Yvenson Bernard
Encyclopedia
Yvenson Bernard [EVAN-son] (born October 25, 1984 in Boynton Beach, Florida
) is a professional Canadian football
running back
for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
of the Canadian Football League
. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams
as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
at Oregon State
.
Bernard has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks
.
and played running back, fullback
and strong safety at Boca Raton High School
in Boca Raton, Florida
. He led Florida’s 5A football league in scoring his senior season with 19 touchdown
s, rushing for 1,156 yards on 159 carries (7.4 average). Bernard also played baseball
and was selected in the 30th round of the 2003 MLB
Draft by the Minnesota Twins
.
from 2004-2007.
In 2005, Bernard took the position of starting running back for the Beavers. He ended the season with 1321 yards rushing on 299 attempts (averaging 4.4 yards/carry), and finishing with 13 touchdowns. Continuing 2006, Bernard rushed for 1309 yards on 296 attempts (averaging 4.4) with 12 touchdowns. In the Sun Bowl, he ran for the game-clinching 2-point conversion en route to an Oregon State 39-38 victory of the University of Missouri.
As a senior, Bernard was named as co-captain
for the 2007 season
. Despite having arthroscopic
knee surgery on November 20 (and missing the Beaver’s Civil War match
against the University of Oregon
), Yvenson was able to play in the Emerald Bowl
against the Maryland Terrapins
. On 38 carries Bernard rushed for 177 yards, and was awarded the 2007 Emerald Bowl Offensive MVP. For the season, he ended with 1214 yards rushing on 275 carries.
Bernard ended with 3,862 career rushing yards, becoming the Beaver’s second all-time leading rusher behind Ken Simonton
with 5,044 yards. Bernard also moved to No. 6 in the Pac-10’s all-time rushing list.
. The Rams later released him before seasons end. He was then signed by the Seattle Seahawks
, who also cut him, leading him to sign with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was released on July 16, 2009 but re-signed the next day to the practice roster. On February 17, 2011 he signed a two year deal with the Montreal Alouettes. After his release from the Alouettes in July, Bernard was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders
on August 9, 2011.
Boynton Beach, Florida
Boynton Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 60,389 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the city had a population of 66,714 according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research...
) is a professional Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He was signed by 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,...
as an undrafted free agent in 2008. 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 Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
.
Bernard has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.
Early years
Bernard was a four-year starterStarting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
and played running back, fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
and strong safety at Boca Raton High School
Boca Raton High School
Boca Raton Community High School is a public, coeducational high school that is part of the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida. The school has been rated an "A" school each consecutive year by the Florida Department of Education since the year 2005. In 2010, Boca High ranked 62 in the...
in Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
. He led Florida’s 5A football league in scoring his senior season with 19 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:...
s, rushing for 1,156 yards on 159 carries (7.4 average). Bernard also played baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and was selected in the 30th round of the 2003 MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Draft by the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.
College career
Bernard played at running back for OSUOregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
from 2004-2007.
In 2005, Bernard took the position of starting running back for the Beavers. He ended the season with 1321 yards rushing on 299 attempts (averaging 4.4 yards/carry), and finishing with 13 touchdowns. Continuing 2006, Bernard rushed for 1309 yards on 296 attempts (averaging 4.4) with 12 touchdowns. In the Sun Bowl, he ran for the game-clinching 2-point conversion en route to an Oregon State 39-38 victory of the University of Missouri.
As a senior, Bernard was named as co-captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
for the 2007 season
2007 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2007 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team's head coach is Mike Riley. Home games are played at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon.-Season notes:...
. Despite having arthroscopic
Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage of the interior of a joint is performed using an arthroscope, a type of endoscope that is inserted into the joint through a small incision...
knee surgery on November 20 (and missing the Beaver’s Civil War match
Civil War (college football game)
The Civil War is the colloquial name for an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oregon Ducks football team of the University of Oregon and the Oregon State Beavers football team of the Oregon State University...
against the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
), Yvenson was able to play in the Emerald Bowl
2007 Emerald Bowl
The 2007 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 27, 2007, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, with the Atlantic Coast Conference represented by the Maryland Terrapins against the Oregon State Beavers, representing the Pacific-10...
against the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 27 men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
. On 38 carries Bernard rushed for 177 yards, and was awarded the 2007 Emerald Bowl Offensive MVP. For the season, he ended with 1214 yards rushing on 275 carries.
Bernard ended with 3,862 career rushing yards, becoming the Beaver’s second all-time leading rusher behind Ken Simonton
Ken Simonton
Ken Simonton III is an American football running back who last played in the CFL for the Calgary Stampeders after a brief career in the NFL and the NFL Europe.-Early life:...
with 5,044 yards. Bernard also moved to No. 6 in the Pac-10’s all-time rushing list.
Professional career
Bernard ended up becoming an undrafted free agent after college and was signed a few weeks later by the St. Louis RamsSt. 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,...
. The Rams later released him before seasons end. He was then signed by the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, who also cut him, leading him to sign with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was released on July 16, 2009 but re-signed the next day to the practice roster. On February 17, 2011 he signed a two year deal with the Montreal Alouettes. After his release from the Alouettes in July, Bernard was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
on August 9, 2011.