Aaron Merz
Encyclopedia
Aaron Andrew Merz is an American football
offensive lineman who is currently a free agent
. He was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills
in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at California
.
and was a letterman in football
, basketball
, and golf
. In football, he won All-League honors as both an offensive lineman and as a defensive lineman.
at the University of California, Berkeley
, where he earned a B.A. in sociology in 2005. Merz joined the team as a walk-on in 2001 and was given a scholarship as reward for his elevated role with the team following the 2003 season. http://cal.berkeley.edu
, Merz scored an impressive 39/50 on the NFL Scouting Combine's standard Wonderlic Test
. After being released by Buffalo in 2008, Merz enlisted with the U.S. Peace Corps. He served as a volunteer in Zambia from February 2009 to February 2010 before being forced to return to America for medical purposes.
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...
offensive lineman who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. 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 California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
.
Early years
Merz attended Wasco High School in Wasco, CaliforniaWasco, California
Wasco is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California, United States. Wasco is located northwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 328 feet...
and was a letterman in 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....
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. In football, he won All-League honors as both an offensive lineman and as a defensive lineman.
College career
He played college footballCollege 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 the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he earned a B.A. in sociology in 2005. Merz joined the team as a walk-on in 2001 and was given a scholarship as reward for his elevated role with the team following the 2003 season. http://cal.berkeley.edu
Professional career
Prior to the 2006 NFL Draft2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
, Merz scored an impressive 39/50 on the NFL Scouting Combine's standard Wonderlic Test
Wonderlic Test
The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is a twelve-minute, fifty-question test used to assess the aptitude of prospective employees for learning and problem-solving in a range of occupations. The test was developed by industrial psychologist Eldon F. Wonderlic...
. After being released by Buffalo in 2008, Merz enlisted with the U.S. Peace Corps. He served as a volunteer in Zambia from February 2009 to February 2010 before being forced to return to America for medical purposes.