| No. -- Free Agent | |
| Wide receiver | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: August 16, 1980 | |
| Place of birth: Youngstown, Ohio | |
| Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | Weight: 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: Notre Dame | |
| NFL Draft: 2002 / Round: 7 / Pick: 253 | |
| Debuted in 2002 for the New England Patriots | |
| Career history | |
As player:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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David Lamar Givens (born August 16, 1980 in Youngstown, Ohio) is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He originally was selected with a seventh-round pick out of the University of Notre Dame by the New England Patriots in the 2002 NFL Draft.
Contents |
Early Years
Givens started his football career playing youth football in the Humble Area Football League
High school
Givens graduated from Humble High School in Humble, Texas in 1998, the same high school as fellow NFL players David Boston, Bertrand Berry, and Sammy Davis.
Pro career
New England Patriots
Givens caught nine passes and one touchdown his rookie year for the New England Patriots in 2002, and improved in each of the next two seasons. He posted 34 catches and lead his team with six touchdowns in 2003 and 56 catches in 2004 despite scoring just three times. His best performances in his career have come in the postseason. Since the 2003 AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, he has scored one touchdown in every playoff game, including both Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX. In 2005, Givens caught a career-high 59 passes and was the Patriots no. 2 receiver for the second year in a row.
Tennessee Titans
Givens signed a 5-year deal worth $24 million with the Tennessee Titans on March 14, 2006. His first season with the Titans ended prematurely in week 10, after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament. He also missed the entire 2007 season. On February 27, 2008 after two injury-filled seasons, he was released from the Titans.He is currently suing for 25 Million the Tennessee Titans for knowing about the serious things that could happen to his knee as stated in this msn.foxsports.com article Givens claims in a lawsuit filed Tuesday — a $25 million lawsuit, according to USA Today — that a doctor discovered a defect in his knee during a physical around the time his contract was being negotiated in March 2006. He claims the examining doctor told team officials he "may need surgery at some point" and "may not be able to make a full 16-game season," according to the suit.
But Givens claims he was "kept in the dark about his condition" and team officials urged him to keep playing.
"The decision was made by the Titans management, coaching and medical staffs to risk serious injury and aggravation to a pre-existing condition without so much as consulting or discussing that situation with David Givens," the lawsuit said.
Givens hurt that knee Nov. 12, 2006, in a game against Baltimore. An X-ray determined that the "previously known lesion and defect in his knee had crumbled," according to the lawsuit.
Givens, 29, has not played professionally again.
Titans officials said Wednesday they had not seen the lawsuit and had no comment. Coach Jeff Fisher also declined to comment about the lawsuit after practice.
Givens' attorney, Dan Warlick, said his client is disappointed and felt his injury could have been prevented.
"He tries to stay upbeat, but this guy ... was at the top of his game," Warlick said.
Givens caught 158 receptions for 2,214 yards and 12 touchdowns in four years with New England, where he won two Super Bowl rings. He left as the Patriots' career leader in postseason touchdown catches with seven.
The receiver signed a five-year, $24 million deal with an $8 million signing bonus in March 2006 with Tennessee. Givens had eight catches for 104 yards in his only season with the Titans. The November injury occurred on the second play of the fourth quarter of a 27-26 loss to Baltimore. Givens stopped and planted his left leg to start blocking on a run play when he went down untouched. He had to be carted off the field.
Givens tore his anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus and needed bone plugs inserted to repair a broken bone in the knee. He also needed another surgery in 2007 to clean up meniscus and shave down some of the bone.
Warlick said Givens has had at least two more surgeries and is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
References
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