Giradie Mercer

Giradie Jordan Mercer III (born March 19, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd. He was also a member of the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, and New England Patriots but did not appear in any games for any of those teams.

Early life and college After graduating from Howard D. Woodson High School in his native Washington, D.C., Mercer attended Hargrave Military Academy for one year before attending Marshall University. With the Marshall Thundering Herd, Mercer was part of the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA national championship team as a freshman. In 1998, Mercer had 96 tackles including 16 for loss and four sacks, for which he earned first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors. Mercer graduated from Marshall in December 2004 with a B.A. in general studies.

Professional career Mercer signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in April 2000 following the 2000 NFL draft but was released in June. On July 18, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. After suffering an injury during a preseason game, Mercer spent the 2000 season on injured reserve. He signed with the New England Patriots on July 31, 2001 but was waived on August 20. On September 3, 2001, Mercer signed with the New York Jets practice squad. Mercer played in two games for the Jets in the 2002 season.