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Giovani Bernard
refer to caption
Bernard with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019
No. 25
Position: Running back
Personal information
Born: (1991-11-22) November 22, 1991 (age 33)
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight: 205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school: St. Thomas Aquinas
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
College: North Carolina (2010–2012)
NFL Draft: 2013 / Round: 2 / Pick: 37
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • PFWA All-Rookie Team (2013)
  • Third-team All-American (2012)
  • ACC Offensive Player of the Year (2012)
  • ACC Brian Piccolo Award (2011)
  • 2× First-team All-ACC (2011, 2012)
  • CFPA Punt Returner Trophy (2012)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 3,783
Rushing average: 4.0
Rushing touchdowns: 22
Receptions: 367
Receiving yards: 2,989
Receiving touchdowns: 14
Player stats at PFR

Giovani Govan Bernard (born November 22, 1991) is an American former professional football player. He was a talented running back in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. Giovani played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He was chosen by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2013 NFL Draft and played with them for eight years. Later, he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two seasons before he retired.

Early Life and High School Football

Giovani Bernard was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. His parents moved from Haiti and own a dry cleaning business. Giovani started playing football early with the Boca Jets, a local tackle football team.

He played football at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He played alongside future NFL stars like Lamarcus Joyner and James White. Experts ranked him as one of the best running backs in Florida and the United States. Giovani is also the younger brother of Yvenson Bernard, who played football at Oregon State.

Giovani was recruited by many colleges. He first planned to go to Notre Dame, but he decided to play for the University of North Carolina instead.

College Career Highlights

Giovani Bernard 2012
Giovani Bernard (#26) playing for North Carolina in 2012.

Giovani joined the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and played for the North Carolina Tar Heels football team from 2010 to 2012. Sadly, he tore a ligament in his knee during practice in 2010. This meant he had to sit out his first year.

After recovering, Bernard became the main running back for the Tar Heels in 2011. He was the first North Carolina running back since 1984 to rush for over 100 yards in five games in a row. He gained 1,222 rushing yards that season, which was amazing for a freshman. He also caught passes for 326 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.

In 2012, under a new coach, Giovani improved even more. He rushed for more yards per game and also returned punts. In one exciting game against NC State, he returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown in the last 30 seconds to win the game! He led his team in scoring for the second year. He was also named to the All-ACC first-team. He finished the 2012 season with 1,228 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 490 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. He also scored two touchdowns returning punts.

College Statistics

North Carolina Tar Heels
Season Games Rushing Receiving Punt Returns
GP GS Att Yds Loss Net Avg Lng TD Y/G Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Y/G Ret Yds Avg Lng TD
2011 13 11 239 1,324 71 1,253 5.2 60 13 96.4 45 362 8.0 23 1 27.8 0 0 0.0 0 0
2012 10 10 184 1,270 42 1,228 6.7 68 12 122.8 47 490 10.4 78 5 49.0 16 263 16.4 74 2
Career 23 21 423 2,594 113 2,481 5.9 68 25 109.1 92 852 9.2 78 6 38.4 16 263 16.4 74 2

Professional NFL Career

On December 14, 2012, Giovani Bernard announced he would enter the 2013 NFL draft. Many experts thought he would be picked in the first or second round.

Cincinnati Bengals Years (2013–2020)

Giovani Bernard 2013 02
Giovani Bernard at training camp in 2013.

The Cincinnati Bengals chose Giovani Bernard in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He was the 37th player picked overall. This was a big deal because it had been a long time since a running back from North Carolina was drafted so early.

Rookie Season Success (2013)

Giovani started his first NFL season as a backup. But he quickly became a key player for the Bengals. In his first game, he rushed for 22 yards and caught a pass. In September 2013, he scored two touchdowns in a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Later that year, he scored two more touchdowns in a game against the Miami Dolphins. One of his runs, a 35-yard touchdown, was called one of the best runs of the season! He also had a season-high 99 rushing yards against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Bengals made the playoffs in his rookie year. Giovani finished his first season with 695 rushing yards, 514 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. He was even named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.

Continuing Contributions (2014–2020)

In 2014, Giovani became the Bengals' starting running back. He had his first game with over 100 rushing yards against the Carolina Panthers. He finished the season with 680 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

In 2015, he continued to be a strong player. He had 123 rushing yards in a win against the San Diego Chargers. He also helped the Bengals make a huge comeback against the Seattle Seahawks, gaining 101 yards from scrimmage. He ended the season with 730 rushing yards and 472 receiving yards.

In 2016, Giovani signed a new contract with the Bengals. He had a career-high nine catches for 100 yards and a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sadly, his season ended early when he tore a ligament in his knee in November.

He returned in 2017 and continued to be a valuable player, especially in the passing game. He had a great game on Christmas Eve, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown. In 2018 and 2019, he played a supporting role behind another running back, Joe Mixon.

In 2020, Giovani had a strong year, scoring both rushing and receiving touchdowns in several games. He finished the season with 416 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, plus 355 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. The Bengals released him in April 2021.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Years (2021–2022)

Giovani then signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in April 2021. He had a hip injury in December 2021 but was able to return for the playoffs. In a playoff win against the Philadelphia Eagles, he scored a rushing touchdown.

He re-signed with the Buccaneers in 2022. He had an ankle injury early in the season but returned later that year.

On April 28, 2023, Giovani Bernard announced his retirement from professional football.

NFL Career Statistics

Year Team GP Rushing Receiving Fumbles
Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2013 CIN 16 170 695 4.1 35T 5 56 514 9.2 41 3 1 1
2014 CIN 13 168 680 4.0 89T 5 43 349 8.1 46 2 0 0
2015 CIN 16 154 730 4.7 28 2 49 472 9.6 45 0 2 0
2016 CIN 10 91 337 3.7 17 2 39 336 8.6 32 1 1 1
2017 CIN 16 105 458 4.4 25 2 43 389 9.1 61T 2 0 0
2018 CIN 12 56 211 3.8 23 3 35 218 6.2 26 0 0 0
2019 CIN 16 53 170 3.2 25 0 30 234 7.8 35 0 2 1
2020 CIN 15 121 409 3.4 15 3 47 355 7.6 42 3 1 1
2021 TB 12 8 58 7.3 24 0 23 123 5.3 32 3 1 0
2022 TB 8 8 28 3.5 8 0 2 -1 -0.5 6 0 1 0
Career 135 937 3,783 4.0 89 22 367 2,989 8.1 61 14 9 4

Personal Life

Giovani Bernard is Catholic. He has two sons, Julien and Gabriel.

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