Climbing the Ranks

On September 16, 2006, wide receiver Pierre Garcon of Division III Mount Union College made the most spectacular catch of his career. He was tripped by an Otterbein College defensive back on a post route, but as he fell, he reached back and made a one-handed grab.

“It was so amazing that the official didn’t even notice that he caught it,” said Purple Raiders quarterback Greg Micheli. “There was a penalty, and it didn’t even count.”

A brilliant – but unnoticed – performance. Such is Pierre Garcon’s football history until now. When the RCA Dome in Indianapolis hosts the NFL Scouting Combine February 20-26, the 22-year-old from West Palm Beach, FL will be the only D-III player in attendance.

Humble Beginnings

In a state renowned for its football phenoms, John I. Leonard High School in Greenacres, FL is like a second-string punter. It has never won a state championship and most recently made news because the Florida High School Athletic Association reprimanded the school and fined it $750 for allowing an un-enrolled student and an eighth-grader to participate in a spring classic game.

The Florida Department of Education has assigned a “D” grade to Leonard High in each of the last three academic years. According to Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) results for 2006-07, less than a quarter of its students read at or above grade level, while more than a third qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch.

Pierre Garcon was not immune to his school’s struggles – he played only two full seasons at Leonard because of academic ineligibility. So, it is not surprising that Notre Dame, USC and Michigan didn’t ring the doorbell of the Garcon residence.

“I got some interest [from Syracuse and FAU ],” said Garcon, “but I didn’t have the grades to attend their schools, so they stopped looking at me.”

Instead, he was courted by Division III Norwich University in Vermont, a combination military and civilian college with an all-time winning percentage of .411.

Garcon helped the Cadets to a 7-3 regular season mark and their third-ever ECAC bowl berth. He started immediately, racking up 1,001 receiving yards and 13 scores and was the only freshman to earn First-Team All-Empire 8 honors. His breakout performance came in a 39-34 win over St. John Fisher College in which he caught a school-record four touchdowns.

Norwich was new to the Empire 8 that season, and had been trounced 31-7 by conference champion Ithaca College the week before. Garcon’s 6-yard TD was the lone glimmer of offense in that game, but it was his 60-yard kickoff return that left an impression.

“He ran through 11 unblocked guys,” said Bombers head coach Mike Welch. “He made us look silly.”

The following spring, Norwich head coach Mike Yesalonia stepped down to take a job as Director of New Markets/Athletic Recruiting at the university. Uncomfortable with the school’s atmosphere, Garcon decided to make a change of his own.

“I just didn’t think it was in my best interest to stay at Norwich because it’s not about football,” he said. “It’s more about the military lifestyle.”

It didn’t take much searching to find a school that is about football. Mount Union College in Ohio has won nine national championships since 1993 and has had winning streaks of 54 and 55 games during that stretch.

“Everyone in D-III knows about Mount Union football,” said Garcon. “I just sent them an email, and coach [Larry Kehres] told me to come in in the summer and fall. He told me to get accepted and come in.”

Becoming a Purple Raider was the easy part. Succeeding in Alliance, Ohio – where football and schoolwork are serious business – required hard work.

“One thing they stress around here is your academic course load,” said Micheli,a double-major in mathematics and physics. “Ultimately, that’s why you’re going to college. In terms of the first string guys, the amount of film study and time they put in the weight room is pretty close to what the Division I guys do.”

So, when Garcon transferred, he brought his soft hands and knee-jerking agility but left poor grades behind.