Travis McGriff
Encyclopedia
William Travis McGriff is a former American college and professional football
player who was a wide receiver
in two different professional football leagues. McGriff played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Denver Broncos
of the National Football League
(NFL) and the Orlando Predators
and Nashville Kats
of the Arena Football League (AFL).
in 1976. He attended P.K. Yonge High School in Gainesville, where he was a standout high school football
player for the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave.
McGriff was born into a family of prominent University of Florida alumni. His father, Lee McGriff, was a walk-on for the Florida Gators football
team who became a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) wide receiver, and later, an assistant coach for the Gators. His grandfather, Jack McGriff, was a member of the Florida Gators track and field team, and became the principal of the university's laboratory school, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School. His father's cousin, Perry C. McGriff
, was a split end for the Gators in 1958 and 1959, and later became a state representative. Perry's son, Mark McGriff, was a tight end for the Gators from 1986 to 1988.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he was a wide receiver for coach Steve Spurrier
's Florida Gators football
team from 1995 to 1998. He was a letterman on the Gators' SEC championship teams in 1995 and 1996. He was also a member of the Gators' first national championship team in 1996, which defeated the Florida State Seminoles
52–20 in the Sugar Bowl
to win the Bowl Alliance
national championship.
McGriff had seventy receptions as a senior in 1998, including thirteen catches in a 222-yard performance versus the South Carolina Gamecocks
. He finished his final college season with ten touchdowns and an SEC single-season record of 1,357 yards receiving, and was a first-team All-SEC selection.
McGriff graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
in exercise and sport sciences in 2004.
by the Denver Broncos
, and played for the Broncos for three seasons from to . After three years with the Broncos, he was released in October 2001. He also had a short stint with the Atlanta Falcons
.
He also played in the Arena Football League, including three seasons with the Orlando Predators
from 2003 to 2005, where he won AFL Rookie of the Year honors in 2003, and part of one season for the Nashville Kats
in 2005. He compiled 158 receptions for 2,290 yards and forty-five touchdowns in Arena Football League play.
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...
player who was a 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...
in two different professional football leagues. McGriff 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...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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...
(NFL) and the Orlando Predators
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...
and Nashville Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
of the Arena Football League (AFL).
Early life and family
McGriff was born in Gainesville, FloridaGainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
in 1976. He attended P.K. Yonge High School in Gainesville, where he was a standout high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
player for the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave.
McGriff was born into a family of prominent University of Florida alumni. His father, Lee McGriff, was a walk-on for the Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team who became a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) wide receiver, and later, an assistant coach for the Gators. His grandfather, Jack McGriff, was a member of the Florida Gators track and field team, and became the principal of the university's laboratory school, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School. His father's cousin, Perry C. McGriff
Perry C. McGriff
Perry Colson McGriff, Jr. is an American politician, retired insurance agent, and former All-American college football and baseball player. McGriff is a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, and former candidate for the Florida Senate.- Early life and education :McGriff was born...
, was a split end for the Gators in 1958 and 1959, and later became a state representative. Perry's son, Mark McGriff, was a tight end for the Gators from 1986 to 1988.
College career
McGriff received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he was a wide receiver for coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1995 to 1998. He was a letterman on the Gators' SEC championship teams in 1995 and 1996. He was also a member of the Gators' first national championship team in 1996, which defeated the Florida State Seminoles
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
52–20 in the Sugar Bowl
1997 Sugar Bowl
The 1997 Sugar Bowl was the 63rd edition to the annual game. It featured the top ranked , and their heated rivals, the third ranked Florida Gators. It was the designated National Championship Game for the 1996-97 season by the Bowl Alliance. The match up was supposed to feature the top two teams...
to win the Bowl Alliance
Bowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship bowl game and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences...
national championship.
McGriff had seventy receptions as a senior in 1998, including thirteen catches in a 222-yard performance versus the South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
. He finished his final college season with ten touchdowns and an SEC single-season record of 1,357 yards receiving, and was a first-team All-SEC selection.
McGriff graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in exercise and sport sciences in 2004.
Professional career
McGriff was chosen in the third round (ninety-third pick overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
by the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and played for the Broncos for three seasons from to . After three years with the Broncos, he was released in October 2001. He also had a short stint with the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
He also played in the Arena Football League, including three seasons with the Orlando Predators
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...
from 2003 to 2005, where he won AFL Rookie of the Year honors in 2003, and part of one season for the Nashville Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
in 2005. He compiled 158 receptions for 2,290 yards and forty-five touchdowns in Arena Football League play.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- History of the Denver BroncosHistory of the Denver BroncosThe history of the Denver Broncos American football club began when the team was chartered a member of the American Football League in 1960. The Broncos have played in the city of Denver, Colorado throughout their nearly 50 year history. The Broncos did not win any championships as members of the...
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of University of Florida alumni