Tag: Ted Ginn Jr.

Notorious Dolphins draft pick Ted Ginn Jr. retires after 14 seasons

Notorious Dolphins draft selection Ted Ginn Jr. retires after 14 NFL seasons

If you could pick a fan reaction to any Miami Dolphins disastrous draft choice and have it embody what the ensuing season looks like, there’s a great chance that the 2007 selection of WR Ted Ginn Jr. with a top-10 overall pick would be a the choice. Because that season, 2007, brought about just one win for the Miami Dolphins, an overtime victory against the Baltimore Ravens in December. The team’s first-year head coach, Cam Cameron, ran the team into the ground and bottomed out at 1-15. He was fired following the season. And if you were to rewind back to that April when the Dolphins chose Ginn with a top-10 overall pick, there were plenty of clues that this regime was going to be in over it’s head.

Cameron notoriously referred to the selection of Ginn as adding not just the player on the field but he and his family to the organization — spurring jokes about which family members would be playing which positions on Sundays. And to top it all off, Cameron tried to ease the restlessness of the Dolphins fan draft party by telling them that they’d be “thrilled” every time they watch Ginn as a punt returner — as if the offensive side of the ball and receiving role would be secondary and the team just drafted a punt returner in the top-10.

Technically they did.

But quietly, Ted Ginn Jr.’s career continued well beyond the three years he spent in Miami. There were three in Carolina. Three in New Orleans. Three in San Francisco — and lo and behold, Miami’s notorious draft choice has played 14 years in the NFL and laced up his pads for 193 career games.

He will suit up no longer. Ginn announced his retirement from the NFL after 14 seasons yesterday; bringing his career to a close with 6,228 career yards from scrimmage (rushing and receiving), 15,749 all-purpose yards (yards from scrimmage plus return yardage) and 42 career touchdowns.

Not bad for a pick that got boo’d out of the building back in 2007. Now, granted, Miami hardly got the most out of Ginn and despite playing more games for Miami (48) than any other team, the Dolphins got just 10 total touchdowns from Ginn in three seasons. He scored 10 in 2015 with the Panthers across 15 games.

In all, it is hard to call the choice of any player who lasts 14 years in the “Not For Long” league as a bad one. Bad value? Absolutely. Even worse process? For sure. But Ginn’s NFL career, even with the unrealistic expectations set by becoming a top-10 overall punt returner, should be considered a successful one. Congratulations to him for it and may he find equal success in his next chapter off the gridiron.

Former Ohio State receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. retiring from NFL

What’s the one play you remember most from Ted Ginn. Jr.’s career? We remember him sticking it to Michigan.

Former Ohio State receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. is retiring from the NFL

During a press conference at his alma mater high school, Cleveland Glenville, Ginn announced that he’s ready to call it a career after fourteen seasons in the NFL. Ginn said the decision was a tough one, but that it was time to turn the page and spend time with family.

“It was a hard decision, but it was one that had to be made,” Ginn said. “I dedicated my life and my time to football my entire life until now, and being able to go out peacefully on a joy is all I wanted.”

Ginn came to Ohio State as a highly sought-after 5-star cornerback prospect from the class of 2004. When he got to Columbus, the coaches turned him into an electric wide receiver and kick returner where he excelled as one of the fastest players to ever run through the tunnel at Ohio Stadium.

After playing for OSU for three seasons, he was then selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2007 NFL draft as the No. 9 overall pick. He spent his first three years in Miami but also spent time with the 49ers, Carolina Panthers (twice), Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, and Chicago Bears.

Ted Ginn, Jr.
Credit: USA TODAY Sports

If anything, his career is very underrated. Throughout his 14 years, Ginn played in 193 games (83 as a starter), had 412 catches for 5,472 yards, and totaled 33 touchdowns. He also returned three punts and four kickoffs for scores throughout a very long and productive career.

We wish Ginn nothing but the best in his post-football life. Congrats on a career many would be jealous of.

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Former Panthers WR/KR Ted Ginn Jr. announces his retirement

The former Carolina Panthers wide receiver and kick returner announced his retirement from football today.

Ted Ginn Jr. is hanging up his cleats. The former Carolina Panthers wide receiver and kick returner announced his retirement from football today.

Ginn was a first-round pick by the Dolphins all the way back in the 2007 NFL draft. He spent three years with Miami, followed by three in San Francisco, then he signed with the Panthers for the first time in the 2013 campaign. After an off-year with the Cardinals, he returned to Carolina from 2015-2016. Ginn then put in three years with the Saints and he finished his career with the Bears.

Ginn was part of some very memorable Carolina teams.

All in all, Ginn played in 193 games – 47 of which were in a Panthers uniform. He posted 134 catches, 2,047 yards and 19 touchdowns during that time. Ginn was also a hell of a return specialist. He totaled 2,624 yards and four touchdowns on punt returns and another 6,899 yards and three scores on kickoffs.

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Fab Four: Selecting Ohio State football’s Mount Rushmore of all-time recruits

On the eve of early signing day, Buckeyes Wire recalls the most hyped commits in school history.

The backbone of any college football program is recruiting. If you want to compete for bowl games, conference titles and national championships, you have to convince the right players to come to your school and then develop them in your system and culture.

But it all starts with talent.

For Ohio State football, recruiting is a way of life. The Buckeye program is consistently in the top five programs when it comes to signing the best high school prospects in the country.

Because of it, OSU is one of the blue blood programs of the sport and seems to always be in the Big Ten and national title picture.

We decided to take a look through all the recruits that have come through Ohio State in recent memory and pick out the four best we consider the Mount Rushmore of Buckeye recruits. It doesn’t necessarily mean the highest-rated or who turned out to be the best player in college, but those that had a lot of buzz and were expected to turn into something special.

Also, even though the Buckeyes have been pulling in some of their best-ever recruits over the last few years, we’re not taking into account players that have yet to officially sign because that status can always change.

So, here we go, the Mount Rushmore of Ohio State football recruiting prospects. We’ll start with four honorable mention prospects and then get into the fab four.

More Mount Rushmore’s from the College Wire Network:

Bama / Aub / Fla / LSU / Tenn. / UGA // Mich. / Mich St. / Ohio St. / Wisc. // Okla. / Texas // ND // USC

NEXT … Honorable mentions

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Bears place WR/PR Dwayne Harris on injured reserve

The Bears placed punt returner Dwayne Harris on injured reserve after he suffered what’s believed to be a torn triceps.

The Chicago Bears have placed wide receiver and punt returner Dwayne Harris on injured reserve, the team announced Thursday.

Harris is believed to have suffered a torn triceps during Monday night’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Harris appeared in three games this season after being signed to the practice squad to bring insurance to the punt return game.

In three games with the Bears this season, Harris averaged 8.1 yards on 10 punt returns. His best outing came against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9, where he averaged 10.7 yards on six punt returns. But he did have a costly muffed punt against the Vikings last week before his injury.

Receiver Anthony Miller took over for Harris following his injury last Monday night, where he returned two punts for 43 yards. But don’t expect Miller to take over as punt returner full time.

The Bears claimed former Houston Texans kick returner DeAndre Carter off waivers. Carter will become the fifth punt returner for the Bears this season.

Running back Tarik Cohen tore his ACL on a punt return against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. filled in for him, but it was clear he wasn’t the answer. Which is when the Bears brought in Harris for a tryout and winded up signing him to the practice squad before elevating him to the active roster.

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Bears claim punt returner DeAndre Carter off waivers

The Bears have gone through 4 punt returners this season, and it’s likely soon to be a 5th with DeAndre Carter being claimed off waivers.

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The Chicago Bears haven’t had the best luck with punt returners this season. After losing running back Tarik Cohen to a torn ACL and releasing receiver Ted Ginn Jr., the Bears turned to Dwayne Harris.

While Harris got off to a solid start in three games, he muffed a punt against the Minnesota Vikings that proved to be costly. He was soon replaced by receiver Anthony Miller, who has served as a punt returner in the past. But it wasn’t because of production. It was because Harris is believed to have suffered a torn triceps.

Now, the Bears have made a move on the waiver wire in claiming receiver DeAndre Carter from the Houston Texans, who is a kick returner.

Carter, who was waived Monday by the Texans, appeared in nine games for Houston this season. He averaged 8.7 yards on 11 punt returns and 20.8 yards on 12 kickoff returns.

While Miller found success in the punt return game after replacing Harris — he returned two punts for 43 yards — the Bears aren’t likely to put Miller at risk returning punts when he’s one of Chicago’s top wideouts, especially considering Miller has suffered a shoulder injury in each of the last two seasons on a return.

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Bears release former Saints WR Ted Ginn Jr.

The Chicago Bears released former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr., a 3-year starter and 2007 Dolphins first-round draft pick.

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Ted Ginn Jr. is on the lookout for his next team. The 14-year NFL veteran was released by the Chicago Bears after Tuesday’s trade deadline, putting the former New Orleans Saints starter back on the market.

If this is it for his NFL career, Ginn will have appeared in 208 games for six different teams since being picked in the first round of the 2007 draft by the Miami Dolphins. He spent the last three years with the Saints before signing with Chicago as a free agent.

Unfortunately for Ginn, the Bears have found younger playmakers to fill some of the same roles. Tulane product Darnell Mooney has taken his snaps on offense, while punt returner Dwayne Harris is standing out on special teams. Ginn caught just three passes for 40 yards in Chicago before the Bears cut him.

Should the Saints bring him back for another look? They could add him to the practice squad as an upgrade over Tommylee Lewis, but he probably won’t bring much to the active roster once Michael Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, and Marquez Callaway each return. Still, no Saints position group has been hit harder by injuries than the receiving corps this year, so there’s an argument in his favor.

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The Chicago Bears have released WR Ted Ginn Jr.

In a move that’s not completely surprising, the Bears have parted ways with veteran wide receiver Teds Ginn Jr.

The Chicago Bears didn’t make a move before the trade deadline on Tuesday, but they are making a move following the deadline. And it’s a move that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

The Bears have parted ways with veteran wide receiver Teds Ginn Jr., according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Ginn signed with the Bears as a free agent this offseason, where his speed was thought to be a big asset. Although with the success of fifth-round rookie receiver Darnell Mooney, who has climbed his way to the top of the depth chart opposite Allen Robinson, Ginn’s role on offense declined with each passing week.

But when running back Tarik Cohen tore his ACL, Ginn had an opportunity to prove his worth on punt returns. That wasn’t to be, as Ginn was a healthy scratch for last Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints and newcomer Dwayne Harris took over punting duties, where he found success.

In six games, Ginn finishes his Bears career with three catches for 40 yards.

It sounds like the Bears will have a new punt returner vs. Saints

The Ted Ginn Jr. experiment is likely coming to an end, and that’ll start Sunday as the Bears host the Saints.

The Ted Ginn Jr. experiment is likely coming to an end, and that’ll start Sunday as the Chicago Bears host the New Orleans Saints.

The Bears activated wide receiver and kick return specialist Dwayne Harris from the practice squad to the active roster. Harris, who was signed to the practice squad just this week, will likely handle punt returns for the Bears against the Saints.

The signing of Harris certainly doesn’t come as a surprise following last Monday night’s game, where Ginn fielded zero punts on five opportunities. Ginn hasn’t looked comfortable fielding punts since taking over for an injured Tarik Cohen, and the Bears finally decided to make a move with Harris.

In nine seasons, Harris has played for the Dallas Cowboys (2011-14), New York Giants (2015-17) and Las Vegas Raiders (2018-19), garnered nine starts in 106 NFL games.

Harris has served primarily as a return specialist, where he’s averaged 10.1 yards on 180 punts, including four touchdowns, as well as 25.8 yards on 163 kickoff returns with one touchdown.

Bears sign WR/KR Dwayne Harris to practice squad

It sounds like we’re nearing the end of the Ted Ginn Jr. experience as the Bears have signed KR Dwayne Harris to the practice squad.

It sounds like we might see the end of the Ted Ginn Jr. experience.

The Chicago Bears announced that they’ve signed receiver and return specialist Dwayne Harris to the practice squad on Tuesday. They released defensive tackle Terry Beckner to make room for Harris.

In nine seasons, Harris has played for the Dallas Cowboys (2-11014), New York Giants (2015-17) and Las Vegas Raiders (2018-19), garnered nine starts in 106 NFL games.

Harris has served primarily as a return specialist, where he’s averaged 10.1 yards on 180 punts, including four touchdowns, as well as 25.8 yards on 163 kickoff returns with one touchdown.

Following Monday night’s brutal loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Bears are in dire need of a punt returner. Tarik Cohen’s loss on offense and special teams has loomed large for this team. While Ted Ginn Jr. has taken over as punt returner for the Bears, he hasn’t really done much other than stand back there and let the ball bounce within the 20-yard line. That was made apparent in Monday’s loss, where Ginn didn’t field a single one of the Rams’ five punts.

The hope is that Harris will become a reliable punt returner for the Bears down the line while the season is still salvagable.