Ricky Nattiel

Ricky Nattiel
No. 84, 81
Position: Wide receiver
Personal information
Date of birth: (1966-01-25) January 25, 1966
Place of birth: Gainesville, Florida
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight: 180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school: Newberry (FL)
College: Florida
NFL Draft: 1987 / Round: 1 / Pick: 27
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 70
Games started: 17
Receptions: 121
Receiving yards: 1,972
Touchdowns: 8
Kick return yards: 421
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Richard Rennard Nattiel (born January 25, 1966), nicknamed "Ricky the Rocket," is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. Nattiel played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Denver Broncos of the NFL.

Early life

Nattiel was born in Gainesville, Florida in 1966.[1] He attended Newberry High School in nearby Newberry, Florida,[2] where he was the quarterback for the Newberry Panthers high school football team.[3] During his senior season in 1982, Nattiel led his Panthers to a 9–1 regular season and two state playoff victories,[4] before the Panthers lost in the Florida Class 2A state semifinal game.[5] Nattiel also played basketball and ran track for the Panthers, and was recognized as an all-county athlete in both.[6]

College career

Nattiel accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he was a wide receiver for coach Charley Pell and coach Galen Hall's Florida Gators football teams from 1983 to 1986.[7] Notwithstanding his high school background as a quarterback, he was recruited as a defensive back and possibly as a wide receiver, but necessity his freshman year in 1983 forced the coaches' choice.[8] When senior Gators receiver Dwayne Dixon was hobbled half way through the season, Nattiel started in his place and established his own reputation as a future star receiver to be watched.[8] Nattiel was a key target of Gators quarterback Kerwin Bell during the 1984 and 1985 seasons, when the Gators posted identical 9–1–1 overall win-loss records and led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) with best-in-the-conference records of 5–0–1 and 5–1. Memorably, he dashed ninety-six yards on a touchdown pass from Bell in the Gators' 27–0 victory over the rival Georgia Bulldogs in 1984, contributing to his nickname, "Ricky the Rocket."[9] Nattiel finished his college career with 117 receptions for 2,086 yards and eighteen touchdowns; he also had 589 yards in punt returns.[7] He was a team captain, a first-team All-SEC selection and a second-team All-American in 1986, and received the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award as the senior who most displayed "outstanding leadership, courage and character."[7]

Nattiel was recognized by the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 1984 and 1986.[7] He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in public health in 1987, and he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1998.[10][11] In one of a series of articles written for The Gainesville Sun in 2006, the Sun sports editors recognized him as the No. 46 all-time greatest Gator of the first 100 years of Florida football.[12]

Professional career

The Denver Broncos chose Nattiel in the first round (27th overall pick) of the 1987 NFL Draft,[13] and he played for the Broncos in six NFL seasons from 1987 to 1992,[14] including eight playoff games and two Super Bowls. One of the highlights of his professional career was catching a 56-yard touchdown pass from quarterback John Elway against the Washington Redskins on the Broncos' first play from scrimmage in Super Bowl XXII.[15] Nattiel and fellow Broncos wide receivers Vance Johnson and Mark Jackson all played together from 1987 to 1992 and were nicknamed "The Three Amigos."[16] He finished his six-year NFL career with 121 receptions for 1,972 yards and eight touchdowns.[1]

Life after the NFL

Nattiel, who is Roman Catholic,[17] was formerly the junior varsity coach and wide receivers coach of the Trinity Catholic High School Celtics football team in Ocala, Florida.[18] When former Celtics head coach Kerwin Bell resigned in 2007, Nattiel became the head coach of the Celtics for a single season, leading them to a 7–5 record and a berth in the Florida State 2B regional playoffs.[18]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Ricky Nattiel. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
  2. ↑ databaseFootball.com, Players, Ricky Nattiel. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Panthers' Nattiel Puts on Show, 28–0," The Gainesville Sun, p. 4D (November 20, 1982). Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  4. ↑ Mike Bianchi, "Newberry Does It To Hawthorne Again, 21–0," The Gainesville Sun, p. 3D (November 27, 2982). Retrieved June 22, 2010. Richard Gerber, "Newberry Moves On With 28–7 Win Over Father Lopez," The Gainesville Sun, p. 4D (December 4, 1982). Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  5. ↑ Richard Gerber, "Generous Newberry Absorbs 44–6 Loss," The Gainesville Sun, pp. 1D & 3D (December 11, 1982). Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  6. ↑ Mike Bianchi, "All-County Squad Honors Top Scorers," The Gainesville Sun, p. 3D (March 20, 1983). Retrieved June 22, 2010. "Track Stars Are Honored," The Gainesville Sun, p. 3B (May 19, 1983). Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 4 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine., University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 88, 96, 103, 124, 127, 143–145, 147–148, 149–150, 159, 184 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  8. 1 2 Mike Bianchi, "Nattiel Is A Definite Plus For UF," The Gainesville Sun, pp. 1D & 3D (October 6, 1983). Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  9. ↑ Mark Schlabach, "Dawgs-Gators winner will have inside track to SEC East title," ESPN (October 30, 2008). Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  10. ↑ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  11. ↑ Pat Dooley, "Jones, Nattiel lead class into UF Hall," The Gainesville Sun, pp. 1C & 5C (April 3, 1998). Retrieved July 23, 2011
  12. ↑ Robbie Andreu & Pat Dooley, "No. 46 Ricky Nattiel," The Gainesville Sun (July 19, 2006). Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  13. ↑ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1987 National Football League Draft. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  14. ↑ National Football League, Historical Players, Ricky Nattiel. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  15. ↑ Paul Zimmerman, "One Super Show!," Sports Illustrated (February 8, 1988). Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  16. ↑ John Mossman, "Denver's Three Amigos make a comeback with a Gringo sidekick," The Gainesville Sun, p. 2C (January 24, 1990). Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  17. ↑ Gerald Korson, "Top Ten Catholic Heroes of the Super Bowl," Catholic Online (January 30, 2008). Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  18. 1 2 Byron Saucer, "Nattiel resigns as Trinity coach; Brantley offers to take the job," Ocala Star-Banner (March 26, 2008). Retrieved June 22, 2010.

Bibliography

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