Kerry Meier
Encyclopedia
Kerry Meier is an American football
wide receiver
for the Atlanta Falcons
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Kansas
. A former quarterback turned wide receiver in college, he broke multiple Kansas receiving records and played a key role in the Jayhawks winning the 2008 Orange Bowl
his Junior as well as helping lead the Jayhawks to win the 2008 Insight Bowl
his Senior year.
. He grew up playing many sports including football, basketball, and baseball. Meier attended Pittsburg High School
where he was an all-state quarterback
, kicker
and punter. He was named all-league first team as a quarterback and a punter in both 2003 and 2004. Additionally, he was an all-state selection at quarterback by the Kansas Football Coaches Association as a senior. He was also named to the KFCA's Top 11. He was ranked as the 13th-best high school senior quarterback in the nation by Superprep Magazine. During his senior season, Meier completed 72 of 151 passes for 930 yards and nine touchdowns in 2004. He led the PHS Dragons to the sectional championship as a junior and senior. Meier was coached in football by Merle Clark. Meier graduated in 2005 following a very successful high school career. Rivals.com
ranked Meier the best high school player in Kansas and the 14th best dual threat quarterback. Meier committed to play collegiately for Mark Mangino
's Kansas Jayhawks.
this year. He was named as the co-winner of the team's Otto Schnellbacher
Award, an award given to the offensive scout-team MVP.
, who would set Kansas single season records for passing yards and touchdowns. Despite losing his starting role, Meier found playing time at the wide receiver position. He caught 26 passes for 274 yards and completed 25 of 29 passes as the backup quarterback. He had at least two receptions in each of the last eight games. He also had four catches for 70 yards vs. Missouri
and had four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown against Nebraska
. Meier became the first KU player to record a rushing touchdown, passing touchdown and receiving touchdown in the same season since Garfield Taylor in 1981. He also became the first Jayhawk to record a rush, pass, reception and punt in the same season since Donald Shanklin in 1968. During this season, Meier was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
.
Most Courageous Player award with Jake Sharp, as well as KU's Most Improved Offensive Player with Dezmon Briscoe
.
Meier graduated in 2010 with a degree in sports management.
. On July 16, 2010 Meier signed a 4-year, $1.947 million contract with the Falcons. He spent the entire 2010 season on injured reserve after injuring his knee in the 2nd preseason game against the New England Patriots
. Since he did not play at all or even suit up for a single game in the 2010 regular season, he still considered a rookie by the NFL for the 2011 season.
and Dylan Meier
(now deceased) played for Kansas State University
. Shad then spent six seasons in the National Football League
. Adam Meier played at Pittsburg State
. Meier is the son of Dennis and Valerie Meier who reside in Pittsburg, Kansas. Dylan died after falling from a cliff while hiking in Arkansas with the family.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
. A former quarterback turned wide receiver in college, he broke multiple Kansas receiving records and played a key role in the Jayhawks winning the 2008 Orange Bowl
2008 Orange Bowl
The 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Kansas Jayhawks on January 3, 2008, at Dolphins Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Spread bettors favored Virginia Tech by three points, but in a game dominated by defensive and...
his Junior as well as helping lead the Jayhawks to win the 2008 Insight Bowl
2008 Insight Bowl
The 2008 Insight Bowl was a college football bowl game played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The game, in its 20th year of existence, began at 5:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 31, 2008...
his Senior year.
Early years
Kerry Meier was born and raised in Pittsburg, KansasPittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, in southeastern Kansas, United States. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and in southeastern Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,233.-History:...
. He grew up playing many sports including football, basketball, and baseball. Meier attended Pittsburg High School
Pittsburg High School (Kansas)
Pittsburg High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Pittsburg, Kansas, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. Pittsburg High School is the one of two high schools in Pittsburg, KS and is the largest high school in southeast Kansas and the Greater Pittsburg Area...
where he was an all-state quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
and punter. He was named all-league first team as a quarterback and a punter in both 2003 and 2004. Additionally, he was an all-state selection at quarterback by the Kansas Football Coaches Association as a senior. He was also named to the KFCA's Top 11. He was ranked as the 13th-best high school senior quarterback in the nation by Superprep Magazine. During his senior season, Meier completed 72 of 151 passes for 930 yards and nine touchdowns in 2004. He led the PHS Dragons to the sectional championship as a junior and senior. Meier was coached in football by Merle Clark. Meier graduated in 2005 following a very successful high school career. Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
ranked Meier the best high school player in Kansas and the 14th best dual threat quarterback. Meier committed to play collegiately for Mark Mangino
Mark Mangino
Mark Thomas Mangino is an American football coach. He was most recently the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks college football team from 2002 to 2009. In 2007, Mangino received several National Coach of the Year honors after leading the Jayhawks to their first 12-win season in school history...
's Kansas Jayhawks.
2005 season
In fall of 2005 Meier underwent surgery for a heart condition that had been undetected until Meier started college. Meier was a redshirtRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
this year. He was named as the co-winner of the team's Otto Schnellbacher
Otto Schnellbacher
Otto Ole Schnellbacher was an American football defensive back in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He was a 2-time Pro Bowler. Also a professional basketball player, Schnellbacher played for the Basketball Association of America's Providence Steamrollers and St. Louis Bombers...
Award, an award given to the offensive scout-team MVP.
2006 season
During the 2006 season, Meier started eight games at quarterback. He completed 104 of 184 pass attempts and threw for 1,193 yards, including a KU freshman record 13 touchdowns. Meier also finished second on the team with 346 rushing yards. He averaged 3.5 yards per carry and added five rushing touchdowns. Meier was named KU's Offensive Player of the Week following the Northwestern State and OSU games.2007 season
Prior to the 2007 season, Meier lost the starting quarterback job to Todd ReesingTodd Reesing
Todd Reesing is a former starting quarterback for the Kansas Jayhawks.- High school career:Reesing attended Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas and was a good student and a letterman in football and baseball. In football, Reesing was named the Texas 4A Player of the Year as a junior...
, who would set Kansas single season records for passing yards and touchdowns. Despite losing his starting role, Meier found playing time at the wide receiver position. He caught 26 passes for 274 yards and completed 25 of 29 passes as the backup quarterback. He had at least two receptions in each of the last eight games. He also had four catches for 70 yards vs. Missouri
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
and had four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown against Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
. Meier became the first KU player to record a rushing touchdown, passing touchdown and receiving touchdown in the same season since Garfield Taylor in 1981. He also became the first Jayhawk to record a rush, pass, reception and punt in the same season since Donald Shanklin in 1968. During this season, Meier was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
.
2008 season
In 2008, Meier was listed under four positions on the Kansas depth chart, backup QB, starting WR, backup punter, and holder for kicks. He tied Dezmon Briscoe for the school mark for single-game receptions with 14 catches against Missouri. Meier had 97 catches for 1,045 yards, the fourth-most yards by a KU player in history. The 97 catches were a KU single-season record. He also had eight touchdown catches, which tied for third on the KU season list. Meier was also tied for sixth in the NCAA with 7.46 receptions per game. His 80.38 yards per game ranked 32nd nationally. Through the end of 2008, Meier had a streak of at least two passes in 21 consecutive games. Meier was a Biletnikoff Award candidate. He also earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. He was named Phil Steele All-Big 12 Third Team, Kansas City Star All-Big 12 Second Team, and Associated Press All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Meier shared KU's Gale SayersGale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
Most Courageous Player award with Jake Sharp, as well as KU's Most Improved Offensive Player with Dezmon Briscoe
Dezmon Briscoe
Dezmon Jerrod Briscoe is an American football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas.-Early years:Briscoe was born in Dallas, Texas to...
.
Meier graduated in 2010 with a degree in sports management.
Atlanta Falcons
On April 24, 2010, Meier was picked 165th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. On July 16, 2010 Meier signed a 4-year, $1.947 million contract with the Falcons. He spent the entire 2010 season on injured reserve after injuring his knee in the 2nd preseason game against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. Since he did not play at all or even suit up for a single game in the 2010 regular season, he still considered a rookie by the NFL for the 2011 season.
Personal life
Meier has three older brothers all who played football. Shad MeierShad Meier
Shad Meier Shad Meier Shad Meier (born June 7, 1978 in St. Louis, Missouri, is a former professional American football tight end.-High School and College Career:Shad Meier prepped at Pittsburg High School, in his home town, where he was an All-State Top 11 Selection in Kansas in the fall of 1995...
and Dylan Meier
Dylan Meier
Dylan Meier was a quarterback for the Kansas State Wildcats football team. He played in college from 2002 to 2006.From 2007 to 2009 he played in Europe for the German and Italian Football Leagues.-Early life:...
(now deceased) played for Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
. Shad then spent six seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Adam Meier played at Pittsburg State
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 7,100 students located in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal...
. Meier is the son of Dennis and Valerie Meier who reside in Pittsburg, Kansas. Dylan died after falling from a cliff while hiking in Arkansas with the family.