No. 29, 12, 26, 19 | |||||||||
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Position: | Quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back, punter, return specialist | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | August 14, 1955||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Edison (San Antonio) | ||||||||
College: | Sam Houston State | ||||||||
Undrafted: | 1977 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Guido Albert Merkens Jr. (born August 14, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, punter and defensive back for 10 seasons for the Houston Oilers, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL).
Merkins was born on August 14, 1955, in San Antonio, Texas. [1] Merkens' father, Guido Sr., served as founding pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in San Antonio and was a vice-president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. [2] Merkens was a 1973 graduate of Edison High School in San Antonio. He then played college football at both quarterback and defensive back for the Sam Houston Bearkats. His versatility became a hallmark of his professional career. [3]
Merkins played his first two seasons in the NFL for the Houston Oilers. [4] He was primarily a punt return specialist for the Oilers. [1] He was claimed off the waiver wire by the Saints in late 1980, and played from 1981-1985 [5] [1] During his tenure with the Saints, he served as the third-string quarterback, holder for field goals and a "primary" special teams player; with occasional time as a wide receiver, punter or safety. He also handled some kickoff and punt returns. His penchant for being the emergency backup for all of the aforementioned positions earned him the reputation of a "jack of all trades". In 1981, he reached number three receiver status, starting eleven games, with 29 receptions, 458 yards and one touchdown. [6] [4]
Merkens unusual versatility made him an extremely popular player for the Saints, and he has been called a Saints legend. [4]
After not playing in 1986, [4] Merkens was a replacement player during the NFL players strike of 1987 for the Philadelphia Eagles, playing quarterback. [7] Merkens was sacked 10 times by the Chicago Bears replacement team in his first game, a 35–3 loss. [8]
In 2007, Merkens was general manager of a CarMax dealership in the Houston. [9]
Merkens was inducted into the Sam Houston Hall of Honor in 1988. [10]
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