Michael Ray Garvin
Encyclopedia
Michael Ray Garvin is an American football
wide receiver
for the Las Vegas Locomotives
of the United Football League. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
at Florida State
.
Garvin has also been a member of the Detroit Lions
.
, Garvin attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School
in Ramsey, New Jersey
where he played football
and ran track.
As a junior
, Garvin rushed for 615 yards on 32 carries for six touchdowns. As a defensive back
, he recorded 45 tackles
and four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdown
s. As a senior
, he recorded 50 tackles and three interceptions. For his career, Garvin rushed for 1,600 yards and 34 total touchdowns.
While at Don Bosco, Garvin played in the Army All-American game, was ranked the fifth best player in New Jersey by Rivals.com
, he was also a four-star player, rated by Rivals.com and the 85th best player in the nation. He was rated the fourth best player in the state by Superprep Magazine and the 16th best defensive back in the nation. He was also an All-State first-team selection as a member of the school's track team.
.
, Garvin appeared all 11 of the Seminoles games, recording 16 tackles, one sack
, a forced fumble
and one pass break-up. He ranked first on the team, among true freshmen, with 12 solo tackles.
As a sophomore in 2006
, he appeared in all 13 games while earning starts against NC State
, Duke
, Virginia
, Wake Forest
, Western Michigan
and Florida
and finished sixth on the team with 35 tackles. On the season, he was one of two Seminoles who recorded a sack, tackle-for-loss, interception, pass-break-up and fumble recovery, the other being Lawrence Timmons
. Garvin was also the team's leader in kickoff returns with 16 for 362 yards and ranked ninth in the ACC
with a 22.6 yards-per-kick return average.
As a junior in 2007
, Garvin started eight games and led the team's cornerback
s in tackles with 49.
As a senior in 2008
, Garvin recorded 12 tackles on the season and became the only player in school history to average 30 yards or more per return in a season in 2008 with 30.1. He was also a Sporting News first-team All-American as a kick returner
and was a third-team All-American by SI.com
and Scout. He finished the season second in the nation in kick off returns and led the conference as well. He earned All-Acc second-team honors as a specialist. He was also the defensive special teams' player of the year, as voted by the team's coaching staff. He set the school record for career kickoff return yards (1,721), average yards-per-return (23.57) and tied Keith Ross for the all-time record for returns in a career with 73.
Garvin's father, Johnny Ray Garvin, was his secondary position coach in high school and had a short stint in the National Football League
and USFL.
Garvin earned his undergraduate degree
in social science in December 2008.
and was signed by the Arizona Cardinals
. While with the Cardinals he was converted from cornerback to wide receiver
.
practice squad during the 2009 season. Garvin was waived on April 26, 2010.
selected Garvin with their second round pick in the 2010 UFL Draft
.
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 Las Vegas Locomotives
Las Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
of the United Football League. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. 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 Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
Garvin has also been a member of the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
Early years
Hailing from Upper Saddle River, New JerseyUpper Saddle River, New Jersey
Upper Saddle River is an affluent borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,208. It is not to be confused with the neighboring borough of Saddle River.-History:...
, Garvin attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School
Don Bosco Preparatory High School
Don Bosco Preparatory High School is a private, Roman Catholic secondary school for young men, grades 9 through 12. Founded by the Salesians of Don Bosco, a religious order of priests and brothers, the school is situated on a campus in Ramsey, New Jersey, United States...
in Ramsey, New Jersey
Ramsey, New Jersey
Ramsey is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located northwest of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 14,473....
where he played football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and ran track.
As a junior
Eleventh grade
Eleventh Grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16 or 17 years of age, depending on the country and the students' birthdays.-Brazil:...
, Garvin rushed for 615 yards on 32 carries for six touchdowns. As a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, he recorded 45 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
and four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. As a senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
, he recorded 50 tackles and three interceptions. For his career, Garvin rushed for 1,600 yards and 34 total touchdowns.
While at Don Bosco, Garvin played in the Army All-American game, was ranked the fifth best player in New Jersey by 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...
, he was also a four-star player, rated by Rivals.com and the 85th best player in the nation. He was rated the fourth best player in the state by Superprep Magazine and the 16th best defensive back in the nation. He was also an All-State first-team selection as a member of the school's track team.
College career
After graduating from Don Bosco in 2005, Garvin attended Florida State UniversityFlorida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
Football
As a true freshman in 20052005 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2005 Florida State Seminoles football team won the 2005 ACC Championship Game over the Virginia Tech Hokies by a score of 27-22. With the victory, they were a selection to go to the 2006 Orange Bowl as the ACC representative in the BCS.-Schedule:...
, Garvin appeared all 11 of the Seminoles games, recording 16 tackles, one sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
, a forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
and one pass break-up. He ranked first on the team, among true freshmen, with 12 solo tackles.
As a sophomore in 2006
2006 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2006 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the 2006 college football season. Florida State entered the 2006 season as the defending ACC Champion, coming off an 8-5 record in 2005...
, he appeared in all 13 games while earning starts against NC State
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
, Duke
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
, Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons football
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represents Wake Forest University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest plays its home football games at BB&T Field....
, Western Michigan
Western Michigan Broncos football
The Western Michigan Broncos football program represents Western Michigan University in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I and the Mid-American Conference . Western Michigan has competed in football since 1906, when they played three games in their inaugural season...
and Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
and finished sixth on the team with 35 tackles. On the season, he was one of two Seminoles who recorded a sack, tackle-for-loss, interception, pass-break-up and fumble recovery, the other being Lawrence Timmons
Lawrence Timmons
Lawrence Olajuwon Timmons is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Steelers 15th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State University.-Early years:...
. Garvin was also the team's leader in kickoff returns with 16 for 362 yards and ranked ninth in the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
with a 22.6 yards-per-kick return average.
As a junior in 2007
2007 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2007 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the 2007 college football season. Florida State entered the 2007 season coming off a 2006 that ended with an overall record of 7-6, which was head coach Bobby Bowden's worst record since going 6-5 in 1981,...
, Garvin started eight games and led the team's cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
s in tackles with 49.
As a senior in 2008
2008 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2008 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Florida State's 17th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference .The previous...
, Garvin recorded 12 tackles on the season and became the only player in school history to average 30 yards or more per return in a season in 2008 with 30.1. He was also a Sporting News first-team All-American as a kick returner
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
and was a third-team All-American by SI.com
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...
and Scout. He finished the season second in the nation in kick off returns and led the conference as well. He earned All-Acc second-team honors as a specialist. He was also the defensive special teams' player of the year, as voted by the team's coaching staff. He set the school record for career kickoff return yards (1,721), average yards-per-return (23.57) and tied Keith Ross for the all-time record for returns in a career with 73.
Garvin's father, Johnny Ray Garvin, was his secondary position coach in high school and had a short stint 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...
and USFL.
Track and field
While at Florida State, Garvin was a seven-time All-American sprinter and a member of the winning 4x100 meter relay in 2007 NCAA outdoors. He finished third at the 100 meters (10.3). He also attempted to make the United States Olympic track and field team in the spring of 2008, qualifying for the trials and making it to the semifinals of the 200 meters.Garvin earned his undergraduate degree
Undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree is a colloquial term for an academic degree taken by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. It is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a university...
in social science in December 2008.
Arizona Cardinals
Garvin went unselected in the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
and was signed by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. While with the Cardinals he was converted from cornerback to 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...
.
Detroit Lions
He was later signed to the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
practice squad during the 2009 season. Garvin was waived on April 26, 2010.
Las Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas LocomotivesLas Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
selected Garvin with their second round pick in the 2010 UFL Draft
2010 UFL Draft
The 2010 UFL Draft was the second draft of the United Football League. The draft took place on Wednesday, June 2, beginning at 7 p.m. EDT. The draft was held over a period of 12 rounds during which each of the five UFL teams was allowed one pick per round, in reverse order of 2009 finish, with the...
.