Garrett Mills
Encyclopedia
Michael Garrett Mills is an American football
tight end
with the New England Patriots
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft
. He played college football at Tulsa
.
Mills has also played for the Minnesota Vikings
, Philadelphia Eagles
, and Cincinnati Bengals
.
in Jenks, Oklahoma
and was a good student and a standout in football and basketball. In football, he led his teams to three Class 6A State Titles, was a three-year starter as a tight end, and as a senior he was named the District Player of the Year and he was named the Tulsa World News Player of the Year. In basketball, Mills was a three-year letterman. Mills graduated from Jenks High School.
, where he set an NCAA record in the 2005 season with 1,235 yards receiving (on 87 receptions), the most yards earned receiving by a tight end in a single season. He won the MVP
for the 2005 C-USA Championship game
and was an All-America
selection.
by the Patriots. He was not expected to play solely at tight end in the NFL (unlike David Thomas
, the Texas tight end the Patriots drafted just before Mills); the Patriots' depth chart once listed him at both tight end and fullback
.
Given that Mills was fourth on the Patriots' depth chart at tight end, he did not see any playing time during the regular season, and was placed on injured reserve in the middle of the 2006 season.
On September 1, 2007, the Patriots released Mills.
and made his regular season debut in the season finale against the Denver Broncos
and had his first career reception. Mills was released by the Vikings on September 4, 2010 as part of final cuts in preparation for the beginning of the 2010 NFL season.
' practice squad on September 6, 2010. He was promoted to the active roster on September 13. He was waived on December 21.
on December 22, 2010. He was waived on August 16, 2011.
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...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
with the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
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 drafted by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in the fourth 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 at Tulsa
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football
The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh....
.
Mills has also 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...
, 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...
, and Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
.
Early years
Mills attended Jenks High SchoolJenks public schools
Jenks Public Schools is a K-12 public school system located in Jenks, Oklahoma.Kirby Lehman is the superintendent of the district, which had 9,982 students in October 2008. Jenks and large parts of south and west Tulsa, Oklahoma are part of the Jenks school district, covering .The school district...
in Jenks, Oklahoma
Jenks, Oklahoma
Jenks is a city in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States, and a suburb of Tulsa, in the northeastern part of the state. It is situated between the Arkansas River and U.S. Route 75. Jenks is one of the fastest growing cities in Oklahoma...
and was a good student and a standout in football and basketball. In football, he led his teams to three Class 6A State Titles, was a three-year starter as a tight end, and as a senior he was named the District Player of the Year and he was named the Tulsa World News Player of the Year. In basketball, Mills was a three-year letterman. Mills graduated from Jenks High School.
College career
He played college football for the University of TulsaUniversity of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
, where he set an NCAA record in the 2005 season with 1,235 yards receiving (on 87 receptions), the most yards earned receiving by a tight end in a single season. He won the MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
for the 2005 C-USA Championship game
Conference USA Football Championship
The Conference USA Football Championship Game is an annual postseason college football game played to determine the champion of Conference USA. From 1996–2004, the champion of Conference USA was determined by regular season record...
and was an All-America
2005 College Football All-America Team
The 2005 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, College...
selection.
First stint with Patriots
Mills was drafted in the fourth round (pick 106 overall) of 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...
by the Patriots. He was not expected to play solely at tight end in the NFL (unlike David Thomas
David Thomas (American football)
John David Thomas is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, the Texas tight end the Patriots drafted just before Mills); the Patriots' depth chart once listed him at both tight end and 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...
.
Given that Mills was fourth on the Patriots' depth chart at tight end, he did not see any playing time during the regular season, and was placed on injured reserve in the middle of the 2006 season.
On September 1, 2007, the Patriots released Mills.
Minnesota Vikings
Mills was claimed off waivers on September 2, 2007 by the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota 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...
and made his regular season debut in the season finale against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and had his first career reception. Mills was released by the Vikings on September 4, 2010 as part of final cuts in preparation for the beginning of the 2010 NFL season.
Philadelphia Eagles
Mills was signed to the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia 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...
' practice squad on September 6, 2010. He was promoted to the active roster on September 13. He was waived on December 21.
Cincinnati Bengals
Mills was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
on December 22, 2010. He was waived on August 16, 2011.