Michael Nattiel
No. 59
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1980-11-08) November 8, 1980
Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:227 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school:Newberry (FL)
College:Florida
NFL Draft:2003 / Round: 6 / Pick: 190
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Games played:32
Tackles:31
Interceptions:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Michael Dondril Nattiel (born November 8, 1980) is an American former 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.

Early years

Nattiel was born in Gainesville, Florida in 1980.[1] He attended Newberry High School in Newberry, Florida,[2] where he played for the Newberry Fighting Panthers high school football team.[3] 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.[3]

College career

Nattiel accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida,[3] and played outside linebacker for coach Steve Spurrier and coach Ron Zook's Florida Gators football teams from 1999 to 2002.[4] Nattiel recovered a key fumble in the Gators' Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship victory over the Auburn Tigers in 2000,[3] and was an honorable mention All-SEC selection in 2002.[4]

Professional career

The Minnesota Vikings selected Nattiel in the sixth round (190th pick overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft,[5][6] and he played for the Vikings from 2003 to 2004.[7] 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.[1]

Personal

Nattiel is the nephew of Ricky Nattiel, former standout wide receiver for the Florida Gators and the NFL's Denver Broncos.[3] 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.[7][8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Mike Nattiel. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  2. ↑ databaseFootball.com, Players, Mike Nattiel Archived February 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 GatorZone.com, Football History, 2002 Roster, Mike Nattiel Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
  4. 1 2 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 80, 97, 184 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  5. ↑ "2003 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  6. ↑ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 2003 National Football League Draft Archived September 29, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
  7. 1 2 National Football League, Historical Players, Michael Nattiel. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  8. ↑ Larry Savage, "Prep Pulse: Mike Nattiel to run Newberry's defense," The Gainesville Sun (July 23, 2011). Retrieved July 24, 2011.

Bibliography

  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
  • Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
  • Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
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