Mike Furrey
Encyclopedia
Michael Thomas Furrey is an American football
wide receiver
for the Washington Redskins
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts
as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He played college football
at Northern Iowa
and Ohio State University
.
Furrey has also played for the New York Dragons
, Las Vegas Outlaws
, St. Louis Rams
, Detroit Lions
and Cleveland Browns
.
, and was a letter-winner in football
, basketball
, and baseball
. In football, as a senior
, he was a first team All-District honoree a first team All-Conference honoree, and a first team All-Ohio honoree.
in 1995, where he played in nine games as a freshman walk-on. In 1996 he transferred to Division I-AA Northern Iowa
. In his three years at UNI, Furrey set new Gateway Football Conference
receiving records with career totals of 242 receptions for 3,544 yards and 27 touchdowns.
in 2000 but was waived at the end of training camp.
for the Las Vegas Outlaws
. He finished the season with 18 receptions for 243 yards and one touchdown.
in 2002 and 2003 as a Wide receiver/Defensive back
. He was leading the Arena Football League in receptions (108), receiving yards (1,574), receiving touchdowns (46, tying an AFL record for touchdowns in a single season), and points (288) when he left the Dragons on April 29, 2003 to sign with the St. Louis Rams
of the National Football League
.
and special teams ace. He played in 8 games and 2 playoff contests in 2004. Due to a lack of depth in the Rams' secondary before the 2005 season
, Furrey converted to Free safety based on his experience in the AFL where players play both offense and defense. He became the starter in Week 5. He was successful in the transition, as he had one game winning interception 67 yard return for a touchdown, and the next week a game-clinching interception in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. At the end of the 2005 season, Furrey was released.
signed Furrey to a one-year deal on April 4, 2006 as a wide receiver, being one of the few active players in the NFL to have started on both offense and defense. He emerged as a solid option in the Lions offense, catching 98 passes for 1,086 yards and seven touchdowns. His 98 receptions for that season were the most for any player in the conference, and second best in the league.
On December 31, 2006, Furrey set the pro football record for most catches for a non-rookie after a season with no catches the previous season. He had 98 receptions at the end of the 2006 season (which was the most in the NFC for that year), after none in 2005. The previous record was 92 catches, set in 1960 by Lionel Taylor
, playing for Denver
in the AFL
.
After the 2006 season
, Furrey was re-signed by the Lions to a three-year contract due to his breakout year. In the 2007 NFL Draft
the Lions selected wide receiver Calvin Johnson
in the first round (2nd overall), making Furrey number three on the depth chart. Furrey would record 61 catches for 664 yards in 2007. He was re-signed as an unrestricted free agent on January 24, 2007. Furrey was released by the Lions on February 9, 2009.
on May 5, 2009. Furrey started the year at wide receiver for the Browns, but has since been moved to free safety and nickelback due to the lack of depth in Cleveland's injury depleted secondary. In 2010, he was one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
- which Brian Waters
won. He also was the Cleveland Browns 2009 Ed Block Courage Award Recipient.
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 Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
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 signed by the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
as an undrafted free agent in 2000. 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 Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa Panthers football
The first year of Northern Iowa Panthers football was in 1895. They have fielded a football team every year since then with the exceptions of 1906-1907 and 1943-1944...
and Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
.
Furrey has also played for the New York Dragons
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
, Las Vegas Outlaws
Las Vegas Outlaws
The Las Vegas Outlaws were an American football team in the short-lived XFL in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme, San Francisco Demons and Memphis Maniax...
, St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, 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...
and Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Furrey attended Hilliard Davidson High School in Hilliard, OhioHilliard, Ohio
Hilliard is a city in Franklin County, Ohio, United States. The population was 28,435 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hilliard is located at . It is bordered on the east by Upper Arlington, on the north by Dublin, on the south by Galloway and Columbus, and to the west lies open farmland...
, and was a letter-winner in 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....
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. In football, 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 was a first team All-District honoree a first team All-Conference honoree, and a first team All-Ohio honoree.
College career
After high school, Furrey enrolled at Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1995, where he played in nine games as a freshman walk-on. In 1996 he transferred to Division I-AA Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
. In his three years at UNI, Furrey set new Gateway Football Conference
Gateway Football Conference
The Missouri Valley Football Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a football-only conference.-History:The Missouri Valley Football Conference has a convoluted history...
receiving records with career totals of 242 receptions for 3,544 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Indianapolis Colts
He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent for the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
in 2000 but was waived at the end of training camp.
Las Vegas Outlaws
He went on to play in the XFLXFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
for the Las Vegas Outlaws
Las Vegas Outlaws
The Las Vegas Outlaws were an American football team in the short-lived XFL in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme, San Francisco Demons and Memphis Maniax...
. He finished the season with 18 receptions for 243 yards and one touchdown.
New York Dragons
Furrey played for the New York DragonsNew York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
in 2002 and 2003 as a Wide receiver/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 was leading the Arena Football League in receptions (108), receiving yards (1,574), receiving touchdowns (46, tying an AFL record for touchdowns in a single season), and points (288) when he left the Dragons on April 29, 2003 to sign with the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
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...
.
St. Louis Rams
Furrey made the 2003 Rams roster and played in 13 games, serving as wide receiverWide 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...
and special teams ace. He played in 8 games and 2 playoff contests in 2004. Due to a lack of depth in the Rams' secondary before the 2005 season
2005 St. Louis Rams season
The 2005 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 68th year with the National Football League and the 11th season in St. Louis.-Schedule:-Standings:...
, Furrey converted to Free safety based on his experience in the AFL where players play both offense and defense. He became the starter in Week 5. He was successful in the transition, as he had one game winning interception 67 yard return for a touchdown, and the next week a game-clinching interception in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. At the end of the 2005 season, Furrey was released.
Detroit Lions
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...
signed Furrey to a one-year deal on April 4, 2006 as a wide receiver, being one of the few active players in the NFL to have started on both offense and defense. He emerged as a solid option in the Lions offense, catching 98 passes for 1,086 yards and seven touchdowns. His 98 receptions for that season were the most for any player in the conference, and second best in the league.
On December 31, 2006, Furrey set the pro football record for most catches for a non-rookie after a season with no catches the previous season. He had 98 receptions at the end of the 2006 season (which was the most in the NFC for that year), after none in 2005. The previous record was 92 catches, set in 1960 by Lionel Taylor
Lionel Taylor
Lionel Thomas Taylor is a former American football wide receiver who led the American Football League in receptions each year for the first six years of the league's existence.-College football:...
, playing for Denver
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the AFL
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
.
After the 2006 season
2006 Detroit Lions season
The 2006 Detroit Lions season began with the team trying to improve on their 5-11 record in 2005.-Offseason:On January 19, the Lions hired Rod Marinelli as the team's new head coach. From the Tony Dungy "coaching tree", Marinelli had previously served as the defensive line coach and assistant coach...
, Furrey was re-signed by the Lions to a three-year contract due to his breakout year. In the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
the Lions selected wide receiver Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
in the first round (2nd overall), making Furrey number three on the depth chart. Furrey would record 61 catches for 664 yards in 2007. He was re-signed as an unrestricted free agent on January 24, 2007. Furrey was released by the Lions on February 9, 2009.
Cleveland Browns
Furrey was signed by the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on May 5, 2009. Furrey started the year at wide receiver for the Browns, but has since been moved to free safety and nickelback due to the lack of depth in Cleveland's injury depleted secondary. In 2010, he was one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
The Walter Payton Man of the Year award is given annually by the National Football League honoring a player's volunteer and charity work, as well as his excellence on the field. Prior to 1999, it was called simply the NFL Man of the Year Award...
- which Brian Waters
Brian Waters
Brian Demond Waters is an American football guard for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 1999 out of the University of North Texas...
won. He also was the Cleveland Browns 2009 Ed Block Courage Award Recipient.