No. 38 | |
---|---|
Position: | Defensive back |
Personal information | |
Born: | Tampa, Florida, U.S. | December 21, 1960
Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | Hernando (Brooksville, Florida) |
College: | Eastern Kentucky |
NFL draft: | 1982 / round: 4 / pick: 107 |
Career history | |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
George Floyd Jr. (born December 21, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back for two seasons with the New York Jets in the National Football League. Growing up in Brooksville, Florida, Floyd attended Hernando High School, where he was selected for The Tampa Tribune 's all-area football team in all three of his varsity years. Floyd played college football for the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Colonels, and won the 1979 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I-AA football championship.
Over his collegiate career, Floyd won numerous awards, including Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Athlete of the Year after the 1981 regular season, an award given to the best male overall athlete in the conference regardless of sport. Kodak and Associated Press named Floyd to their All-America teams in 1980 and 1981, honors given annually to the best college football players in the United States at their respective positions.
Selected by the New York Jets in the 1982 NFL draft, Floyd appeared in ten games during the team's 1982 season, including three playoff games. After missing the 1983 season because of a knee injury, he appeared in eight games during the 1984 season before retiring because of another knee injury during the 1985 NFL preseason, where teams played exhibition games before their regular seasons began.
Floyd is the joint holder of five records at EKU as of 2023 [update] . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the halls of fame of EKU and Hernando High School. In 2009, EKU named Floyd to their All-Century team, composed of the best football players in the EKU history for its first hundred years. [1]
George Floyd Jr. was born on December 21, 1960, in Tampa, and grew up in Brooksville, both in Florida. [2] [3] He attended the Hernando High School and played football and basketball for the Hernando high school team, nicknamed the Leopards. [4] In Floyd's sophomore season, Hernando finished as Gulf Coast Conference (GSS) football champions. [4] [5] After Floyd's sophomore, junior, and senior years, The Tampa Tribune (the Tribune) named him to their all-area football team. With the accomplishment, Floyd became the first player of any high school named to the Tribune's team during all three varsity seasons. [6] [7] [8] He was selected for the GSS All-Star team, an honorific team composed of the best football players in the conference, after his sophomore and junior years. [9] [10] [11]
Floyd finished his senior season in 1977 with nine total interceptions, which established a school record that stood for four years. [12] [13] The Florida Sports Writers Association named Floyd to their second-team Class 3A [a] all-state squad in January 1978. [14] He served as captain of the Leopards' defensive unit each year he played for Hernando. [7] In 2011, Floyd was inducted into Hernando High School's Hall of Fame. [15] He wanted to play college football for the University of Georgia as a high school senior, but instead attended Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). [4] [16]
Floyd's first start with the EKU Colonels came as a freshman against the Murray State Racers at roverback, where he led the defense with twelve tackles. For the performance, he was named an honorable mention for OVC Defensive Player of the Week (DPOW). [17] [18] He finished the season with twenty-six tackles, eighth most on the team, with four tackles for loss (TFLs) and one fumble recovery as the Colonels finished with an 8–2 record. The team's eight wins tied a school record for most wins in a season. [19]
In Floyd's sophomore year, he had a three-interception game against Austin Peay in a 35–10 EKU victory in September. Against Jackson State in November, he had sixteen tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery. [20] [21] The Colonels finished with an 11–2 record and defeated the Lehigh Engineers 30–7 to win the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football championship, [b] the first in EKU's history. [23] After the season, head football coaches in the conference named him to the second-team All-OVC, composed of the second-best players at every position in the conference. Floyd led the OVC with thirteen punt returns and seven interceptions. [24] [25] He started every game, his sixty-eight tackles were fourth-most on the Colonels and he led the team with four fumble recoveries. [26]
Before the 1980 season, OVC football head coaches voted Floyd to the preseason All-OVC Team. [25] In a game against Youngstown State Floyd returned an interception one hundred yards, tying a conference record, and scored a touchdown. [26] [27] Floyd shared OVC DPOW honors for a game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in which he had thirteen tackles. [28] He won OVC Defensive Player of the Year, made the OVC All-Conference first-team, and was named a Kodak and an Associated Press All-American (an honor given annually to the best college football players in the United States at their respective positions) as the Colonels finished with a 10–3 record and lost to the Boise State Broncos in the championship game 31–29. [24] [29] [30] [31] He finished the regular season tied for most interceptions in the OVC, with five, and finished with sixty-three tackles, seven TFLs and one fumble recovery. [29] [32] On special teams, Floyd returned 17 punts for 142 yards. [33]
Before the 1981 season, an EKU media guide described Floyd as "one of the most consistent players EKU has ever had in the secondary" and as a "very intense player". [29] He was co-captain of the team his senior year. [24] Floyd won OVC DPOW for his performance in an October 24 game against Western Kentucky in which he had a sack, a pass deflected, an interception, and eight tackles. [34] [35] In a game against Murray State, Floyd intercepted a pass from quarterback Gino Gibbs on the EKU two-yard line with sixteen seconds left in the game. EKU won 24–20. [36] [37] Floyd won co-DPOW honors for his performance. [38]
After the regular season, Floyd won OVC Defensive Player of the Year, was voted to the First-team All-OVC, was selected as a Kodak and an Associated Press All-American, and won OVC Athlete of the Year (given to the best male overall athlete in the OVC, regardless of sport). [24] [39] [40] In the postseason, Floyd had a two-interception game against Boise State in a 23–17 EKU victory, though the Colonels lost in the championship game to the Idaho State Bengals 34–23 and finished with a 12–2 record. [c] [42] [43] He finished the year with seventy-two tackles and ten interceptions; on special teams, he returned thirty-six punts for 314 yards and a touchdown. [44]
At the end of his tenure with EKU, Floyd was in the school's record book eight times, [45] and, as of 2023 [update] , he holds or ties five school records: for longest interception return (100 yards), most punt returns in a single season (36), most interceptions in a single season (10), most career interceptions (22), and most career interception return yards (328). [46] [47] In 1999, Floyd was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and, in 2007, EKU inducted him into their Hall of Fame. [2] [48] Floyd was elected to EKU's All-Century team, composed of the best football players in EKU history for its first hundred years, in 2009. [24]
The New York Jets selected Floyd in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL draft with the 107th overall selection. [3] Floyd signed a contract with the Jets in June 1982. [49] In Jets training camp, Floyd was the third-string free safety, behind starter Darrol Ray and Jesse Johnson, and competed for a spot as a kick returner with Kurt Sohn, Lonell Phea, and Kolas Elion. Floyd appeared at both safety spots (free safety and strong safety). [50] [51] [52] Bill Verigan of the New York Daily News projected "only a very few, perhaps three or four" of the Jets new players to make the team. [53] Floyd made the team after final cuts. [54]
During the 1982 NFL strike, Floyd worked out at EKU; when he returned to New York, he worked in construction, installing windows in skyscrapers. [55] [56] Floyd appeared in ten games for the 1982 New York Jets, including three playoff games, as the Jets finished the shortened regular season [d] with a 6–3 record and lost in the AFC Championship Game to the Miami Dolphins 14–0. [3] [58] [59] [60] According to Pete Reinwald of the Tribune's, Floyd saw limited action over the season on special teams and as a backup safety. [61]
Prior to the 1983 season, Floyd tried out for punt returner along with Kirk Springs and Davlin Mullen. [62] During the preseason, Floyd moved from safety to cornerback, and averaged 15.2 yards per return as a punt returner and 30.2 yards per return as a kickoff returner, with one interception. [63] In a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, Floyd suffered a sprained knee on a kickoff return he fumbled. [64] The Jets placed Floyd on their injured reserve list (IRL), and Floyd missed the entire 1983 season. [65]
Floyd was placed on the IRL again before the 1984 season with a hyperextended knee that bothered him intermittently throughout the preseason. [66] [67] He was activated from the IRL in late October and became a starter in early November for injured right cornerback Russell Carter. [68] [69] Paul Needell of the New York Daily News described Floyd as the fifth-best corner on the Jets by the time he was a starter, and Rowe described Floyd and Mullen as the Achilles' heel of the Jets defense on November 19. [70] [71]
Over the course of the 1984 season, Floyd started two games for the Jets and appeared in eight as the team finished with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs. [3] [72] In the 1985 preseason, Floyd re-injured his knee and was placed on the IRL. [73] [74] The Jets waived Floyd in October 1985 (an NFL process in which a team releases a player and makes him available to all other NFL teams), after which he retired. [75] [76] When he played in the NFL, Floyd stood at 5 feet 11 inches (180 cm) and weighed 190 pounds (86 kg). [3]
As a junior in high school, Floyd wanted to join the United States Army. [61] By his senior year in college, he wanted to play professionally for a team in Texas. [77] He majored in physical education at EKU, a subject he wanted to teach before being drafted. [61] Before reporting to training camp for New York, Floyd worked as a student teacher at Tates Creek Junior High School in Lexington, Kentucky. [78] After his NFL career, Floyd was employed as an assistant coach at Bellevue High School in Kentucky. [76] He taught physical education for eighteen years at Bellevue and Boone County High Schools. As of 2023 [update] , he is a defensive backs coach for Conner High School in Kentucky and works as an assistant principal at Boone County High School. [46] [79] [80] Floyd has a master's degree from Northern Kentucky University. [79]
Floyd has two sisters and a brother; [55] [61] he married Cheryl Johnson in March 1983. [81] Floyd's two sons played college football, one for the Louisville Cardinals and another for Louisville and the Chattanooga Mocs. [82]
After the murder of George Floyd, an unrelated Black American man, in Minneapolis in May 2020, a photograph of the football player was erroneously included in a montage at the funeral. The montage was broadcast on various news networks. [83] [84]
Kenneth Jerome Riley was an American professional football cornerback who spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Bengals, first in the American Football League (AFL) in 1969 and then the National Football League (NFL) from 1970 through 1983. Riley recorded 65 interceptions in his career, which was the fourth most in NFL history at the time of his retirement. Despite his accomplishments, he was never an exceptionally well-known or popular player. Riley was never once selected to play in the AFL All-Star Game or the Pro Bowl, but he was selected to three All-Pro teams.
Wallace Hashim Chambers was an American professional football player who was a defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). He was a defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears and defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1970s. He was selected with the eighth overall pick by the Bears in the 1973 NFL draft out of Eastern Kentucky University, and played previous to that for Mount Clemens High School, where he graduated in 1969.
Marvin Powell Jr. was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football for the USC Trojans. Powell was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.
Roy Lee Kidd was an American collegiate football league player and coach. He served as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky University from 1964 to 2002, compiling a record of 314–124–8. Kidd's Eastern Kentucky Colonels won NCAA Division I-AA Football Championships in 1979 and 1982 and were runners-up in 1980 and 1981. His 314 career victories are second-most in NCAA Division I-AA/FCS history, trailing only those of Grambling State's Eddie Robinson. Kidd was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2003.
John Jackson is an American former professional football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). Best known for his time as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jackson was drafted in 1988 out of Eastern Kentucky University in the tenth round. While at EKU, Jackson was a three-year starter and a two-time All-OVC selection under head coach Roy Kidd. While he was at EKU, the Colonels won three OVC titles and he blocked for two of the top five career rushers in EKU history, Elroy Harris and James Crawford.
Markus Dwayne Paul was an American professional football safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 1989 NFL draft. He also was a strength and conditioning coach with the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, New York Jets, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Syracuse University.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels football program represents Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in college football, competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The school has traditionally had much success on the football field, having won 21 OVC conference titles and two Division I FCS National Championships in 1979 and 1982, and reaching the finals in 1980 and 1981. Much of the success came during the long tenure of head coach Roy Kidd from 1964 to 2002. In 1990, Eastern honored Kidd by naming the school's football stadium Roy Kidd Stadium. Eastern Kentucky's football team was able to secure 31 consecutive winning seasons before finally posting a losing season record in 2009.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), located in Richmond, Kentucky, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the ASUN Conference since the 2021–22 academic year. Its football team competes in the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which starts play in 2023 as a football-only merger of the ASUN and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The Colonels previously competed in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) from 1948–49 to 2020–21.
The 1982 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1982 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Vandals, led by first-year head coach Dennis Erickson, were members of the Big Sky Conference and played their home games at the Kibbie Dome, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.
The 1981 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Broncos competed in the Big Sky Conference and played their home games at Bronco Stadium, an outdoor facility on campus in Boise, Idaho. The Broncos were led by sixth-year head coach Jim Criner and were the defending champions of Division I-AA.
Steven L. Bird is an American football special teams coordinator for South Carolina State. He played college football for Eastern Kentucky where he was named to the First-Team All-OVC and won two Division I-AA national championship games in 1979 and 1982. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1983 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He also played for the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cincinnati Bengals and the Edmonton Eskimos and Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Sam Merriman is a former American football player, a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons. Selected in the seventh round of the 1983 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks, he played college football for the University of Idaho in the Big Sky Conference.
The 1975 Western Kentucky football team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1975 NCAA Division II football season. The team came off an 7–3 record from the prior season and was led by coach Jimmy Feix. They claimed a share of the Ohio Valley Conference championship and returned to the NCAA Division II Football Championship for the second time in three years. One of the highlights of the season was a victory over NCAA Division I Louisville. The Hilltoppers won their first two playoff games, including a win over New Hampshire in the Grantland Rice Bowl, before falling in the championship game to Northern Michigan in the Camellia Bowl. They finished ranked 3rd in both the AP and UPI final polls.
The 2000 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were led by veteran head coach Jack Harbaugh. They won their first conference championship since 1980, going undefeated in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in just their second year after rejoining as a football-only member; the school was a football independent from 1982 through 1998. The Hilltoppers received the OVC's automatic berth to the NCAA Division I-AA playoff, making it to the quarterfinals. Prior to the start of the season, the OVC gave Western Kentucky an ultimatum, join the conference for all sports or leave. The administration decided to leave and joined the Gateway Football Conference. The Hilltoppers finished the season ranked No. 5 in final national poll by The Sports Network.
The 1980 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 14th-year head coach Jimmy Feix, the Hilltoppers compiled and overall record of 9–1 with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, winning the OVC title. However, Western Kentucky was not selected for the NCAA Division I_AA Football Championship playoffs. Instead, the OVC's second-place finisher, Eastern Kentucky, was invited despite the fact that Western had beaten them earlier in the season. This perceived snub was a factor in Western Kentucky's decision to leave the OVC in 1982. The Hilltoppers finished the season ranked fifth in final Associated Press poll.
The 1999 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 1999 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were led by head coach Jack Harbaugh. The Hilltoppers rejoined the Ohio Valley Conference as a football only member this year; the school left the OVC in 1982 and had been a football independent since. The team's roster included future NFL players Joseph Jefferson, Rod “He Hate Me” Smart, Sherrod Coates, Mel Mitchell, Bobby Sippio, and Ben Wittman, as well as future NFL coach Jason Michael. Patrick Goodman was named to the AP All American team. The All OVC Team included Goodman, Sippio, Smart, Melvin Wisham, Wittman and Mitchell.
The 1982 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team was an American football team that represented Eastern Kentucky University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1982 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their 19th season under head coach Roy Kidd, the Colonels compiled a perfect 13–0 record and defeated Delaware in the 1982 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game.
Phillip G. Darns is a former American football defensive end who played one season in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Mississippi Valley State and was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1982. Darns also spent time with the Detroit Lions in the NFL and the New Jersey Generals in the United States Football League (USFL).
Bradley Dee White was an American football defensive lineman who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, and Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at Tennessee.
The 1951 Eastern Kentucky Maroons football team represented Eastern Kentucky State College—now known as Eastern Kentucky University–as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1951 college football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Tom Samuels, the Maroons compiled an overall record of 7–3 with a mark of 4–2 in conference play, tying for second place in the OVC.