Greg Myers (American football)

Gregory Jay Myers (born September 30, 1972) is a former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Colorado State University, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American, and won the Jim Thorpe Award.

Greg Myers
No. 31
Position:Safety
Personal information
Born: (1972-09-30) September 30, 1972
Tampa, Florida
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:Windsor (CO)
College:Colorado State
NFL Draft:1996 / Round: 5 / Pick: 144
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:64
Games started:38
Tackles:221
Interceptions:4
Forced fumbles:4
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Early years

Myers was born in Tampa, Florida. He attended Windsor High School in Windsor, Colorado.[1] As a freshman, he was a placekicker, helping the team win a conference championship game against Brush High School.[2] He would later play quarterback, running back, defensive back and kick returner.[3] The school retired his No. 3 jersey.

In track, he was the Colorado high school champion in the pole vault (twice), 100 metres (twice), and the 200 metres.[4]

In 2012, he was a member of the inaugural Windsor High School (Colo.) Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was voted by the Greeley Tribune as the No. 3 Weld County athlete of the century.

College career

Myers accepted a football scholarship from Colorado State University, where he played under head coach Earle Bruce and Sonny Lubick's Colorado State Rams football teams from 1992 to 1995.[5] He became a starter at free safety as a freshman.

As a junior in 1994, he received first-team All-American honors from the Football Writers Association of America, Scripps-Howard, and The Sporting News. As a senior in 1995, he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in the nation, and was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American after receiving first-team selections from the Associated Press, United Press International, the Walter Camp Foundation, and The Sporting News.[6]

During Myers' four years as a Ram, the team improved significantly,[5] compiling a 10–2 record, winning an outright WAC championship in 1994, an 8–4 record and a share of the WAC title in 1995.[5] He was a first-team All-WAC selection for four consecutive seasons (1992–1995) and received seven All-conference selections (4 in defense and 3 as a return specialist);the only player in the history of the WAC to achieve that distinction.[5][7] He finished with 1,332 career punt return yards (conference record), a 15.9-yard punt return average (school record), 3 punts returned for touchdowns (school record), 295 tackles and 15 interceptions.

In addition to his athletic prowess, Myers was a standout in the college classroom.[5] He earned Academic All-America honors in 1994 and 1995, and received the WAC's Stan Bates Award as the conference's best overall student athlete in 1996.[5] He was the recipient of an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship.[5]

In 2001, he was inducted into the Colorado State University Sports Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.[3]

Professional career

Cincinnati Bengals

Myers was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round (144th pick overall) of the 1996 NFL Draft.[8] The next year, he became the regular starter at free safety over Bo Orlando,[9] finishing second on the team with 82 tackles.

In 1999, he started 16 games. In 1999, he started the first 4 games, before being passed on the depth chart by rookie Cory Hall. He posted 37 tackles, one interception, 5 passes defensed, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.[10]

In 2000, he tore his left patella tendon in the first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills and was released with an injury settlement on August 18.[11]

Dallas Cowboys

On November 8, 2000, he signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys.[4] He started 4 games at free safety, replacing Darren Woodson who broke his right forearm. He tore his left medial cruciate ligament in the fifteenth game against the New York Giants.[4] He recorded 21 tackles, one quarterback pressure, 2 special teams tackles and wasn't re-signed after the season. He finished with 64 regular season games appearances, starting 38, while compiling 221 tackles, 4 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles.

Personal life

Myers is currently an anesthesiologist in the level one trauma unit at Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado.[7] He is also an assistant professor through the University of Colorado residency program.[7] Myers is married, and he and his wife Kara have a son and a daughter.[7] They live in Morrison, Colorado.[3]

References
  1. databaseFootball.com, Players, Greg Myers Archived 2012-03-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  2. "When the game is over". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  3. Fasano, T.M. (April 9, 2012). "Former Windsor, CSU and professional football player is now a doctor in Denver". The Tribune.
  4. "From football pads to scrubs". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  5. "Colorado State University 2011 Ram Football" (PDF). Colorado State University Athletic Department, Fort Collins. pp. 156, 168, 170, 171–172, 178. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  6. "2010 Division I Football Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 10. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  7. Mo, Irv (April 18, 2012). "Colorado Classics: One-time football star Greg Myers now an anesthesiologist and professor". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  8. "1996 National Football League Draft". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  9. "Bengals Release Orlando, 2 Veterans". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  10. "Bengals re-sign Myers and Hundon". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  11. "Safety Myers Waived By Bengals". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
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