Irving Fryar facts for kids
Fryar in 2023
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | September 28, 1962 Mount Holly Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 198 lb (90 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Rancocas Valley Regional (Mount Holly, New Jersey) | ||||||
| College: | Nebraska (1981–1983) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Irving Dale Fryar Sr. (born September 28, 1962) is a former American football player. He was a talented wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Fryar played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was chosen as the very first player in the 1984 NFL draft. This made him only the second wide receiver ever to be picked number one overall.
Fryar played for several NFL teams. These included the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins. He was known for playing for a very long time. Many players retire in their 30s, but Fryar kept playing well. He retired at age 39, holding many NFL records for receivers.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Irving Fryar grew up in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey. He started his football journey playing for his high school team. He attended Rancocas Valley Regional High School.
College Football Career
Fryar became a standout player at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In 1983, he was named a unanimous All-American. This means all major selectors agreed he was one of the best college players. He played alongside other famous players like Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier.
During his college career, Fryar showed great skill. He caught 67 passes for 1,196 yards. He also scored 11 touchdowns as a receiver. He was also good at running with the ball. He gained 615 rushing yards and scored 5 rushing touchdowns.
Professional Football Journey
Irving Fryar made history in the 1984 NFL draft. He was the first player chosen overall by the New England Patriots. This was a big deal because wide receivers are not often picked first.
With the Patriots, Fryar quickly became a key player. He was a strong receiver and also returned punts. In 1985, he was chosen for his first Pro Bowl. He even played in Super Bowl XX with the Patriots. He scored their only touchdown in that game.
Fryar continued to have great seasons. In 1991, he had his first season with over 1,000 receiving yards. He then moved to the Miami Dolphins in 1993. There, he had two more 1,000-yard seasons. He also made the Pro Bowl in 1993 and 1994.
After Miami, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles. He played in two more Pro Bowls with the Eagles. These were after the 1996 and 1997 seasons. He briefly retired after 1998. But he returned to play his final two seasons with the Washington Redskins.
Fryar retired from the NFL in 2001. He played for 17 seasons in total. He caught 851 passes for 12,785 yards. He also scored 84 receiving touchdowns. He also scored touchdowns from rushing and punt returns. He gained over 15,000 total yards in his career. This shows how versatile and long-lasting his career was.
Family Life
Irving Fryar has four children. His son, Londen Fryar, also played football. Londen was signed by the New York Giants in 2009. He played college football at Western Michigan University.
Amazing NFL Records
Irving Fryar set some impressive records during his career:
- He caught touchdown passes from 19 different quarterbacks.
- He was the first player to score a touchdown in 17 straight seasons (1984–2000). This record was later broken by Jerry Rice.
- He is the oldest player to score 4 touchdowns in a single game. He did this on October 20, 1996, at 34 years old.
- He has the third most receiving yards in one half of a game. He gained 211 yards in the second half of a game on September 4, 1994.
