Percy Harvin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Percy Harvin

Harvin with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014
No. 12, 11, 16, 18
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1988-05-28) May 28, 1988 (age 37) Chesapeake, Virginia, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	184 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school:	Landstown (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
College:	Florida (2006–2008)
NFL Draft:	2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 22
Career history
Minnesota Vikings (2009–2012) Seattle Seahawks (2013–2014) New York Jets (2014) Buffalo Bills (2015–2016)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XLVIII) NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2009) Pro Bowl (2009) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2009) Minnesota Vikings All-Mall of America Field Team 2× BCS national champion (2006, 2008) 2× First-team All-American (2007, 2008) 2× First-team All-SEC (2007, 2008) SEC Freshman of the Year (2006)
Career NFL statistics
Receiving yards: 4,026 Receiving touchdowns: 22 Rushing yards: 927 Rushing touchdowns: 5 Return yards: 4,127 Return touchdowns: 5
Player stats at PFR

William Percival Harvin III (born May 28, 1988) is a former professional football player. He was a talented wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Percy played college football for the Florida Gators. His team won the BCS National Championship in both 2006 and 2008.

He was named a first-team All-American twice. The Minnesota Vikings chose him in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. Harvin also played for the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets, and Buffalo Bills. In 2009, he was named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year. He won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks in 2013. Before college, he played football at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach. His high school team won a state championship in 2004.

Early Life and Young Athlete Years

Percy Harvin was born in Chesapeake, Virginia. He lived with his mother, Linda, and his older sister, Lintera. His mother ran a daycare from their home. Percy often helped care for the children.

His mother and sister were both great track athletes. Percy was also a very gifted athlete from a young age. When he was six, people noticed his skills in flag football. At 13, he led his Pop Warner football team, the Virginia Beach Mustangs, to a national championship.

High School Football Career

At Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, Harvin was known for his amazing speed. He could run 40 yards in just 4.32 seconds as a freshman! He was also great at making defenders miss him on the field.

In 2003, his sophomore year, the Landstown Eagles football team was the state runner-up. A year later, Harvin led the Eagles to a perfect 14-0 record. They won the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Group AAA Division 6 state championship. In the final game, Harvin gained 476 all-purpose yards. He scored five touchdowns in their 47-20 win.

In 2005, Landstown finished 13-1. They lost the state championship game. After his great high school career, Harvin played in the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He also played basketball, helping his team to a 33-6 record. They were runner-up in the 2005 VHSL AAA state championship.

Percy was considered one of the best high school football players in the country. He was ranked number one overall by Rivals.com among recruits in 2006.

Harvin faced some challenges during his high school athletic career. He was suspended from some games for rule violations. Despite these issues, he is remembered as one of the best high school athletes from his area. He scored 77 career touchdowns. He led Landstown High School to three state football championship games. He also became the first athlete since 1936 to win five gold medals at the state track meet.

On December 19, 2005, Harvin decided to attend the University of Florida. He chose Florida over other top schools like Florida State and University of Southern California.

High School Track and Field Achievements

Harvin was also an outstanding track athlete at Landstown High School. In 2000, at age 12, he was part of a national champion relay team. In 2005, he became the first athlete in 69 years to win five state titles at the Virginia Class AAA state meet.

He won the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and triple jump. He also won the 2005 Virginia Class AAA indoor triple jump title. In 2004, he won the state long jump title as a sophomore. Due to some incidents, he was suspended from athletic events by the VHSL. This meant he couldn't compete in the state indoor track meet that year.

Harvin's personal bests include 10.43 seconds in the 100 meters, 21.19 seconds in the 200 meters, and 7.40 meters in long jump.

College Football Career

Percy Harvin earned a scholarship to the University of Florida. He played for coach Urban Meyer's Florida Gators football team from 2006 to 2008. Harvin made a big impact right away as a freshman in 2006. He was a key offensive player during the Gators' national championship seasons in 2006 and 2008.

Freshman Season (2006)

Harvin played his first college game on September 2, 2006. He was a versatile player, acting as both a running back and wide receiver. He caught three passes for 33 yards and ran for 58 yards. In his second game, he caught a 58-yard touchdown pass.

He faced some injuries during his freshman year. Despite this, he still made big plays, like a 42-yard rushing touchdown against Florida State. He was named the MVP of the 2006 SEC Championship Game after a great performance. He helped the Gators win the 2007 BCS National Championship Game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Even with injuries, Harvin was named SEC College Freshman of the Year.

Harvin standing on the sidelines while playing for the Gators

Sophomore Season (2007)

Harvin started the 2007 season as a main receiver for the Gators. He had several games with over 100 receiving yards. In one game against Vanderbilt, he had 110 receiving yards and 113 rushing yards with two touchdowns.

He missed some games due to a sinus infection. Harvin finished the season with 858 receiving yards and 764 rushing yards. He became the first Florida player to have over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in his career. He earned All-SEC honors for his great play.

Junior Season (2008)

Before his junior season, Harvin had surgery on his right heel. This surgery helped with ongoing injury problems he had since high school. During his recovery, he focused on getting stronger. He gained weight and increased his bench press.

Coach Urban Meyer announced that Harvin would play running back. However, he still played as a receiver often. He missed the first game of the season. Later, he suffered an ankle injury against FSU. This injury kept him out of the SEC Championship game, which the Gators won.

In the 2009 BCS National Championship Game against Oklahoma, Harvin played despite his injured ankle. He had 122 rushing yards and 49 receiving yards, scoring a touchdown. After the game, it was revealed he also had a hairline fracture in his leg.

On January 15, 2009, Harvin decided to leave college early for the 2009 NFL Draft. He ended his college career as one of the best offensive players in Florida history. He had 1,929 receiving yards and 1,852 rushing yards. His 32 career touchdowns are the most by a Florida wide receiver. He was the first Florida player to have 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game.

Professional NFL Career

Before the NFL draft, some teams were concerned about Harvin's past injuries.

Minnesota Vikings (2009–2012)

Harvin at the 2009 Vikings training camp

The Minnesota Vikings picked Percy Harvin as the 22nd player in the 2009 NFL draft. On August 3, 2009, he signed a five-year contract. He wore jersey number 12 for the Vikings.

2009 Season

Harvin caught his first touchdown pass on September 13, 2009. It was thrown by quarterback Brett Favre. On September 27, he returned a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown. This made him the first Viking to score a touchdown in each of his first three games. He was also the second youngest player to return a kickoff for a touchdown in NFL history.

On October 25, 2009, Harvin had another 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He finished the regular season with 60 catches and eight touchdowns. Two of these were from kickoff returns. He also averaged nine yards per carry when rushing.

Harvin in 2010

On January 4, 2010, Harvin was added to the Pro Bowl team as a kick returner. On January 6, he was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was the sixth Vikings player to win this award. He was also named Sporting News' 2009 NFL Rookie of the Year.

2010 Season

After a great first year, Harvin faced some health issues. He was hospitalized in April 2009 due to dehydration and a virus. He also missed practices and games because of migraine headaches. In August 2010, he passed out during practice due to a migraine and was taken to the hospital.

2011 Season

On September 11, 2011, Harvin returned a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown. This set a Vikings record with four career kickoff return touchdowns. On November 27, 2011, he returned a kickoff 104 yards. This was the longest non-scoring play in NFL history at the time. Harvin led the Vikings with 87 catches in 2011. He scored 6 touchdowns and played in all 16 games for the first time.

2012 Season

In the first six games of the 2012 season, Harvin had three games with over 100 receiving yards. On December 6, 2012, he was placed on the injured reserve list due to an ankle injury. His season ended with 62 catches for 677 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also rushed for 96 yards and returned 16 kickoffs for 574 yards, including one touchdown.

Seattle Seahawks (2013–2014)

Harvin during the 2014 preseason

The Vikings traded Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks on March 11, 2013. The Seahawks then signed him to a new six-year contract. He chose to wear number 11 with the Seahawks. This trade reunited him with former teammates and coaches.

Harvin was diagnosed with a hip injury during the offseason. He had hip surgery on August 1, 2013. He was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.

On November 11, 2013, Harvin was activated to play. He made his Seahawks debut against his old team, the Vikings. He had one catch for 17 yards and a 58-yard kick return. After this, he had more hip inflammation and missed more games.

Harvin did not play in the NFC Championship game due to a concussion. However, in Super Bowl XLVIII, he had 45 rushing yards. He also returned the opening kickoff of the second half 87 yards for a touchdown. This helped the Seahawks win their first Super Bowl title.

During his time with Seattle, Harvin faced challenges with teammates. There were also reports that he sometimes refused to go back on the field during games.

New York Jets (2014)

Harvin was traded to the New York Jets on October 17, 2014. He wore number 16 for the Jets. In his one season with them, Harvin had 29 catches for 350 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 110 yards and returned 20 kickoffs for 495 yards. He was released on March 10, 2015.

Buffalo Bills (2015–2016)

2015 Season

On March 18, 2015, Harvin signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. He was placed on injured reserve on November 7. His season ended with 19 catches for 218 yards and a touchdown. He also had 31 rushing yards.

2016 Season

On April 15, 2016, Harvin announced he was retiring from the NFL. He said he needed time to recover from injuries. However, he did not rule out a return. On November 1, 2016, Harvin signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. He came out of retirement to rejoin the team because other wide receivers were injured.

On November 7, 2016, Harvin played his first game of the season against his former team, the Seattle Seahawks.

On March 14, 2017, Harvin announced his retirement from the NFL for the second time.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season

Postseason

NFL Records and Vikings Records

• Longest non-scoring play: 104 yards (November 27, 2011, vs Atlanta Falcons)
• Most career kickoff return touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings (5) (Tied with Cordarrelle Patterson)
• Most kickoff return touchdowns in a single season for the Minnesota Vikings: 2 (2009) (Tied with Cordarrelle Patterson and Kene Nwangwu)

Awards and Honors

• Midget Age Group 4x100-meter relay national championship team (2000)
• Pop Warner Football national championship (2001)
• Virginia Beach District Offensive Player of the Year (2004)
• Virginia Eastern Region Offensive Player of the Year (2004)
• Rivals.com National High School Junior of the Year (2004)
• Parade High School All-American (2005)
• U.S. Army All-American Bowl participant (2006)
• Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year by Associated Press (2006)
• SEC Championship Game Most Valuable Player (2006)
• SEC Championship (2006)
• Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship (2006)
• Second-team All-SEC selection (wide receiver) by Associated Press and SEC coaches (2007)
• First-team All-SEC selection (all-purpose) by Associated Press (2007)
• First-team All-American (wide receiver) by The Sporting News (2007)
• SEC Championship (2008)
• BCS National Championship (2008)
• Second-team All-SEC selection (wide receiver) by Associated Press (2008)
• First-team All-SEC selection (wide receiver) by SEC coaches (2008)
• First-team All-SEC selection (all-purpose) by Associated Press (2008)
• First-team All-American (all-purpose) by American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Rivals.com (2008)
• Second-team All-American (all-purpose) by Associated Press (2008)
• Second-team All-American (wide receiver) by Walter Camp Football Foundation (2008)
• First-team All-American (wide receiver) by The Sporting News (2008)
• Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week (Week 7, 2009)
• Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week (Week 8, 2009)
• Pro Bowl kick returner (2010)
• Associated Press NFL Rookie of the Year Award (2009)
• All-Pro selection by The Sporting News (2009)
• Sporting News NFL Rookie of the Year (2009)
• Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year (2009)

See also

• 2006 Florida Gators football team
• 2007 College Football All-America Team
• 2008 College Football All-America Team
• 2008 Florida Gators football team
• List of Florida Gators football All-Americans
• List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft
• List of Minnesota Vikings first-round draft picks