_(cropped).jpg) Wiggins in 2014 | |||||||||
| No. 84, 85 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1975-01-18)January 18, 1975 (age 50) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 272 lb (123 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | East Boston(Boston, Massachusetts) | ||||||||
| College: | Georgia | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1999 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Jermaine Wiggins (born January 18, 1975) is an American former professionalfootball player who was atight end in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theGeorgia Bulldogs, and signed with theNew York Jets as anundrafted free agent in 1999.
Wiggins was also a member of the NFL'sNew England Patriots,Indianapolis Colts,Carolina Panthers,Minnesota Vikings,Jacksonville Jaguars. He won aSuper Bowl ring with the Patriots inSuper Bowl XXXVI over theSt. Louis Rams. He also played for theFlorida Tuskers of theUnited Football League.
Wiggins attendedEast Boston High School in theEast Boston neighborhood ofBoston,Massachusetts and was a letterman in football and basketball. In football, he was an All-City and an All-League honoree. In basketball, he helped lead his team to the state championship as a junior. Wiggins graduated from East Boston in 1993. After high school, he attendedBridgton Academy in North Bridgton, Maine for a year ofpost-graduate study. In 2011, East Boston High School honored Wiggins by retiring his jersey.[1]
Wiggins attendedMarshall University for two years before transferring to theUniversity of Georgia. He led Marshall in receptions in 1995 with 54 catches for 681 yards (11.1 yards per catch) and scored four touchdowns in helping Marshall to the finals of the I-AA Championship, falling to Montana 22–20. He also played as a freshman in 1994 (5 catches, 56 yards and 1 touchdown - 11.2), when Marshall advanced to the I-AA semifinals, losing at Boise State, 28–24, and winning its first outright Southern Conference championship (second of three SC titles for the Thundering Herd). When MU head coach Jim Donnan took the Georgia coaching job, Wiggins and teammate Olandis Gary transferred to the Bulldogs, sitting out in 1996 and playing in the SEC in 1997 and 1998, winning bowl games both years with UGA.
Wiggins went undrafted in the1999 NFL draft and signed with theNew York Jets as anundrafted free agent. He only played for the Jets for part of2000, but he did play a part in theMonday Night Miracle against theMiami Dolphins. The Jets were losing 30–7 going into the 4th quarter when they began an improbable comeback. Wiggins caught a touchdown pass fromVinny Testaverde to make the score 30–20. The Jets would eventually win in overtime 40–37. Later in the season he was released and signed with theNew England Patriots.
Wiggins played in New England for two seasons (2000 -2001). While in New England he wonSuper Bowl XXXVI in2001. After a quiet 2001 regular season in which he only caught 14 passes, Wiggins became a key part of the Patriots air attack in the playoffs. Wiggins is perhaps best known by Patriots fans for his 10 catch, 68 yard performance in the Patriots AFC Divisional Round overtime victory against the Raiders. He also caught a seven-yard pass in the Patriots final Super Bowl drive that enabled the field goal kick to win the game. He also became famous for wearing red cleats.
Wiggins then played part of one season for theIndianapolis Colts in 2002.
Wiggins signed with theCarolina Panthers during the 2002 season and played with the team through the 2003 season, winning anNFC Championship in 2003.
Wiggins signed with theMinnesota Vikings, spending three seasons with the team (2004–2006), before being released on March 1, 2007. Minnesota is also where Wiggins was known to be a part of theLove Boat Scandal.
Wiggins was signed by theJacksonville Jaguars in March 2007. He was released on August 27 after suffering aconcussion from a helmet-to-helmet hit byGreen Bay PackerssafetyAaron Rouse in a preseason game.
After spending two seasons out of football, Wiggins was drafted by theFlorida Tuskers in theUFL Premiere Season Draft in 2009. He signed with the team on August 17.[2]
Wiggins has ventured into sports media upon retiring from football. In 2010, Wiggins obtained various positions in Boston sports media outlets such asCSN New England,WBZ, andWHDH. Until August 13, 2014, he frequently appeared on98.5 The Sports Hub alongsideMichael Felger andTony Massarotti.[3] Though he is primarily utilized as an NFL analyst, he also covers other Boston sports news.[4] Wiggins appeared on A&E'sFlipping Boston, the "Flip or Fumble" episode which features Wiggins joining hosts Pete and Dave on the renovation project of a home. Wiggins also formerly co-hosted a morning show on a local Boston hip hop radio station HOT 96.9. He currently is a co-host on the Greg Hill Morning Show and makes sporadic appearances on the Gresh and Fauria mid-day show on sports radioWEEI in Boston; he also has his ownpodcast.
Wiggins was featured in the documentaryKiller Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez.
On April 13, 2023, Wiggins was named the head coach of theBrockton Boxershigh school football team.[5]
