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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1958-03-01)March 1, 1958 (age 67) Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Sumner (Kansas City, Kansas) | ||||||||
| College: | Kansas | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1981: 1st round, 10th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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David Verser (born March 1, 1958) is an American former professionalfootball player who was awide receiver in theNational Football League (NFL).
He played football at theUniversity of Kansas, where, during his senior year, he led the Jayhawks in receiving with 21 receptions for 463 yards and five touchdowns.[1] He earned a degree in social work.
Verser was selected in the first round by theCincinnati Bengals in the1981 NFL draft. He had 23 receptions in four seasons as a backup receiver. In 1981, he caught six passes for 161 yards (26.8 yards per catch) and scored two touchdowns, and he returned 29 kicks for 691 yards, a 23.8 average. In the 1981 AFC championship game, known as theFreezer Bowl, he had a 40-yard kickoff return that set up a Bengals touchdown. He played inSuper Bowl XVI, which the Bengals lost to theSan Francisco 49ers, 26-21,[2] but had a dismal performance returning 5 kickoffs for just 52 yards. He also infamously missed a blocking audible that contributed to a failed 4th and goal conversion attempt from the 49ers 1-yard line.[3]
During the 1982 through 1984 seasons, Verser was a backup wide receiver and kick returner for the Bengals.[4]
After the1985 NFL draft, he was traded to theGreen Bay Packers and later signed with theTampa Bay Buccaneers, for whom he played one game and returned four kicks in 1985. He was out of football in 1986, and in 1987 played two games for theCleveland Browns, with one rush for nine yards.[5] He finished his NFL career with 65 kickoff returns for 1,371 yards, and 23 receptions for 451 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 8 carries for 51 yards.
After leaving football and with a degree in social work, he became a social worker, worked for theHamilton County, Ohio Juvenile Court, then he became a police officer with theCincinnati Police Department.[2] He retired from the department after 12 years.[6]