Bernard Berrian
Encyclopedia
Bernard Berrian is a free agent American football
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 last played for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

 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...

. He was originally drafted 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...

 in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 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 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...

. 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 Fresno State
Fresno State Bulldogs football
The Fresno State Bulldogs football team represents California State University, Fresno in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The green “V” on the Bulldogs' helmets, uniforms, field symbolize California Central Valley, specifically the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural valley from which they...

.

Early years

Berrian was born in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, and grew up in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 while both of his parents served at Castle Air Force Base
Castle Air Force Base
Castle Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced and about east southeast of San Francisco, California....

. Bernard Berrian attended and played football for Atwater High School, in Atwater, California
Atwater, California
Atwater is a city on U.S. Route 99 in Merced County, California, United States. Atwater is west-northwest of Merced, at an elevation of 151 feet . The population as of the 2010 census was 28,168.-Geography:...

.

Chicago Bears (2004-2007)

The Chicago Bears selected Berrian with the 78th pick in the 3rd round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 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 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...

.

Berrian spent a majority of his early years with the Bears as a back-up wide receiver and return specialist. His playtime increased during the 2005 Chicago Bears season
2005 Chicago Bears season
-Roster:-Schedule:-Standings:W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against-Week 1: at Washington Redskins:-Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions:-Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals:-Week 5: at Cleveland Browns:...

, but an injury kept him sidelined for a portion of the season. Berrian returned to play during the Bears' NFC Divisional game against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...

, but eventually was forced to leave after sustaining an injury.

During the early half of the 2006 Chicago Bears season
2006 Chicago Bears season
The 2006 Chicago Bears season was their 87th regular season and 25th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 13-3 regular season record, the best in the NFC, improving on their previous year’s record of 11-5...

, Berrian emerged as one of the Bears's most productive receivers and sharpest deep-threat weapons. On November 5, 2006, Berrian suffered an injury to his ribs during a game against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

. According to Berrian, he sustained the injury after hitting the ground during the very first play of the game. Berrian returned from the injury after missing only one game, but struggled at times. His surrogate, Mark Bradley
Mark Bradley
Mark Anthony Bradley is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

, momentarily became the Bears' deep threat. Berrian finished the regular season as the Bears' second leading wide receiver, only a few catches behind team leader Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad II is a retired American football wide receiver who played for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...

.

During the 2006 playoffs, in the divisional round game against 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...

, Berrian caught five passes for 105 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown pass. The Bears went on to win 27-24 in overtime. In the NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....

, Berrian lead the Bears with five receptions for 85 yards. He also made a clutch, 33-yard diving touchdown reception behind a jumping Fred Thomas, giving the Bears an eleven point lead, which contributed to their 39-14 victory. Well after the season's conclusion, the catch was named one of the Bears' top ten plays in 2006. Berrian played in Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...

 against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....

, where he caught four passes for 38 yards. Berrian was in the last year of his contract with the Bears and the Bears chose not to put a franchise tag on Berrian. The Bears had to wait until the Free Agency period on February 29, 2008 for Berrian to become a unrestricted free agent and negotiate a new contract.

Minnesota Vikings (2008 - 2011)

After becoming a unrestricted free agent and negotiations with Chicago and Oakland, On March 1, 2008, Berrian signed a six-year, $42 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

 that included $16 million in guaranteed money.

His first touchdown as a Viking was against the Saints which tied up the game 27-27 they would later win that game 30-27. He also caught a 86 yard catch and run against the Lions. On November 30, 2008, in a game against 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...

, Berrian caught a 99-yard touchdown pass from Gus Frerotte
Gus Frerotte
Gustave Joseph "Gus" Frerotte is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa....

, tying an NFL record for the longest pass from scrimmage. He also returned punts and he returned one for 82 yards against the Cardinals.He also caught a 49 yard touchdwon against the Texans. Berrian had the highest average per. catch that NFL with 20.1 yards per catch. Berrian finished the season with 48 catches, 964 yards and 7 touchdowns. (50 catches for exactly 1,000 yards and 7 touchdowns including the playoffs.)

In 2009, with the acquisition of 20-year veteran quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...

, Berrian became one of the deep threats of the wide receiver core along with Sidney Rice
Sidney Rice
-Minnesota Vikings :Rice was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He signed a four year contract with the Vikings in 2007....

, Percy Harvin
Percy Harvin
William Percival "Percy" Harvin, III is an American football wide receiver, return specialist, and running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League...

 and Visanthe Shiancoe
Visanthe Shiancoe
Visanthe Shiancoe is an American football tight end who currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-High school:...

. He struggled with a hamstring injury that bothered him all season long. He ended the season with 55 catches for 618 yards and 4 touchdowns, 2 touchdowns in the series with the Packers, and 2 in the games with the Seahawks and Ravens. In the NFC Championship Berrian recorded 9 receptions for 102 yards.

In 2010, the 7-year veteran finished with 28 receptions, for 252 yards, and no touchdowns. It was his lowest season in his entire career. His best performance of the season came against the Arizona Cardinals where he caught 9 passes for 91 yards.

On October 24, 2011, Berrian was released by the Vikings.

Charity work

In November 2008 Bernard pledged to donate up to $10,000 to Second Harvest Heartland, Minnesota's largest hunger-relief organization, to provide turkeys to hungry inner-city families for the holiday season. He donated $5,000 to Second Harvest Heartland to provide turkeys to local inner-city families for Thanksgiving.
Berrian has expressed interest in participating in additional community outreach programs.

Berrian was a contestant on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

's Minute to Win It
Minute to Win It
Minute to Win It is an American prime time game show on NBC hosted by Guy Fieri. Contestants take part in a series of 60-second challenges that use objects that are commonly available around the house....

 on September 7, 2010 where he was playing to win money for the Second Harvest Heartland.

Personal

During a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...

 appearance, Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad II is a retired American football wide receiver who played for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...

 revealed that Berrian's nickname is "B-twice". However, in a later interview with Fox News Chicago
WFLD
WFLD, virtual channel 32 , is the Fox owned-and-operated television station, based in Chicago, Illinois; through its parent company News Corporation, the station is owned in a duopoly with area MyNetworkTV affiliate WPWR-TV...

, Berrian stated his teammates also call him, "California Cool". ChicagoBears.com's columnists and announcers also refer to Berrian as the "Silent Assassin". He is friends with Chad Ochocinco and appeared occasionally on his dating show Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch
Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch
-Season 1: 2010:...


Career statistics

Source: NFL.com
  Receiving Rushing Fumbles
Season Team GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD FUM Lost
2004 Chicago Bears 16 1 15 225 15.0 49T 2 8 28 3.5 25 0 - -
2005 Chicago Bears 11 2 13 246 18.9 54 0 2 31 15.5 37 0 1 0
2006 Chicago Bears 15 14 51 775 15.2 62 6 2 5 2.5 5 0 2 1
2007 Chicago Bears 16 15 71 951 13.4 59T 5 - - - - - 1 1
2008 Minnesota Vikings 16 13 48 964 20.1 99T 7 4 26 6.5 14 0 1 1
2009 Minnesota Vikings 16 15 55 618 11.6 40 4 - - - - - - -
2010 Minnesota Vikings 14 12 28 252 9.0 30 0 1 -8 -8.0 -8 0 - -
Total 104 72 281 4,031 14.3 99T 24 17 82 4.8 37 0 5 3

External links

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