Michael Nattiel
Encyclopedia
Michael Dondril "Mike" Nattiel (born November 8, 1980) is a former American college and professional football
player who was a linebacker
in the National Football League
(NFL) for two seasons during the early 2000s. Nattiel played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Minnesota Vikings
of the NFL.
in 1980. He attended Newberry High School in Newberry, Florida
, where he played for the Newberry Fighting Panthers high school football
team. Nattiel was a three-time Florida Class 3A all-state honoree at linebacker, and was recognized as a high school All-American by SuperPrep, PrepStar and National Blue Chips.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, and played outside linebacker for coach Steve Spurrier
and coach Ron Zook
's Florida Gators football
teams from 1999 to 2002
. Nattiel recovered a key fumble in the Gators' Southeastern Conference
(SEC) championship victory over the Auburn Tigers
in 2000
, and was an honorable mention All-SEC selection in 2002.
, and he played for the Vikings from to . In his two-season NFL career, Nattiel played in thirty-two games in a backup role, the highlight of which was an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in 2003.
, former standout wide receiver
for the Florida Gators and the NFL's Denver Broncos
. After his professional career, he returned to the state of Florida to coach football, and returned to his home town Panthers in 2011 as defensive coordinator.
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...
player who was a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in 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...
(NFL) for two seasons during the early 2000s. Nattiel 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...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally 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 NFL.
Early years
Nattiel was born in Gainesville, FloridaGainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
in 1980. He attended Newberry High School in Newberry, Florida
Newberry, Florida
Newberry is a city located on the west side of Alachua County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,316 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,630 . Much of the city borders the neighboring Gilchrist County to the west...
, where he played for the Newberry Fighting Panthers high school 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....
team. Nattiel was a three-time Florida Class 3A all-state honoree at linebacker, and was recognized as a high school All-American by SuperPrep, PrepStar and National Blue Chips.
College career
Nattiel received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, and played outside linebacker for coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
and coach Ron Zook
Ron Zook
Ron Zook is a former American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2005 to 2011. Zook is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of Miami University, where he...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
teams from 1999 to 2002
2002 Florida Gators football team
The 2002 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2002 college football season...
. Nattiel recovered a key fumble in the Gators' Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championship victory over the Auburn Tigers
2000 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2000 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. They finished the season with a 9–4 record and won the Southeastern Conference West Division championship...
in 2000
2000 Florida Gators football team
September 30, 2000The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback...
, and was an honorable mention All-SEC selection in 2002.
Professional career
The Minnesota Vikings selected Nattiel in the sixth round (190th pick overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
, and he played for the Vikings from to . In his two-season NFL career, Nattiel played in thirty-two games in a backup role, the highlight of which was an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in 2003.
Personal
Nattiel is the cousin of Ricky NattielRicky Nattiel
Richard Rennard "Ricky" Nattiel is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for six seasons during the 1980s and 1990s...
, former standout 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...
for the Florida Gators and the NFL's 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...
. After his professional career, he returned to the state of Florida to coach football, and returned to his home town Panthers in 2011 as defensive coordinator.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- History of the Minnesota VikingsHistory of the Minnesota VikingsThis article details the history of the Minnesota Vikings, an American football club of the National Football League .-Origins:Professional football history in the Twin Cities began with the Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets, an NFL team that played intermittently in the 1920s and 1930s...
- List of Florida Gators football players