Ernest Pastell Givins Jr. (born September 3, 1964), is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

for 10 seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL), primarily with the

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...

Early life and college

Givins attended Lakewood High School where he was a star football player. He attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, then transferred to the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public university, public research university in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. Chartered in 1798 as the Jefferson Seminary, it became in the 19t ...

. At Louisville he set records for punt return and kickoff return that still stand. He was a 1985 First Team All-South independent

Professional career

Givins was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 2nd round of the 1986 NFL draft. A , 175 lbs.

, he played in 10 NFL seasons from 1986 to 1995. During his rookie season, in a Week 9, 1986 game against the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

, Givins took a reverse and was injured after getting hit in the head/neck area and was taken off the field on a stretcher. He only missed one game and returned two weeks later in Week 11 against the Steelers. A two-time

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

selection in 1990 and 1992, he played most of his career with the Oilers, catching passes from quarterback

Warren Moon Harold Warren Moon (born November 18, 1956) is an American former professional Gridiron football, football player who was a quarterback for 23 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He spent most of h ...

, along with receivers Curtis Duncan, Haywood Jeffires and Drew Hill in the Oilers' "run and shoot" offense. Givins was best known for his touchdown celebration dance known as the "Electric Slide." After nine seasons with the Oilers, Givins played one season with the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

, then retired.

Oilers/Titans franchise records

* Most receiving yards (career): 7,935 * Receptions (career): 542

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Post-professional career

He is very active in St. Petersburg's football community. In the mid-1990s, he was offensive coordinator of his high school alma mater, Pinellas Lakewood High School.

Coaching career

Givins served as head coach of St. Petersburg semi-pro football team, the St. Pete Sharks (Suncoast Semi-pro Football League). Givins served as head coach of the Sarasota Millionaires (initially in the United Football Federation and as of 2014 in the Florida Football Alliance (FFA), from 2012 to 2014. On May 26, 2017, Givins was named head coach of the Dunedin Pirates (Florida Football Alliance) based in Dunedin, Florida. Givins has been the

offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator (OC) is a Coach (sport), coach responsible for a gridiron football team's offense (American football), offense. Generally, the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second ...

for Gibbs High School's

team. He also works at Bay Point Middle School in St. Petersburg as a campus monitor.

Personal life

Givins' brother, Anthony, is the head coach of the St. Petersburg-based University of Faith football team. Givins was inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Givins, Ernest 1964 births Living people American football wide receivers American football tight ends Louisville Cardinals football players Houston Oilers players Jacksonville Jaguars players American Conference Pro Bowl players Players of American football from St. Petersburg, Florida 20th-century American sportsmen