Godfrey Myles

Godfrey Myles
No. 98
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1968-09-22)September 22, 1968
Place of birth: Miami, Florida
Date of death: June 10, 2011(2011-06-10) (aged 42)
Place of death: Miami, Florida
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight: 240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school: Miami (FL) Carol City
College: Florida
NFL draft: 1991 / Round: 3 / Pick: 62
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 76
Games started: 11
Tackles: 135
Interceptions: 2
Fumbles recovered: 2
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Godfrey Clarence Myles (September 22, 1968 – June 10, 2011) was an American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the University of Florida.

Early years

Myles attended Miami Carol City High School in Miami Gardens, where he was an All-County linebacker and helped the football team reach the section 4-5A championship game in 1986. He also ran the 100-meter, 200-meter and anchored the 400-meter relay team.

As a junior he won the 100 and 200 county and district competitions and also finished second in the 100-meter 5A state meet.[1] Myles and his friend Tim Paulk who were teammates in football, insisted that they were a package deal for any school recruiting them.

College career

Myles accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida, where he played for coach Galen Hall and coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football teams from 1987 to 1990.[2]

A score of 14 on the ACT (one point under the then-required 15), cost him a year of college eligibility while he was academically ineligible.[3] As a sophomore he played at the outside linebacker and strong safety positions.[4] The next year after being tried at inside linebacker and strong safety, he became the starter at outside linebacker.[5][6]

Because he was a superb athlete with excellent size and speed, when defensive coordinator Jim Bates installed a 4-4-3 defense in 1990, Myles was moved to the "Gatorback" hybrid position, that combined the functions of an outside linebacker with a strong safety.[7] After Myles graduated it was difficult to find a replacement with his combination of skills, so the responsibilities of the position were scaled back and eventually it was discontinued.[8]

He was a team captain and a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection at safety in his senior season, after being a Sporting News honorable mention All-American at linebacker as a junior in 1989.[2]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys selected Myles in the third round (62nd overall) in the 1991 NFL Draft,[9] and he played for coach Jimmy Johnson and coach Barry Switzer's Cowboys from 1991 to 1996.[10] He missed most of his rookie season with a shoulder injury.

In 1992, he was Ken Norton's backup at middle linebacker. He was the starter at outside linebacker in Super Bowl XXVII when he suffered a freak injury, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a touchdown celebration, after he was shoved from behind, slipped and twisted his knee. The recovery process took him until week 9 of the 1993 season to return and it has been speculated that he was never the same player after the injury.[11]

In 1994, he competed for the middle linebacker position, but it went to Robert Jones. During the NFC championship game, he was forced into early action after Dixon Edwards was lost with a dislocated shoulder.

With Darrin Smith holding out for most of the 1995 season and Jones being injured in part of it, Myles received the opportunity to start in 11 games, finishing third on the team with 55 tackles, while playing through a separated shoulder and helping the team win Super Bowl XXX.[12][13]

Myles returned to the Cowboys for his final season in 1996, but his playing time was reduced and he never started again. In his six-season NFL career with the Cowboys, he was overshadowed by other players and was mainly used as a backup linebacker and special teams player. During that period the team won three Super Bowls (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX), and he finished with 135 tackles and two interceptions.

Denver Broncos

On April 15, 1997, he was signed as a free agent by the Denver Broncos,[14] but was waived on August 20.[15]

Personal life

Myles suffered a massive heart attack on June 8, 2011,[16] and expired when his family decided to remove life support, after he had been declared brain dead on June 9, 2011. He died in the early morning of June 10, 2011; he was 42 years old.[16]

See also

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "Godfrey Myles knows what the Gators need". Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  2. 1 2 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 88, 97, 124, 154, 183 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Amid Uf-fsu Hoopla, Old Friends Say Goodbye". Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Can Gators pass test vs. 'Noles". Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  5. ↑ "UF moves Bartley to Safety". Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Paulk is suspended for missing classes". Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Label UF's Godfrey Myles good and leave it at that". Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Notes". Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  9. ↑ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1991 National Football League Draft. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  10. ↑ National Football League, Historical Players, Godfrey Myles. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Myles' back after bizarre injury in Super Bowl". Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Backup Myles ready to replace Smith". Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Desperate Cowboys taking look at Solomon". Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Broncos re-sign Aldridge, sign Myles". Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  15. ↑ Associated Press, "Joyner struggles to win job," The Dispatch, p. 3B (August 21, 1997). Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  16. 1 2 Associated Press, "Dallas Cowboys linebacker Godfrey Myles dies at 42 in Miami after massive stroke," The Washington Post (June 12, 2011). Retrieved June 13, 2011.
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