Devin Akeem Funchess (born May 21, 1994) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
. 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 ...
at
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, and was selected by the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
in the second round of the
2015 NFL Draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
. He has also been a member of the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
and
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
.
High school career
Funchess attended
Harrison High School Harrison High School may refer to:
in the United States ''(by state)''
*Harrison High School (Harrison, Arkansas), listed on the National Register of Historic Places
* Harrison High School (Colorado Springs) — Colorado Springs, Colorado
* Har ...
in
Farmington Hills
Farmington Hills is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Part of the affluent suburbs northwest of Metro Detroit, Detroit, Farmington Hills is the second most-populated city in Oakland County, after Tro ...
, where he was a three-sport athlete in
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 ...
,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
and
track
Track or Tracks may refer to:
Routes or imprints
* Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity
* Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across
* Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
. As a junior in 2010, he caught 34 passes for 709 yards and five touchdowns, leading his team to the Michigan Division II state championship. As a senior in 2011, he was named to the
Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the ''Detroit Tribune'' on Februar ...
Blue Chip List after tallying 21 receptions for 452 yards and five
touchdowns
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether Rush (gridiron football), running, Forward pass, passing, returning a Kickoff (gridiron football), kickoff or Punt (gridiron football), punt, or recovering a Turno ...
on offense, while also recording three
sacks, one forced fumble, one
interception
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...
, and three pass break-ups on defense. In
track & field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
, Funchess competed as a
long jumper
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
, recording a personal-best leap of 5.53 meters (18 ft, 1.5 in) at the 2011 Oakland County Championships, where he placed 25th.
Considered a four-star recruit by
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc.
History
Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...
, Funchess was listed as the fifth-ranked tight end in the nation in 2012.
College career
Funchess committed to the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
in 2011, becoming one of the top prospects in Michigan's 2012 recruiting class.
2012 season
![Devin Funchess (2012-09-15) b](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Devin_Funchess_%282012-09-15%29_b.jpg)
Funchess saw extensive playing time as a freshman for the
2012 Michigan football team. After Brandon Moore sustained a knee injury, Funchess became the team's leading tight end and was described in October 2012 as "one of Michigan's biggest early-season revelations."
In the second game of the season, and Funchess' first as a starter, he had 106 receiving yards and a touchdown against
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
. He became the first Michigan tight end with 100 receiving yards in a game in 15 years;
Jerame Tuman
Jerame Dean Tuman (born March 24, 1976) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He won Super Bowl XL with the Steelers, defeating the Seattle Seahawks. He played ...
accomplished the feat in 1997. Funchess was named the
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
Freshman of the Week for his performance against Air Force. Against
UMass the following week, he caught two passes for 34 yards and scored his second career touchdown at Michigan.
Funchess scored his third touchdown pass on October 13, 2012, in a 45–0 victory over
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. On November 10, 2012, he scored in the fourth quarter on an eight-yard pass from
Devin Gardner
Devin Jaymes Gardner (born December 14, 1991) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots. He played professionally in Japan for two seasons.
Gardner was the starting quarterba ...
to give Michigan a 28–24 lead over
Northwestern. In the final home game of the season, a 42–17 victory over Iowa, Funchess scored his fifth touchdown on a 29-yard pass from Gardner.
Funchess was a
2012 All-Big Ten honorable mention selection by the media. He was also named to the
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) is an organization of college football media members in the United States founded in 1941. It is composed of approximately 1,200 professional sports writers from both print and Internet media out ...
Freshman All-America Team.
2013 season
As a sophomore for the
2013 Michigan team, Funchess became the Wolverines' second leading receiver behind
Jeremy Gallon
Jeremy Jermaine Gallon (born February 9, 1990) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan Wolverines football, Michig ...
. On October 5, 2013, he caught seven passes for 151 yards against
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
. He had a 46-yard reception against the Golden Gophers, and his total of 151 yards was also a career-high. After the Minnesota game, head coach
Brady Hoke
Brady Patrick Hoke (; born November 3, 1958) is an American football coach in his second stint as the head coach at San Diego State University. He was previously the head coach at the University of Michigan from 2011 to 2014.
Hoke grew up in O ...
said: "We wanted to get him out on the perimeter a little bit, mismatch in a lot of ways. He runs awful well and is a big target. We're just trying to really take advantage of his skill set." In an overtime loss to Penn State on October 12, 2013, Funchess caught four passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-long 59-yard touchdown reception. Through the first six games of the season, Funchess had 19 catches for 408 yards and four touchdowns. His average of 21.5 yards per catch was the highest in the
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
.
After the 2013 season, Funchess was named as
Big Ten's Tight End of the year.
2014 season
On August 30, 2014, Funchess played his first game as a
wide receiver for the
Wolverines
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscul ...
. He changed his number from No. 87 to No. 1; he is the first receiver to wear No. 1 since
Braylon Edwards
Braylon Jamel Edwards (born February 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Michigan, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was recognize ...
in 2004. Funchess tallied seven receptions for 95 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in the season opener against
Appalachian State
Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...
. On December 9, 2014, Funchess announced that he would be forgoing his remaining eligibility and declared for the
2015 NFL Draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
.
Career statistics
Professional career
Carolina Panthers
2015 season
Funchess was drafted in the second round with the 41st overall pick by the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
in the
2015 NFL Draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
. On August 14, 2015, he made his preseason debut for the Panthers against the Buffalo Bills. Funchess' first catch was a 34-yarder where he tightroped the sideline on a pass from
Derek Anderson. Funchess had one more catch, and finished the night with 53 yards total. When the Panther's primary receiver,
Kelvin Benjamin
Kelvin Benjamin (born February 5, 1991) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He also played for ...
,
suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in training camp, Carolina looked for Funchess to help fill that spot and emerge as a consistent target for Cam Newton.
Funchess had a breakout game during Week 9 against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
; Funchess made three catches for 71 yards and a key touchdown to help the Panthers earn their first 8–0 start in franchise history. The following week, Funchess caught both of his targets for a total of 41 yards during the Panthers' 27–10 victory over the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. The following week, Funchess made his first NFL start against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
and responded with four receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown during the Panthers' 44–16 victory. During the Panthers' 41–38 victory over the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, Funchess recorded a key 13-yard touchdown reception. During the Panthers' 38–35 victory over the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
to move them to 14–0, Funchess recorded a key touchdown reception against cornerback
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Dominique Reshard Rodgers-Cromartie (born April 7, 1986) is a former American football cornerback who played 11 years in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Tennessee State University, and was drafted by the Arizona ...
. Against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
during the regular season finale, Funchess set career bests with seven receptions and 120 yards. The yardage is the second-most by Panthers' rookie (
David Gettis
David Alexander Gettis (born August 27, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver. He was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football for Baylor University.
High school career
D ...
had 125 yards against the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
on October 24, 2010). Funchess finished the regular season with 31 catches for 473 yards, the fifth most in franchise history for a rookie receiver; his five touchdown catches were second most for a rookie.
On February 7, 2016, Funchess was part of the Panthers team that played in
Super Bowl 50
Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) cha ...
. The Panthers fell to 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 ...
by a score of 24–10. In the
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
, Funchess had two catches for 40 yards.
2016 season
Funchess played in 15 games in 2016, with seven starts, recording 23 catches for 371 yards and four touchdowns. He was placed on injured reserve on December 29, 2016, after suffering a knee injury against the Falcons in Week 16.
2017 season
Funchess was part of a Panthers' wide receiver unit that contained Kelvin Benjamin, Russell Shephard, Curtis Samuel, Kaelin Clay, and Damiere Byrd. In Week 4, against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, he had seven receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the 33–30 victory. In Week 12, against the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, he had a season-high 108 receiving yards on seven receptions. Overall, on the season, he had 63 receptions for 840 yards and eight touchdowns. The Panthers made the playoffs and faced off against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in the
Wild Card Round. In the 31–26 loss, he had four receptions for 89 yards.
2018 season
In a Week 3 victory over the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
, Funchess scored his first receiving touchdown of the season. In Week 6 and Week 8, he scored a touchdown in consecutive games against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
and
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. He finished the 2018 season with 44 receptions for 549 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.
Indianapolis Colts
On March 14, 2019, Funchess signed a one-year contract with the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. He was placed on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
with a broken collarbone on September 10, 2019. He was designated for return from injured reserve on November 13, 2019, and began practicing with the team again. However, he was not activated by the end of the three-week practice window on December 4, 2019, and remained on injured reserve for the rest of the season.
Green Bay Packers
2020 season
On April 2, 2020, Funchess signed with the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
The deal was reportedly for one year with a $1.2 million base salary for the
2020 season and a $1 million signing bonus, and could be worth up to $6.25 million with bonuses and incentives.
On July 28, 2020, Funchess opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. He explained his decision in an
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
post, saying that some of his closest family members had been exposed to COVID-19 and that he was opting out for their safety, as well as his own.
2021 season
On March 9, 2021, the NFL Network announced that Funchess had agreed to take a $750,000 pay cut to remain with the salary cap-strapped Packers. In August 2021, Funchess created
racial controversy by using an
anti-Asian racial slur "
chinky/chinkie" and made a “
slant-eyed” gesture during a press conference. Funchess later posted an apology on Twitter.
On August 25, the Packers placed Funchess on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
due to a lingering hamstring injury, and released him two days later.
San Francisco 49ers
On November 24, 2021, Funchess was signed to the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
practice squad. He was released on December 6.
Detroit Lions
On June 14, 2022, Funchess signed with the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
as a
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
. He was released on August 30.
Retirement
On December 20, 2022, Funchess said that as his
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 ...
career options were dwindling, he was switching his focus and training to basketball so that he can fulfill his childhood dream of playing in the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
References
External links
*
Michigan Wolverines bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Funchess, Devin
1994 births
Living people
American football tight ends
American football wide receivers
Michigan Wolverines football players
People from Farmington Hills, Michigan
Players of American football from Michigan
Carolina Panthers players
Indianapolis Colts players
Green Bay Packers players
San Francisco 49ers players
Detroit Lions players