Lionel Manuel

Last updated

Lionel Manuel
No. 86
Position: Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1962-04-13) April 13, 1962 (age 61)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:178 lb (81 kg)
Career information
College: Pacific
NFL draft: 1984  / Round: 7 / Pick: 171
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:232
Receiving yards:3,941
Touchdowns:23

Lionel Manuel Jr. (born April 13, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pacific Tigers. Manuel was selected in the seventh round (171st pick overall) of the 1984 NFL draft by the New York Giants, and played seven seasons in the NFL.

Contents

Early life

Manuel was born in Los Angeles, California and attended Bassett High School. [1] He played college football at Citrus College before transferring to the University of the Pacific where he played wide receiver and running back for the Pacific Tigers. [2]

Professional career

The 5'11, 180-lb wide receiver was selected in the seventh round of the 1984 NFL draft by the New York Giants, and played in seven NFL seasons. Manuel spent his entire career with the Giants (1984–1990), including the XXI Giants Super Bowl Team when they beat the Denver Broncos 39-20. His peak performance was during the 1988 season, when he caught 65 passes for 1,029 yards and scored four touchdowns.

Manuel's career ended after several injuries in the 1990 season when he played under Head Coach Bill Parcells. The Giants finished the 1990 season 13–3, and won the Super Bowl XXV against the Buffalo Bills 20–19. [3] Parcells waived Manuel in December 1990, citing Manuel's poor attitude after losing his starting position. [4] Manuel then signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent but was waived due to injuries and did not play for the team. [5] Manuel played European football with the Barcelona Dragons before retiring in 1993. [6]

Life after the NFL

Manuel went on to coach several college football teams including The LaVerne Leopards, [7] and later became a professional chef and restaurateur after attending the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. [8] Manuel worked as a high school varsity coach in Fontana, California. Manuel was inducted into the University of the Pacific Hall of Fame in 2012. [9]

See also

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References

  1. "The Day That Lester Hayes Fell Silent". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  2. "Lionel Manuel". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  3. "This Lionel Is Fresh and Ready to Roll". Los Angeles Times. 23 January 1987. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  4. Litsky, Frank (19 December 1990). "Giants Waive Manuel, Citing a Bad Attitude". The New York Times. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  5. "Bills Waive Wide Receiver Manuel". philly.com. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  6. "1992 Barcelona Dragons Stats". The Football Database. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  7. "Football welcomes new assistants". University of LaVerne. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  8. "Griddle replaces gridiron". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  9. "Pacific Athletics Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony Set For April 21, 2012". Pacific Athletics. Retrieved October 22, 2013.