Ahmad Merritt
Encyclopedia
Ahmad Rashad Merritt is an American football
wide receiver
who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Chicago Bears
as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He played college football
at Wisconsin
.
Merritt has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys
, Chicago Rush
and Arizona Cardinals
.
, who was his father's favorite player at the time. Merritt attended St. Rita High School
on Chicago's south side, where, as a senior, he earned All-America honors from Prep Football Report and SuperPrep. He had 63 receptions for 1,240 yards and 23 touchdowns throughout his high school career. Merritt was a grade school, high school, and college teammate of former NFL player Tony Simmons. Merritt and Simmons both played and caught touchdown passes in World Bowl IX
.
run on a reverse in the Bears 2001 divisional playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles
(the last offensive touchdown scored for the Bears scored in Old Soldier Field
). He was also the leading receiver of the 2001 World Bowl
Champion Berlin Thunder
of NFL Europa.
in 2005 and was on the verge of securing a roster spot when he tore ligament
s in his foot and was given an injury settlement. He returned to the Cowboys in the offseason, but was later released a few days into training camp before the 2006 season
.
, gaining 203 yards on 20 receptions with two touchdowns before being waived in early April.
but spent his entire first season with the team on injured reserved after dislocating his ankle and breaking his fibula in a preseason game against the Houston Texans
. He was re-signed by the team on March 26, 2008; however, he was released prior to the season on August 20.
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...
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...
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 signed by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2000. 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 Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
.
Merritt has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
and Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Merritt was born in Chicago and named after former NFL running back and wide receiver Ahmad RashadAhmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
, who was his father's favorite player at the time. Merritt attended St. Rita High School
St. Rita of Cascia High School
St. Rita of Cascia High School is an all-male Roman Catholic high school located on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and is operated by the Order of Saint Augustine...
on Chicago's south side, where, as a senior, he earned All-America honors from Prep Football Report and SuperPrep. He had 63 receptions for 1,240 yards and 23 touchdowns throughout his high school career. Merritt was a grade school, high school, and college teammate of former NFL player Tony Simmons. Merritt and Simmons both played and caught touchdown passes in World Bowl IX
World Bowl IX
World Bowl IX was the first World Bowl that didn't have the year that it was played in the title. It was the 2001 edition of NFL Europe's championship game. The site was the Amsterdam ArenA in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. On June 30, 2001, the 6-4 Berlin Thunder took on the 8-2 Barcelona Dragons...
.
College career
Merritt started 21 games at wide receiver but primarily served as a return specialist through his four years at Wisconsin. He finished his collegiate career with 36 receptions for 528 yards and two touchdowns, 28 kick returns for 521 yards and 25 punt returns for 165 yards.Chicago Bears
Merritt is probably most remembered for his 47-yard touchdownTouchdown
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:...
run on a reverse in the Bears 2001 divisional playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(the last offensive touchdown scored for the Bears scored in Old Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
). He was also the leading receiver of the 2001 World Bowl
World Bowl
The World Bowl was the American football Championship game of NFL Europe, similar to the Super Bowl of the National Football League.The World Bowl trophy itself was a globe made of glass measuring 35.5 cm in diameter and weighing 18.6 kg .-World League of American Football:When NFL Europe was...
Champion Berlin Thunder
Berlin Thunder
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe, which was a springtime American football league serving primarily as a developmental league for the National Football League. Most of the players were young American professional players assigned by NFL teams to receive...
of NFL Europa.
Dallas Cowboys
Merritt was in training camp with the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in 2005 and was on the verge of securing a roster spot when he tore ligament
Ligament
In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...
s in his foot and was given an injury settlement. He returned to the Cowboys in the offseason, but was later released a few days into training camp before the 2006 season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
.
Chicago Rush
Merritt started the first five games of the 2007 Arena Football season for the Chicago RushChicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
, gaining 203 yards on 20 receptions with two touchdowns before being waived in early April.
Arizona Cardinals
Merritt was signed as a free agent by the Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
but spent his entire first season with the team on injured reserved after dislocating his ankle and breaking his fibula in a preseason game against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was re-signed by the team on March 26, 2008; however, he was released prior to the season on August 20.