[OC] One-Hit Wonders- Part III: Mike Furrey (WR, Detroit, 2006)

In 2005, Mike Furrey was playing free safety for the St. Louis Rams. In 2006, as a member of the Detroit Lions, Mike Furrey had the second most receptions in the NFL. How does this happen?

The career path of Mike Furrey is, safe to say, a unique one. There aren’t too many players in the modern era that can say that they played both sides of the football. For one year, Mike Furrey looked like one of the best receivers in football. The 29-year old free safety convert looked like the man that the Detroit Lions were looking for all those years when they wasted first round picks on wide receivers. And even though the Lions were garbage that season, Furrey was one of the lone bright spots.

So what happened? How did we get from a guy rejected by the NFL to a guy that was second in the league in receptions, to a guy that fell off just as quickly as he came onto the scene? This is the story of today’s Oneder of the Week. This is the story of Mike Furrey. Note that this one is a pretty long one, so because of Reddit’s character limit, I have to break this up into parts, which will be in the comments.

Part I: Two Brothers

A lot of Furrey’s collegiate story has to do with his brother Matt. From what I could dig up, his brother Matt got drafted by the Florida Marlins in 1992, so he was a draft pick for the first ever draft that the Marlins had. However, he never played minor league baseball. I’m assuming they’re brothers; even though it doesn’t say anything, seeing as they both went to Hilliard Davidson High School and seeing as Mike also played baseball, it’s a pretty safe bet to assume they’re related in some way.

Mike played baseball in high school like his brother Matt, but whereas Matt excelled in baseball, Mike excelled in football. He went to Ohio State as a walk-on; I’m assuming he went there because his brother went there, as his brother Matt hit 23 home runs for the program. However, Furrey didn’t get any real playing time; even though he was on a good Ohio State team that finished the season 11-2 and was ranked sixth in the country following their Citrus Bowl loss against Tennessee, he didn’t get any receptions.

In the spring of 1996, Matt Furrey graduated (he was the older brother), so when you combine that with the lack of playing time he got his freshman year, and Mike decided to transfer to Northern Iowa. As a side note, that 1995 Ohio State offense was stacked. The top 3 guys in terms of receptions were Terry Glenn (64), Eddie George (47), and Rickey Dudley (37). Terry Glenn got chosen with the seventh pick in the 1996 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, Rickey Dudley got chosen with the ninth pick in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, and Eddie George got chosen with the fourteenth pick in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. No wonder Furrey didn’t get any playing time that year.

At the I-AA level (now the FCS), Furrey was very good, finishing with 242 receptions, 3,544 yards, and 27 touchdowns over three seasons. He even made the All-I-AA Second Team back in 1998, alongside Tennessee State wide receiver Tyrone Butterfield. That second team had a lot of notable names on it, from Mike Leach (tight end at William & Mary) to Bill Gramatica (kicker at South Florida); why Bashir Levingston out of Eastern Washington won All-Purpose, I’m not sure, simply because I don’t know what “all-purpose” means on a team.

Even though UNI wasn’t that good back in the late 90s (he played most of his career under head coach Mike Dunbar, the first coach since William Hammer in 1958-59 to coach multiple seasons and never lead the Panthers to the postseason), Furrey was good. In fact, he was so good that he broke the record at the time in the Gateway Conference for receptions, breaking Dedric Ward’s record. Ward played at UNI and got drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, so Furrey was hoping his production at the lower level would be enough to see his name get called during the draft.

Part II: A Quick Ending

There were 254 players taken in the 2000 NFL Draft. There were 35 receivers taken during the 2000 NFL Draft. Mike Furrey was not one of them. It’s not like teams ignored Northern Iowa; that same year, his teammate, Brad Meester, was chosen in the second round by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he would go onto become one of the best players in franchise history, playing in over 200 games before retiring in 2013 (anytime the Jags want to put his name in the Pride of the Jaguars and put his #63 up there, I’m ready for it; I’m still waiting). And while a bunch of I-AA receivers went off the board, from Desmond Kitchings out of Furman to Muneer Moore out of Richmond and Leroy Fields out of Jackson State, Mike Furrey out of Northern Iowa never got his name called.

He would still get his shot in the NFL, as shortly after the draft, the Indianapolis Colts signed him as an undrafted free agent. The Colts were coming off of a 13-3 season where they made an appearance in the AFC Divisional, and had Peyton Manning at quarterback, who looked like he was going to be something special at this point after a Pro Bowl appearance and after turning the Colts around from 3-13 to 13-3 in one season. Seems like a pretty good situation from a football standpoint, right?

Unfortunately, the competition on the roster was too much for an UDFA. The top receiver was Marvin Harrison, who not only led the NFL in receiving yards in 1999, but at the time, had the fourth best season in NFL history in this category, only behind Jerry Rice, Isaac Bruce, and Herman Moore (oddly enough, all 3 of these receivers accomplished this in 1995). The Colts also had EG Green, their third round pick from 1998, on the roster, and their second round pick from 1998, Jerome Pathon, on the roster as well. On top of that, they had Terence Wilkins, who was a pretty good return man, and had 42 receptions for 565 yards the year before. Entering 2000, there were four spots on the roster at wide receiver that were already locked in, so there wasn’t too much of an opportunity for Furrey to prove himself. Even though the Colts didn’t draft anyone at wide receiver in 2000, the odds were still stacked against Furrey.

Could he defy the odds? Not with the Colts. It’s tough to find any preseason box scores, let alone from the year 2000, but I was able to find one from their second preseason game against the Seahawks. Furrey had no receptions, and after a solid game by hopeful receiver Chad Plummer (5 receptions for 66 yards; he would later make the roster), it looked like Furrey’s days with the Colts were numbered. Nevertheless, he did not make the roster, and didn’t get an opportunity elsewhere in the NFL.

He would have to make his mark in a different league.

Part III: An Xtra Opportunity

Based on the title of this section, you can probably guess where Furrey went. Seeing as he got cut by the Colts in 2000, he tried his shot in an upstart football league in 2001 called the XFL. He signed with the Las Vegas Outlaws, and in fact, he was considered the marquee player to watch in a New York Times preview of the league. In the inaugural XFL Draft, Furrey was chosen on the second day by the Outlaws in the seventeenth round. Can you imagine sitting through that entire draft? It went three days and lasted 475 picks (trivia side note- kicker Nick Gallery, drafted by the Chicago Enforcers, was Mr. Irrelevant).

Anyways, the 2001 XFL season kicked off, and Furrey was part of a supposedly good receiving trio out in Las Vegas. Unfortunately for him, it never really clicked. Part of it was the fact that the XFL’s rules actually hindered the passing game; bump and run was allowed on the entire route for the first few weeks of the season, until the league realized that this meant that receivers were getting mauled and could never get open. His final stat line with the Outlaws was 18 receptions for 242 yards and a touchdown. Not exactly a good stat line if you’re going to get noticed by the NFL. Amazingly, and I am not making this up, you can get a Mike Furrey XFL trading card on eBay. The cards look hilariously bad, but if you love Furrey or the XFL and want a piece of history, then go for it.

Again, the XFL wasn’t exactly a good league if you were a receiver trying to make your mark. Here’s the stat line for the Outlaws. Furrey was the third leading receiver on that team, and the top guy had 27 receptions for 273 yards. The Outlaws did have Rod Smart on their team (better known as He Hate Me), but in the passing game, were not notable at all. They went 4-6, finished last in their division, and then never played again since the XFL only lasted one season. Furrey only had one reception in the final 4 weeks of the season, and this was his only touchdown in the XFL. Took a lot of digging to find video of his touchdown, but it was actually a beautiful pass and a nice 41-yard touchdown to give the Outlaws the lead.

But when the XFL went under after 2001, Furrey still could not find a spot anywhere. His numbers in the XFL were mediocre at best, and were nowhere near good enough to be noticed. He’d have to make his mark in a different league.

Part IV: Entering the Arena

His NFL career didn’t work out. His XFL career didn’t work out. What about the Arena Football League? It’s a bit of a different game, but keep in mind that by 2002, the AFL was legitimate, especially after Kurt Warner’s success story from a few years ago, going from the starting quarterback of the Iowa Barnstormers to the NFL and a title at Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams. Today, poor management after the league went on hiatus in 2008 has made the AFL a bit of a joke, but back in the mid-2000s, it was legitimately big, with good television contracts and coverage and everything. Averaging 10,000 fans per game is nothing to scoff at.

Furrey went to the AFL and signed with the New York Dragons in 2002. Shameless plug here- I was a huge Dragons fan before they folded at the end of the 2008 season. I went to almost every home game in 2008 at the Nassau Coliseum about fifteen minutes from my house. I cried when the referees ruled this as a touchdown to knock the Dragons out of the playoffs. How being down at the 3-yard line equates to a touchdown, I’m not sure, but the Dragons were robbed.

Getting back on track- in 2002, the New York Dragons were not a good team. After making the postseason in 2001 with an 8-6 record, they finished dead last in the National Conference in 2002 with a 3-11 record, which was the second worst record in the league (only ahead of the Detroit Fury, who went 1-13 in their second ever season). But you can’t blame Mike Furrey for the poor play. He finished the season with 74 receptions, 1,055 yards, and 27 touchdowns; in terms of yardage and touchdowns, this was the most on the Dragons. That season, Furrey finished with the ninth most receiving yards in the league, and the sixth most receiving touchdowns in the league, along with the second most receiving touchdowns in the National Conference (only behind Mike Horacek of the New Jersey Gladiators).

On top of that, he had 5 interceptions. In the AFL, unless you’re a quarterback or a kicker (there’s no punting allowed), you normally play both ways. And that’s just what Furrey did, as he played both receiver and defensive back for the Dragons. The five interceptions that he had were tied for 11th in the AFL that season, and were the second most on the Dragons, only behind teammate Donvetis Franklin, who had 6. Again, the Dragons were pretty bad in 2002, but Furrey was starting to enjoy his football, even if it came indoors. He got enough attention that he got picked up by the New York Jets, but it didn’t last very long.

Part V: This Dragon’s On Fire

In 2003, though, his play would elevate from good to historic. Remember that people were keeping an eye on the AFL after Kurt Warner’s success story; teams were looking to find the next Kurt Warner. And teams were taking a close look at Mike Furrey. On defense, he only had one interception that season, and his play declined on that front. But the Dragons didn’t care, because offensively, he was a machine. He played in 13 games that season, and scored multiple receiving touchdowns in all of them. He had 9 games out of 13 with over 100 yards receiving. In a 65-57 overtime victory against the Detroit Fury, he had 15 receptions for 229 yards and 6 touchdowns. He followed that up the next week against the Chicago Rush with 11 receptions for 133 yards and 6 touchdowns, and against the Colorado Crush the following week, he had 9 receptions for 144 yards and 4 touchdowns.

After 13 games in the newly-expanded AFL season (it jumped from 14 games to 16 games in 2003), he had 108 receptions for 1,574 yards and 46 touchdowns. Only three players in the AFL had more than 38 receiving touchdowns in 2003- Terrill Shaw of the Grand Rapids Rampage (41), Chris Jackson of the Los Angeles Avengers (46), and Mike Furrey of the New York Dragons. And Furrey did this in 13 games instead of 16. At the time, Furrey’s 46 touchdowns were a record in AFL history, tied with Mike Horacek, who did it with the Iowa Barnstormers in 2000. Since then, the record has been smashed; in 2006, Damian Harrell of the Colorado Crush had 60.

Why did he only play in 13 games that season? Because on April 29, the St. Louis Rams offered him a contract. The Rams already had a history with the Arena Football League and the New York Dragons; technically, the Barnstormers and the Dragons are the same franchise, as following the 2000 season, the Iowa Barnstormers moved to New York to become the New York Dragons. They signed Kurt Warner, so they knew the AFL pretty well. Why not take a chance on Mike Furrey, the best AFL receiver at the time?

When Furrey left, the Dragons were 5-8. They went onto win their final 3 games and win the Eastern Division with an 8-8 record, then won the wild card round against the Chicago Rush before losing in the quarterfinals to the Orlando Predators. However, Furrey was now in the NFL. After being merely a camp body for the Colts and the Jets, this was his chance to prove himself at the next level. Could that success translate onto the NFL stage?

Part VI: From Arena Football to St. Louis

Mike Furrey got his true opportunity in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams in the 2003 season. But through the first 10 weeks of the season, he really didn’t play a whole lot. You’re not going to find the field often when the top two receivers are Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, two guys that could very well find themselves in the Hall of Fame. Combined with a surprisingly good season by Dane Looker (47 receptions for 495 yards and 3 touchdowns), and Furrey didn’t get too many reps.

However, he did manage to record 20 receptions for 189 yards. Even though he was a healthy scratch for quite a few games at the start, and only had 2 receptions for 13 yards through the first 10 weeks of the season, he would eventually become a bit of a target in St. Louis. His best game came in a 27-22 victory over the Seahawks in week 15, where he had 4 receptions for 45 yards. Here are highlights of that game from NFL Primetime; Furrey’s not in them, but it does involve a pretty controversial ending. In that game, Furrey had a critical 13-yard reception on 3rd and 12 that extended the drive for the Rams, leading to a Marshall Faulk touchdown on the very next play; Furrey also drew a pass interference on third down that led to a St. Louis touchdown to Torry Holt, and he had a big catch on a 3rd and 7 for 17 yards early in the third quarter. Furrey was pretty reliable that game; though he wasn’t flashy, he got the job done.

Furrey would have 4 receptions for 30 yards in the classic divisional playoff between the Rams and the Panthers that went into double overtime; why the Rams didn’t run the ball on 1st and 10 instead of throwing it, since they had a field goal possibly set up, I’m not sure. But in 2003, he had a decent season. Nothing that was noticeable or anything like that, but he was a guy that was averaging about 30 yards a game in the second half of the season.

But in 2004, his playing time would get significantly reduced. In 8 games, he would only have one reception, and he wouldn’t play any regular season game after the 23-12 victory that the Rams had in week 10 against the Seahawks. An 8-yard completion on a 3rd and 7 in the fourth quarter would be the only reception of the season for Furrey. He barely saw the field at receiver; he was only targeted three times all season, and was only targeted in one game.

The Rams now had a dilemma. They realized that Furrey was somewhat talented; you don’t set the AFL record for most receiving touchdowns in a season by accident. But there was a logjam on the roster at wide receiver. What do you do?

Part VII: A Dilemma for 2005

Entering 2005, the Rams realized that they almost had too much talent at wide receiver. Isaac Bruce was still doing very well, even though he would be 33 at the start of the season; he had 89 receptions for 1,292 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2004. Torry Holt was in the prime of his career, and in 2004, made the Pro Bowl after a 94-reception season with 1,372 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Additionally, the Rams had some younger talent at wide receiver that was starting to emerge. In the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft, they drafted Kevin Curtis; he responded in 2004 with a 32-reception season for 421 yards and 2 touchdowns. In the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, they drafted Shaun McDonald; he responded in 2004 with a 37-reception season for 494 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Rams also drafted another receiver in 2005, when in the sixth round, they chose Dante Ridgeway with the 192nd pick out of Ball State. On top of that, they also still had Dane Looker on the roster, who one season prior in 2003, had 47 receptions for 495 yards and 3 touchdowns; even though he only had 13 receptions for 183 yards in 2004, the Rams were hoping he’d bounce back.

That’s five receivers right there, and the starting core was still two receivers that could wind up in Canton one day with Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. That makes Furrey the odd man out to an extent; when you only have 1 reception the season before and barely play, your future at the position is pretty slim, especially if the team you’re on didn’t lose any talent. Combined with seemingly-inconsistent hands (he had an opportunity in 2004 to make another catch, but in his words, he dropped it, and while I don’t have video, the fact that he called that his most embarrassing moment is telling), and he wasn’t going to make the roster as a receiver.

Could he play another position? Turns out, he could.

Part VIII (Moving to Defense) & Part IX (Climbing Up the Charts)

Part X (The Breakout Season) & Part XI (Guess What Matt Millen Does)

Part XII (A Legend Emerges) & Part XIII (The Follow-Up Season)

Part XIV (The Official Decline) & Part XV (Legacy)

Lost Leagues (Sundays)	Record Watch- Offense (Mondays)	Draft Scratchers (Tuesdays)	Record Watch- Defense (Wednesdays)	One Hit Wonders (Thursdays)	Weird Stat Threads (Fridays)
Part I: United Football League	Part I: Passing Yards	Part I: Roger Vick (NY Jets, 1987)	Part II: Sacks	Part I: Derek Loville (San Francisco, 1995)	Part I: NFL vs. Eurovision
Part II: Spring Football League	Part III: Receptions	Part II: Tyson Alualu (Jacksonville, 2010)	N/A	Part II: Patrick Jeffers (Carolina, 1999)	Part II: NFL vs. Preakness
Part III: Fall Experimental Football League	N/A	Part III: Rick Mirer Trade (Chicago, 1997)	Part IV: Interceptions	Part III: Mike Furrey (Detroit, 2006)	Part III: NFL vs. Stanley Cup