Spencer Havner
Encyclopedia
Spencer Rhett Havner [HAY-vner] (February 2, 1983) is an American football
tight end
who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Washington Redskins
as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football
at UCLA
.
Havner has also been a member of the Green Bay Packers
and Detroit Lions
.
, Havner earned two varsity letters as an inside linebacker and tight end at Nevada Union High School
in Grass Valley, California
. During his career, he made over 232 tackles, 18 sacks and 12 interceptions. In his senior year, he led Nevada Union High to a 12-1 record and a trip to the city title game. Havner earned second-team All-State from Cal-Hi Sports and was named to the All-CAL first team and All-Metro first team.
Havner also played basketball at Nevada Union all four years, and was a starter all the way through varsity.
acclaim from CBS Sportsline.com and College Football News
and was selected Second-team All-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. He was one of 12 semifinalists for both the Butkus Award and the Rotary Lombardi Award
. Havner missed the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl after having arthroscopic knee surgery, but, in 11 games, he accounted for 125 tackles, 1 sack and 2 interceptions. In 2005, Havner led the team with 99 tackles and 3 interceptions and added 2 sacks. Havner led UCLA to a 10-2 record with a win in the 2005 Sun Bowl
versus Northwestern
, where he made 7 tackles and had 1 interception in a 50-38 victory.
and was signed by the Washington Redskins
. He was released prior to the start of the 2006 NFL season.
, but was released prior to the start of the 2008 season. The Packers re-signed him to their practice squad on October 15 and he was added to the active roster on December 4 after it was reported that the Chicago Bears
were going to sign him to their active roster. During the 2009 offseason, Havner attempted to make the transition from linebacker
to tight end
, which was successful as he made the 2009 opening roster.
Against the Cleveland Browns
on October 25, 2009, Havner scored his first career touchdown on a 45 yard reception from Aaron Rodgers
. Havner scored his second and third career touchdowns just a week later, on November 1, on two touchdown passes from Rodgers against the Minnesota Vikings
. He scored his fourth touchdown in 2009 against the Dallas Cowboys
in week 10 on a four yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers. Havner scored again in a wild card playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals. In March 2010 Havner was arrested after crashing his motorcycle.
Havner was released on September 4, 2010.
. Havner was released on October 14, 2010 due to a hamstring injury.
on injured reserve
. He was waived on August 28, 2011.
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...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by 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,...
as an undrafted free agent in 2006. 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 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
.
Havner has also been a member of the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and 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
Born in Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, Havner earned two varsity letters as an inside linebacker and tight end at Nevada Union High School
Nevada Union High School
Nevada Union High School is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of California's capital, Sacramento. Situated between Nevada City and Grass Valley, the school serves those two incorporated cities and a large surrounding community. The Nevada Union High School district covers a huge...
in Grass Valley, California
Grass Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Grass Valley had a population of 12,860. The population density was 2,711.3 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Grass Valley was 11,493 White, 46 African American, 208 Native American, 188 Asian, 9 Pacific Islander, 419 from other...
. During his career, he made over 232 tackles, 18 sacks and 12 interceptions. In his senior year, he led Nevada Union High to a 12-1 record and a trip to the city title game. Havner earned second-team All-State from Cal-Hi Sports and was named to the All-CAL first team and All-Metro first team.
Havner also played basketball at Nevada Union all four years, and was a starter all the way through varsity.
College career
After a redshirt freshman year, Havner became a four year starter for UCLA. In 2002, he started 13 games and made 96 tackles with 2 sacks with 2 interceptions. In 2003, Havner started 12 of 13 games and had 82 tackles, 1 sack and 3 inteceptions. As a junior in 2004, Havner earned First-team All-America2004 College Football All-America Team
The 2004 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, College...
acclaim from CBS Sportsline.com and College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
and was selected Second-team All-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. He was one of 12 semifinalists for both the Butkus Award and the Rotary Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
. Havner missed the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl after having arthroscopic knee surgery, but, in 11 games, he accounted for 125 tackles, 1 sack and 2 interceptions. In 2005, Havner led the team with 99 tackles and 3 interceptions and added 2 sacks. Havner led UCLA to a 10-2 record with a win in the 2005 Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
versus Northwestern
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, where he made 7 tackles and had 1 interception in a 50-38 victory.
Washington Redskins
Havner went undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
and was signed by 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,...
. He was released prior to the start of the 2006 NFL season.
Green Bay Packers
During the middle of the 2006 NFL season, Havner was signed to the practice squad of the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, but was released prior to the start of the 2008 season. The Packers re-signed him to their practice squad on October 15 and he was added to the active roster on December 4 after it was reported that the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
were going to sign him to their active roster. During the 2009 offseason, Havner attempted to make the transition from linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
to tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
, which was successful as he made the 2009 opening roster.
Against the 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...
on October 25, 2009, Havner scored his first career touchdown on a 45 yard reception from Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
. Havner scored his second and third career touchdowns just a week later, on November 1, on two touchdown passes from Rodgers against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. He scored his fourth touchdown in 2009 against the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in week 10 on a four yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers. Havner scored again in a wild card playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals. In March 2010 Havner was arrested after crashing his motorcycle.
Havner was released on September 4, 2010.
Detroit Lions
On September 5, 2010, Havner was claimed off waivers by 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...
. Havner was released on October 14, 2010 due to a hamstring injury.
Second stint with the Packers
On November 12, 2010, Havner was re-signed by the Packers after placing Mark TauscherMark Tauscher
Mark Tauscher is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
. He was waived on August 28, 2011.