Christopher Myers Jr. (born September 15, 1981) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player who was a
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
, and was selected by the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
in the sixth round of the
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The NFL draft, draft was held April 23–24, 2005 NFL seaso ...
. He also played for the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. He was a two-time
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
selection with the Texans.
Early years
Myers is a graduate of
Miami Palmetto High School
, motto_translation = Strength through knowledge
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, type = Public secondary
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. Coming out of high school Myers was ranked the 47th best prospect in the state of Florida by SuperPrep.
The Miami Herald
The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a city in western Miami-Dade County and the Miami metropolitan area, several miles west of Downtown Miami.
College career
Myers attended the
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...
and was a part of some of the school's most successful teams during his time there. He red shirted during the 2000 season. In the 2001 national championship season Myers played as a reserve on the offensive line in seven games. During the 2002 season Myers became a starter at right guard. Myers was part of an offensive line that protected and blocked for
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
finalist
Ken Dorsey
Kenneth Simon Dorsey (born April 22, 1981) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Miami, ...
. Myers was also part of an offensive line that paved the way for
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III (born October 21, 1981) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Miami, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American, and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of t ...
who enjoyed a breakout season in 2002. McGahee rushed for 1,753 yards in 2002 and led the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
in rushing touchdowns with 28. Like Dorsey, McGahee was additionally a Heisman finalist. The offensive line that season only allowed 11 sacks and Myers was only personally responsible for one of those sacks. The line also blocked for a running game that averaged 183 yards per game.
During the
2003 season
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
Myers once again started at right guard, however towards the end of the season he started three games at center. His efforts were good enough for him to be named to the All
Big East
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
second team. Once again Myers only gave up one sack and led the offensive line in least sacks given up. With McGahee gone the Hurricanes used a stable of three running backs in the 2003 season.
Jarrett Payton
Jarrett Walter Payton (born December 26, 1980) is a former American football running back. He is the son of Walter Payton. Payton was previously signed as an undrafted free agent by the NFL Tennessee Titans. Payton also played for the Montreal ...
, Tyrone Moss, and
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is an American former American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third ...
collectively rushed for 1,964 yards and the Miami rushing attack was ranked 33rd in the nation.
As a senior in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
Myers switched positions and became the starter at right tackle.
Professional career
Denver Broncos
Meyers was drafted by the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
in the
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The NFL draft, draft was held April 23–24, 2005 NFL seaso ...
in the sixth round, 200th overall.
In the 2007 season, Myers showed his versatility by starting the season as an
offensive guard
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative
* Offensive (military), an attack
* Offensive language
** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
before shifting to
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
, replacing an injured
Tom Nalen
Thomas Andrew Nalen (born May 13, 1971) is a former American football center who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Boston and raised in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
College career
Nalen was a th ...
.
Houston Texans
A
restricted free agent
A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), or National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain ...
in the 2008 offseason, Myers was involved in a sign-and-trade on March 17. The Broncos signed him to a four-year, $11 million contract with $3 million guaranteed and then traded him to the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...
. While with the Texans, Myers' play at center was one of the biggest reasons for teammate Arian Foster's success at running back. As the starting center for the Texans in 2010, he anchored an offensive line that helped Foster lead the league in rushing. In 2011, the Texans had the second ranked rushing attack in the league and made their first playoff appearance in the franchise's history. After the 2011 season, Myers was rewarded with a four-year, $25 million contract. On March 4, 2015 Myers was released by the Texans.
On August 25, 2015, Myers announced his retirement from the league on In The Loop with Nick & Lopez on SportsRadio 610.
He joined the staff of the Texans flagship, SportsRadio 610, a few weeks before his announcement.