Mortty Ivy
Encyclopedia
Mortty Ivy is an American football
linebacker
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
at West Virginia
.
He has also been a member of the St. Louis Rams
and Miami Dolphins
.
in high school at Gateway High School. He accounted for over 2,000 yards as a senior and was named all-state. He was also a basketball letterman.
in 2004, but did not see varsity action as he redshirted.
As a redshirt-freshman in 2005, Ivy played backup to star Kevin "Boo" McLee
at middle linebacker. Ivy had three tackles and one for a loss in the win against Wofford
and three stops against Maryland
. He had four tackles in the loss to Virginia Tech
and five in the overtime win against Louisville
. He finished the season with five tackles against Cincinnati
and six tackles against Pittsburgh. He recorded 44 tackles on the season.
Ivy was limited playing time in 2006 as a sophomore due to injury, but still managed 26 tackles on the season.
Ivy became the starter as a junior in 2007 and shook off the injury that limited his sophomore season. His first start came against Western Michigan
, where he had a career-high 10 tackles. He recorded a career-high 11 tackles, two sacks and forced a fumble
on the goal line that was recovered for a West Virginia touchdown
, earning him the Big East Player of the Week honors. At the end of the regular season, he earned the team's Coaches Contribution Award. In the Fiesta Bowl
victory over Oklahoma
, Ivy recorded four tackles.
Ivy finished his junior season with 89 tackles, six sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. His forced fumbles led the team, while his tackles were second on the team, behind linebacker Reed Williams, and his sacks were third on the team.
During the early stages of spring practice in April 2008, head coach Bill Stewart
praised Ivy by saying, "Mortty Ivy, wow, I thought he was great...I was about 10 feet away and I got out of the way. Man, he was hitting them. Mortty Ivy has had the spring of all springs." During the spring, Ivy moved from weakside linebacker to strongside.
In the first game of the season, a 48-21 victory over Villanova
, Ivy recorded five tackles, a sack, an interception that he returned for a touchdown, and a forced recovery that he returned for 30 yards. In the following 24-3 loss to East Carolina, he recorded nine tackles and a tackle for a loss. In the 35-13 win over Connecticut, he earned Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors with his 10 tackles and interception.
Ivy finished his season as a First-team All-Big East selection and WVU's Defensive Player of the Year selection - finishing the season with 90 tackles, seven tackles-for-a-loss, three interceptions, and a fumble recovery.
, Ivy played in the 2009 East-West Shrine Game
for the East squad. He was also officially invited to the NFL Combine
. However, he went unselected in the 2009 NFL Draft
.
and re-signed to the team's practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster after wide receiver
Steve Smith was placed on injured reserve
. He was waived on September 4,2010.
' practice squad in 2011. He was signed to active roster on October 30th.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
.
He has also been a member of the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
and Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Ivy played quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in high school at Gateway High School. He accounted for over 2,000 yards as a senior and was named all-state. He was also a basketball letterman.
Collegiate career
Ivy enrolled at West VirginiaWest Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
in 2004, but did not see varsity action as he redshirted.
As a redshirt-freshman in 2005, Ivy played backup to star Kevin "Boo" McLee
Boo McLee
Kevin "Boo" McLee Jr. is an American football linebacker currently a free agent in both the National Football League and Canadian Football League. He played collegiately at West Virginia University....
at middle linebacker. Ivy had three tackles and one for a loss in the win against Wofford
Wofford College
Established in 1854 and related to the United Methodist Church, Wofford College is an independent, Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts college of 1,525 students located in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The historic campus is recognized as a national arboretum and features “The...
and three stops against Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. He had four tackles in the loss to Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
and five in the overtime win against Louisville
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...
. He finished the season with five tackles against Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
and six tackles against Pittsburgh. He recorded 44 tackles on the season.
Ivy was limited playing time in 2006 as a sophomore due to injury, but still managed 26 tackles on the season.
Ivy became the starter as a junior in 2007 and shook off the injury that limited his sophomore season. His first start came against Western Michigan
Western Michigan Broncos football
The Western Michigan Broncos football program represents Western Michigan University in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I and the Mid-American Conference . Western Michigan has competed in football since 1906, when they played three games in their inaugural season...
, where he had a career-high 10 tackles. He recorded a career-high 11 tackles, two sacks and forced a fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
on the goal line that was recovered for a West Virginia touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
, earning him the Big East Player of the Week honors. At the end of the regular season, he earned the team's Coaches Contribution Award. In the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
victory over Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Ivy recorded four tackles.
Ivy finished his junior season with 89 tackles, six sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. His forced fumbles led the team, while his tackles were second on the team, behind linebacker Reed Williams, and his sacks were third on the team.
During the early stages of spring practice in April 2008, head coach Bill Stewart
Bill Stewart (football coach)
Bill "Stew" Stewart is an American football coach. He was named interim head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan in December 2007. After leading the Mountaineers to a 48–28 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl, he was formally...
praised Ivy by saying, "Mortty Ivy, wow, I thought he was great...I was about 10 feet away and I got out of the way. Man, he was hitting them. Mortty Ivy has had the spring of all springs." During the spring, Ivy moved from weakside linebacker to strongside.
In the first game of the season, a 48-21 victory over Villanova
Villanova Wildcats
The Villanova Wildcats is the name of the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport except football, where they compete in the Colonial Athletic Association .-Men's basketball:The Villanova Wildcats compete in the Big EAST and are currently coached by Jay...
, Ivy recorded five tackles, a sack, an interception that he returned for a touchdown, and a forced recovery that he returned for 30 yards. In the following 24-3 loss to East Carolina, he recorded nine tackles and a tackle for a loss. In the 35-13 win over Connecticut, he earned Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors with his 10 tackles and interception.
Ivy finished his season as a First-team All-Big East selection and WVU's Defensive Player of the Year selection - finishing the season with 90 tackles, seven tackles-for-a-loss, three interceptions, and a fumble recovery.
Pre-draft
Following the conclusion of his senior season at West Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
, Ivy played in the 2009 East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
for the East squad. He was also officially invited to the NFL Combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
. However, he went unselected in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
.
Carolina Panthers
Following the draft Ivy signed a free agent contract with the Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and re-signed to the team's practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster after wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Steve Smith was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
. He was waived on September 4,2010.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ivy was signed on to the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
' practice squad in 2011. He was signed to active roster on October 30th.