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Bernard Berrian

Bernard Berrian at the Vikings 2008 Training Camp.
No. 87     Minnesota Vikings
Wide receiver
Personal information
Date of birth: December 27, 1980 (1980-12-27) (age 29)
Place of birth: Barcelona, Spain
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	Weight: 185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
College: Fresno State
NFL Draft: 2004 / Round: 3 / Pick: 78
Debuted in 2004 for the Chicago Bears
Career history
As player: Chicago Bears (2004-2007) Minnesota Vikings (2008-present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Tied record for longest touchdown pass (99 yards, against the Chicago Bears on November 30, 2008)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2009
Receptions	253
Receiving Yards	3,779
Receiving TDs	24
Stats at NFL.com

Bernard Berrian (born December 27, 1980) is an American football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State.

Early years

Berrian was born in Spain,^[1] and grew up in California while both of his parents served at Castle Air Force Base. Bernard Berrian attended and played football for Atwater High School, in Atwater, California.

Professional career

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears selected Berrian with the 78th pick in the 3rd round of the 2004 NFL Draft.

Berrian spent a majority of his early years with the Bears as a back-up wide receiver and return specialist. His playtime increased during the 2005 Chicago Bears season, but an injury kept him sidelined for a portion of the season. Berrian returned to play during the Bears' NFC Divisional game against the Carolina Panthers, but eventually was forced to leave after sustaining an injury.

During the early half of the 2006 Chicago Bears season, Berrian emerged as one of the Bears's most productive receivers and sharpest deep-threat weapons. On November 5, 2006, Berrian suffered an injury to his ribs during a game against the Miami Dolphins. According to Berrian, he sustained the injury after hitting the ground during the very first play of the game.^[2] Berrian returned from the injury after missing only one game, but struggled at times. His surrogate, Mark Bradley, momentarily became the Bears' deep threat. Berrian finished the regular season as the Bears' second leading wide receiver, only a few catches behind team leader Muhsin Muhammad.^[3].

During the 2006 playoffs, in the divisional round game against the Seattle Seahawks, Berrian caught five passes for 105 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown pass. The Bears went on to win 27-24 in overtime. In the NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints, Berrian lead the Bears with five receptions for 85 yards. He also made a clutch, 33-yard diving touchdown reception behind a jumping Fred Thomas, giving the Bears an eleven point lead, which contributed to their 39-14 victory. ^[4] Well after the season's conclusion, the catch was named one of the Bears' top ten plays in 2006.^[5] Berrian played in Super Bowl XLI against the Indianapolis Colts, where he caught four passes for 38 yards.^[6]

Minnesota Vikings

On March 1, 2008 Berrian signed a six-year, $42 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings that included $16 million in guaranteed money. On November 30, 2008, in a game against the Chicago Bears, Berrian caught a 99-yard touchdown pass from Gus Frerotte, tying an NFL record for the longest pass from scrimmage. He was the Vikngs top receiver that year.

Berrian wasn't passed to that often by Brett Favre during the 2009-10 season. Favre heavily favored Sidney Rice. Berrian's most effective game was the NFC Championship Game.

Charity work

In November 2008 Bernard pledged to donate up to $10,000 to Second Harvest Heartland, Minnesota's largest hunger-relief organization, to provide turkeys to hungry inner-city families for the holiday season. He donated $5,000 to Second Harvest Heartland to provide turkeys to local inner-city families for Thanksgiving.^[7] Berrian has expressed interest in participating in additional community outreach programs.^[8]

Personal

During a Monday Night Football appearance, Muhsin Muhammad revealed that Berrian's nickname is "B-twice". However, in a later interview with Fox News Chicago, Berrian stated his teammates also call him, "California Cool". ^[9] ChicagoBears.com's columnists and announcers also refer to Berrian as the "Silent Assassin".^[10]

Career statistics

Source: NFL.com

References

External links

• Bernard Berrian on Twitter
• Fresno State Bulldogs bio
• Minnesota Vikings bio