonus, and could be worth up to $6.25 million with bonuses and incentives.[61]

    On July 28, 2020, Funchess decided to opt out of the 2020 NFL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[62] He explained his decision in an Instagram post, saying that some of his closest family members had been exposed to COVID-19 and that he was opting out for their safety, as well as his own.[63]

    NFL career statistics

    Regular season

    Year Team Games Receiving Fumbles
    GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
    2015CAR 1653147315.352511
    2016CAR 1572337116.148400
    2017CAR 16166384013.344800
    2018CAR 14124454912.527400
    2019IND 1133210.716000
    2020GB 000Opt-out
    Career62411642,26513.8522111
    Source: NFL.com

    Postseason

    Year Team Games Receiving Fumbles
    GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
    2015CAR 3357314.624100
    2017CAR 1147919.824000
    Career44915216.924100
    Source: pro-football-reference.com

    References

    1. "Devin Funchess". packers.com. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
    2. "Panthers select Harrison's Funchess in NFL draft". USA TODAY High School Sports. May 2, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
    3. Markowski, Tom (January 23, 2012). "Blue Chip profiles: Harrison WR Devin Funchess says coaching in future". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013.
    4. Markowski, Tom (August 24, 2011). "Farmington Hills Harrison could have its best football team ever". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013.
    5. "Devin Funchess – 2014 Football Roster – University of Michigan Official Athletic Site". mgoblue.com.
    6. "Oakland County Championships – Track & Field Meet". Athletic.net.
    7. "Devin Funchess – Football Recruiting – Player Profiles". ESPN.
    8. VanHaaren, Tom (September 20, 2011). "TE prospect groomed for success: With skillful hands, and needing only to bulk up, Funchess should see early time". ESPN.
    9. Snyder, Mark; Rexrode, Joe (October 19, 2012). "Longtime friends Devin Funchess and Aaron Burbridge are now temporary enemies: Harrison teammates play for U-M, MSU". Detroit Free Press.
    10. Kyle Meinke (October 25, 2012). "Michigan TE Devin Funchess dealing with increased defensive pressure after fast start". Mlive.com.
    11. Lage, Larry (September 9, 2012). "Michigan Leaning on a Lot of Freshmen". Associated Press.
    12. Pasich, Luke (September 8, 2012). "Funchess emerges as big-play target". The Michigan Daily.
    13. Baumgardner, Nick (September 11, 2012). "Michigan players react to freshman Devin Funchess' historic breakout performance at tight end". Mlive.com.
    14. Chantel Jennings (September 11, 2012). "Freshman TE shines: Breakout game comes as no surprise to followers of Funchess". ESPN.
    15. Kyle Meinke (September 9, 2012). "Freshman Devin Funchess posts best receiving day for Michigan tight end since 1997". Mlive.com.
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    17. Baumgardner, Nick (September 10, 2012). "Michigan's Denard Robinson, Devin Funchess pick up Big Ten weekly honors". Mlive.com.
    18. Meinke, Kyle (October 12, 2012). "Michigan's Devin Funchess so impressive, he needs only 1 hand to thrill". Mlive.com.
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