Chris Givens
Chris Givens is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft. He played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Early life
Givens attended Wylie High School in Wylie, Texas, where he was a two-sport star in football and track. He suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in September 2007 to bring an early close to his high school football career. Rushed for 247 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries against Hebron in the second game of the 2007 season, but injured his knee the following week in the first quarter against Richardson Berkner.Givens was regarded as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com, and was a teammate of Patrick Witt.
Also an outstanding track & field athlete, Givens won the District 9-5A 100 meter title in 2007. He was third in the district meet in 2007 in the 200-meter dash with a 22.29 clocking and a member of the district champion 800 meter relay team. He ran a 10.44-second 100-meter dash at the Jesuit-Sheaner Relays in 2007. In late January 2008, just 15 weeks after ACL surgery, he clocked a 10.70 in the 100 meters. Also ran a 10.03 100m during the 2008 Region 2-5A meet. He was ranked as high as the fourth fastest in the 100 meters in the Texas high school ranks.
College career
Givens played college football at Wake Forest University from 2009 to 2011. He totaled 629 receiving yards as a redshirt freshman in 2009 and 514 as a redshirt sophomore in 2010. In July 2011, he was placed on the watchlist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award. After catching six passes for 101 yards in Wake Forest's October 2011 win over Florida State, Givens was named the Offensive Receiver of the Week by the Atlantic Coast Conference for the second consecutive week. In the first seven games of the 2011 season, Givens had 46 receptions for 866 yards and eight touchdowns. As of October 23, 2011, Givens's 886 receiving yards during the 2011 season ranked fifth among NCAA Division I FBS players.Professional career
St. Louis Rams
2012 season
Givens was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round in the 2012 NFL draft. On June 1, 2012, he signed a four-year contract with the Rams worth $2.6 million. Through the first two games of the regular season, he was held without a reception or a target from the quarterback. Givens would not catch a pass until Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks, when he beat Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman for a 52-yard reception.In a Week 5 win against the 2012 [Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona Cardinals], Givens caught a 51-yard pass, resulting in the first touchdown of his NFL career. He would go on to catch a pass of 50-plus yards in five consecutive games from September 30 to October 21, 2012, an NFL rookie record for most consecutive games with a 50-plus yard reception. The receptions came against the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots. During Week 10 of the regular season, Givens was suspended along with fellow rookie Janoris Jenkins for reportedly violating teams rules. Both players were sidelined and the specifics about their suspensions were never revealed. In Week 12 against the Arizona Cardinals, Givens logged his first 100-plus yard receiving game of his career.
Givens ended his rookie campaign with 42 catches for 698 yards and 3 touchdowns, leading all Rams receivers in receiving yards.