No. 12, 17 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | September 28, 1984||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Booker T. Washington (Tulsa) | ||||||
College: | Tennessee (2003–2006) | ||||||
NFL Draft: | 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 27 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
As a player: | |||||||
| |||||||
As a coach: | |||||||
| |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Player stats at NFL.com |
Robert Emery Meachem [1] (born September 28, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New Orleans Saints. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning first-team All-American honors in 2006. Meachem was selected by New Orleans in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft with the 27th overall pick. He also played one season with the San Diego Chargers.
Raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Meachem played football in elementary school for the "Mabee Babies" of The Salvation Army North Mabee Boys & Girls Club. [2] He won a national basketball title in the summer after eighth grade with his AAU team, the Tulsa Jammers. He later attended Booker T. Washington High School, where he was a teammate of future NFL players Felix Jones and Mark Anderson, and was named a high school All-American by Parade and SuperPrep reporting services. Meachem was also a point guard on his high school basketball team, which won back to back state titles in 2001 and 2002. [3]
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(May 2020) |
Meachem attended the University of Tennessee, arriving in 2003. He was part of a heralded recruiting class with receivers Jayson Swain and Bret Smith. Meachem, however, redshirted the 2003 season after suffering a knee injury in preseason practice.
Meachem caught 25 passes for 459 in 2004 as a redshirt freshman. He returned to play in all 13 games (no starts) and led the team with 459 yards on 25 catches (18.4 average) and four touchdowns. Meachem was the only Vols receiver with 100 yards in a game that year. Meachem's first career reception occurred in the game against UNLV, which was a 35-yard touchdown.
Meachem appeared in all 11 games in 2005, with two starts, and again led the team in receiving yards with 383 on 29 catches (13.2 average) and two touchdowns.
2006 was Meachem's breakout year. Along with David Cutcliffe's return to Tennessee as offensive coordinator in 2006, Meachem, Swain and quarterback Erik Ainge all turned in career seasons. In the November 25 game against Kentucky, Meachem had 116 receiving yards, pushing his total to a new school record of 1265 yards in a single season. Meachem also totaled 11 scores, a career best. He also had six 100-yard games that season. He ranked fourth in the nation with an average of 99.85 yards per game receiving and ranked 24th nationally with 5.46 receptions per game. He led the team with a career-high 71 catches for a school single-season record 1,298 yards (18.3 avg) to lead the SEC, including 11 touchdowns. He recorded two solo tackles, gained 16 yards on a kickoff return and 12 yards on a punt return. In 37 games at Tennessee, Meachem started 15 times. He caught 125 passes and became the sixth player in school history to gain more than 2,000 yards receiving, totaling 2,140 yards (17.1 avg) with 17 touchdowns. All this earned him an all SEC, consensus All-American selections. Meachem decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2007 NFL Draft.
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 214 lb (97 kg) | 32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) | 9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 4.41 s | 1.49 s | 2.52 s | 4.19 s | 6.97 s | 37.5 in (0.95 m) | 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) | ||
All values taken from NFL Scouting Combine/Pro Day [4] [5] |
With the 27th pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft, Meachem was selected by the New Orleans Saints. [6] Meachem signed a five-year deal worth $11.3 million in base salary and incentives with $5.71 million guaranteed. [7] However, Meachem underwent knee surgery and was unable to play in his rookie season.
Meachem was once again inactive for the Saints' opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008. On September 14, 2008, Meachem caught his first pass in the NFL, a 19-yard touchdown pass against the Washington Redskins. [8]
In week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers, Meachem got the chance to see more game time when number 1 receiver Marques Colston was sidelined with a broken thumb. In this game, Meachem had only 2 receptions, his first a 47-yard touchdown grab, his second a 52-yard flea flicker catch with a defender draped all over him. Meachem ended week 4 with 2 receptions for 99 yards and the Saints got the win over the 49ers. Meachem finished the season with 12 receptions for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had a 24.1 yards per catch.
On December 6, 2009, after Kareem Moore of the Redskins intercepted Drew Brees, Meachem tore the ball out of Moore's grasp and ran it for a touchdown. In the same game, Meachem caught a 53-yard touchdown pass with 1:19 left in regulation, tying the game at 30. The Saints won, 33–30, in overtime to improve to 12–0. [9] The 2009 Saints went on to win the Super Bowl.
Meachem remained with the Saints through the 2011 season. During his five years with the team he had 141 regular-season catches for 2,269 yards and 23 touchdowns; he also played in six playoff games and had 14 receptions for 184 yards and a touchdown. [10]
On March 13, 2012, Meachem signed a four-year contract with the San Diego Chargers worth $25.5 million including a $7.5 million signing bonus. [11] [12] He was part of the Chargers' plan to replace Pro Bowl receiver Vincent Jackson, who left the team as a free agent. Meachem caught two touchdowns in a 2012 matchup with New Orleans, but he dropped a potential touchdown in a 7–6 loss to the Cleveland Browns. [12] His time with the Chargers was disappointing, as he underperformed the high expectations reflected in his large contract, and was compared to a previous Chargers free agent "bust", David Boston. Kevin Acee of UT-San Diego called him "the worst free agent acquisition in the history of the Chargers". [13] On September 1, 2013, the Chargers released Meachem during final roster cuts, even though they had guaranteed him $5 million for the upcoming 2013 season. [14]
On September 3, 2013, Meachem signed a one-year contract to return to the Saints. [10] In the 2013 season, he recorded 16 receptions, 324 yards, and 2 touchdowns. The Saints signed him to another one-year contract on April 18, 2014. [15] Meachem was among the last cuts made by the Saints before the 2014 season. However, a few days later, he re-signed with the team, on September 3, 2014, after rookie Khairi Fortt was placed on short-term injured reserve. [16] His contract expired after the 2014 season and he did not re-sign, making him a free agent. He missed the entire 2015 season as a free agent.
On June 14, 2016, he tried out for the Saints at minicamp wearing the number 12 on his jersey. It was last worn by Marques Colston for 10 years. The tryout was put on hold the following day as Meachem had a foot injury and didn't practice. [17]
Meachem signed with the Richmond Roughriders of the American Arena League in 2018. [18]
Year | Team | Games | Receptions | Targets | Yards | Yards per reception | Longest reception | Touchdowns | First downs | Fumbles | Fumbles lost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | NO | 14 | 12 | 20 | 289 | 24.1 | 74 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
2009 | NO | 16 | 45 | 64 | 722 | 16.0 | 54 | 9 | 30 | 2 | 1 |
2010 | NO | 16 | 44 | 66 | 638 | 14.5 | 55 | 5 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
2011 | NO | 16 | 40 | 61 | 620 | 15.5 | 67 | 6 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
2012 | SD | 15 | 14 | 32 | 207 | 14.8 | 46 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
2013 | NO | 15 | 16 | 30 | 324 | 20.3 | 60 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
2014 | NO | 11 | 7 | 20 | 114 | 16.3 | 25 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Career | 103 | 178 | 293 | 2,914 | 16.4 | 74 | 27 | 118 | 2 | 1 |
Meachem was a contestant on NBC's Minute to Win It in an online exclusive episode playing to win money for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater New Orleans. [20]
Meachem created the Robert Emery Meachem Follow Your Dreams Foundation to help American youth. Its first goal is to supply books to at least 200 kids ages 4 to 17 in north Tulsa. [21]
On February 14, 2017, Meachem was jailed for 30 days for having more than $400,000 in unpaid child support. [22]
In 2018, Meachem was a player in Your Call Football, an interactive game where in real time, participants call plays live for players which include former professional football players. [23] [24]
Vincent Terrell Jackson was an American professional football wide receiver who played for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Northern Colorado Bears, and was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jackson was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and exceeded 1,000 receiving yards six times in his career. Jackson died in 2021, with the official cause of his death reported as chronic alcohol abuse. An autopsy found Stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy in his brain.
Reginald Wayne is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, and was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft with the 30th overall pick. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Wayne was a member of the Colts' Super Bowl XLI. He ranks second in Colts' franchise history to Marvin Harrison in major receiving categories: receptions, receiving yards, targets, and receiving touchdowns. On December 14, 2014, Wayne played in both his 209th game and his 142nd win as a member of the Colts, breaking the franchise records set by Peyton Manning.
Patrick Jamel Crayton is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and the San Diego Chargers. He played college football at Northwestern Oklahoma State.
Az-Zahir Ali Hakim is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He also was a member of the Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and Las Vegas Locomotives.
Devery Vaughn Henderson Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). The Louisiana-born Henderson played for the LSU Tigers, who won the 2004 BCS National Championship Game for the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. A few months later, the Saints selected Henderson in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
James Kelley Washington is a former American Football wide receiver and special teamer. He was selected 65th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.
Craig "Buster" Davis is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State University.
Adrian Jarrard Arrington is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft and was called up from the team's practice squad before week 17 of the 2010 NFL season. Arrington served as the offensive coordinator for the Cedar Rapids Titans of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He played college football at Michigan.
Vincent Brown Jr. is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at San Diego State University, and was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Dontrelle Javaar Inman is an American former football wide receiver. He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers and was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He was a Grey Cup champion with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2012 and has been a member of several other NFL teams.
Kendall Thomas Wright is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Baylor, where he is the career leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Wright was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the first round, 20th overall, of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Kenneth Lee Stills Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Oklahoma and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Justin Parker Hunter is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Tennessee. Hunter was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cordarrelle Patterson, nicknamed "Flash", is an American football player for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). A versatile utility player, he plays running back, wide receiver, return specialist, and occasionally on defense. Patterson played college football at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to Tennessee, where he earned First-team All-SEC honors. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots with whom he won Super Bowl LIII, and the Chicago Bears.
Christopher James Hogan is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Monmouth University following three years of college lacrosse at Pennsylvania State University. Hogan was a member of five NFL teams, most notably the New England Patriots.
Michael K. Williams is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the Chargers seventh overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Michael William Thomas Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Ohio State. Thomas holds the record for the most receptions by a player in a single season with 149 in 2019. He led the league in receptions in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons, while also leading the league in yardage in the 2019 season. He was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2019.
Arthur Juan Brown Sr. is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Marquez Antonio Callaway is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee.
Joshua Keith Palmer is a Canadian professional American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee and was drafted by the Chargers in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.