Mike Merriweather
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mike Merriweather | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | November 26, 1960 |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| College | University of the Pacific |
| NFL Draft | 1982 / Round 3 |
| Pro Bowls | 1984, 1985, 1986 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1982-1987 1989-1992 1993 |
Pittsburgh Steelers Minnesota Vikings New York Jets |
Mike Merriweather (born 1960) is a former American football linebacker.
He played his college ball at University of the Pacific. Merriweather is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.
He first played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1982. He was elected to the Pro Bowl in 1984, 1985 and 1986. In 1984, he lead the NFL in sacks with 15.
After a salary dispute which saw him sit out the entire 1988 season, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a first-round pick. He played in Minnesota from 1989 to 1992. In 1989, he became the first player in NFL history to end an overtime game with a Safety when he blocked a punt out of the end zone in a game against the Los Angeles Rams for a final score of 23-21, the same game in which the VIkings' Rich Karlis had scored a record-setting 7 field goals to get the 21 points that sent the game into overtime.
He played his final season in 1993 for the New York Jets.
He was voted on the All-Decade team for the 1980s.
