Mervyn Fernandez
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
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| Born: | December 29, 1959 Merced, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Andrew Hill (San Jose, California) | ||||||
| College: | San Jose State | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1983 / Round: 10 / Pick: 277 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Career CFL statistics | |||||||
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Mervyn L. Fernandez (born December 29, 1959), nicknamed "Swervin' Mervyn", is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver with the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League (NFL).
Fernandez was a two-time CFL All-Star (1984–1985) and is a member of the BC Lions Wall of Fame. In 2003, Fernandez was voted a member of the BC Lions All-Time Dream Team, at the wide receiver position, as part of the club's 50-year anniversary celebration.[1] In 2006, Fernandez was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players (#42) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.[2]
High school & college career
Fernandez was a standout wide receiver for Andrew Hill High School in San Jose, California, where he picked up his famous nickname "Swervin' Mervyn" from the team's quarterback.
Following high school, Fernandez played at
Canadian Football League career
Fernandez spent his entire six-year CFL career (1982-1986, 1994) with the BC Lions. Fernandez joined the Lions in 1982, and made an immediate impact, finishing his rookie season with over 1,000 receiving yards (1,046), and helping his team to 9–7 record. Fernandez won the CFL Western Division Most Outstanding Rookie award, and was a finalist for the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie award as well.
After two 1,000-yard seasons, Fernandez was a key component in the
Fernandez, a two-time CFL All-Star (1984-1985) and member of the BC Lions Wall of Fame, was finally persuaded by Al Davis and the Raiders to head south and join the NFL, following the 1986 CFL season.
In 2003, Fernandez was voted a member of the BC Lions All-Time Dream Team, at the wide receiver position, as part of the club's 50-year anniversary celebration.[1] In November 2006, Fernandez was voted one of the CFL's top 50 players (#42) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.[2]
National Football League career
Fernandez spent his entire 6-year
Arguably, Fernandez's finest year was 1989, when he made 57 catches for 1,069 yards and 9 touchdowns, leading all Raiders’ receivers in almost every major category, and becoming only the sixth Raider to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
Post-football life
Fernandez currently lives in
He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2019
References
- ^ a b "BC Lions Dream Team". BCLions.com. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
- ^ a b "TSN Top 50 CFL Players". TSN.ca. 2006-11-28. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-04-28.