| No. 98, 52 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1968-09-22)September 22, 1968 Miami, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | June 10, 2011(2011-06-10) (aged 42) Miami, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 240 lb (109 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Miami (FL) Carol City | ||||||||
| College | Florida | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1991: 3rd round, 62nd overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Godfrey Clarence Myles (September 22, 1968 – June 10, 2011) was an American professionalfootballlinebacker in theNational Football League (NFL) for theDallas Cowboys. He playedcollege football at theUniversity of Florida.
Myles attendedMiami Carol City High School inMiami Gardens. As a senior in 1986, he was a second-team All-state and All-Countylinebacker, helping the football team reach the section 4-5A championship game. As a senior, He also ran the 100-meter, 200-meter and anchored the 400-meter relay team.
As a junior, he won the 100 and 200 county and district competitions and also finished second in the 100-meter 5A state meet.[1] Myles and his friend Tim Paulk who were teammates in football, insisted that they were a package deal for any school recruiting them.
Myles accepted a football scholarship from theUniversity of Florida, where he played for coachGalen Hall and coachSteve Spurrier'sFlorida Gators football teams from1987 to1990.[2]
A score of 14 on theACT (one point under the then-required 15), cost him a year of college eligibility while he was academically ineligible.[3] As a sophomore, he played atoutside linebacker in the first 8 games and atstrong safety the rest of the season. He finished with 22 tackles and started in the last game.[4]
As a junior, after being tried atinside linebacker andstrong safety, he started 8 games atoutside linebacker,[5] recording 51 tackles (5 for loss), 3 interceptions (tied for the team lead), 4 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.[6]
Because he was a superb athlete with excellent size and speed, whendefensive coordinatorJim Bates installed a 4-4-3 defense in1990, Myles was moved to the "Gatorback" hybrid position, that combined the functions of anoutside linebacker with astrong safety.[7] He started 11 games, posting 69 tackles (third on the team), 3.5 sacks (third on the team), 10 tackles for loss and 4 passes defensed.[2]
After Myles graduated it was difficult to find a replacement with his combination of skills, so the responsibilities of the position were scaled back and eventually it was discontinued.[8]
Myles was selected by theDallas Cowboys in the third round (62nd overall) of the1991 NFL draft.[9] As a rookie, he was limited in the preseason with pain in his right shoulder, caused by a screw, from a surgery while at college, that was too long and tore at the muscle. He played in the first 4 games, before being placed on theinjured reserve list on September 25.
In1992, he wasKen Norton's backup atstrongside linebacker, playing mostly on passing downs, while registering 21 defensive tackles, 9special teams tackles, 2 quarterback pressures, one pass defensed and one interception. He was the starter atoutside linebacker inSuper Bowl XXVII when he suffered a freak injury, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during atouchdown celebration, after he was shoved from behind, slipped and twisted his right knee.
In1993, the recovery process from his injury took him until week 9 against thePhiladelphia Eagles to return. He was a backup atstrongside linebacker behindDixon Edwards and tallied 17 tackles. It has been speculated that he was never the same player after the injury.[10]
In1994, he competed for themiddle linebacker position after Norton left infree agency, but the job went toRobert Jones. He was a backup to all threelinebacker positions, collecting 13 tackles and one quarterback pressure. During theNFC championship game, he was forced into early action after Edwards was lost with a dislocated shoulder.
In1995, withDarrin Smith holding out for most of the season, he started the first 7 games atweakside linebacker and 4 games atmiddle linebacker in place of an injured Jones. He finished third on the team with 99 tackles, while playing through a separated shoulder and helping the team winSuper Bowl XXX.[11][12]
Myles returned to the Cowboys for his final season in1996, but his playing time was reduced and he never started again. In his six-seasonNFL career with the Cowboys, he was overshadowed by other players and was mainly used as a backup linebacker andspecial teams player. During that period the team won threeSuper Bowls (XXVII,XXVIII,XXX), and he finished with 135tackles and twointerceptions.
On April 15,1997, he was signed as afree agent by theDenver Broncos.[13] He was waived on August 20.[14]
Myles suffered a massiveheart attack on June 8, 2011,[15] and expired when his family decided to remove life support, after he had been declared brain dead on June 9, 2011. He died in the early morning of June 10, 2011; he was 42 years old.[15]
