Mervyn L. Fernandez (born December 29, 1959), nicknamed "Swervin' Mervyn", 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 ...

with the

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions playe ...

in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

(CFL) and the

Los Angeles Raiders The Los Angeles Raiders were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). The Raiders played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 before relocating back to Oakland, California, where the team played from its inaugural ...

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). Fernandez was a two-time CFL All-Star (

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

–

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

) and is a member of the BC Lions Wall of Fame. In

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, Fernandez was voted a member of the BC Lions All-Time Dream Team, at the wide receiver position, as part of the club's 50-year anniversary celebration. In

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, Fernandez was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players (#42) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN. He was inducted into the

Canadian Football Hall of Fame The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates achievements in Canadian football. It is maintained by the Canadian Football League (CFL). It includes displays about the CFL, ...

in 2019.

Early life and college

Fernandez was a standout

for Andrew Hill High School in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

, where he picked up his famous nickname "Swervin' Mervyn" from the team's quarterback. Following high school, Fernandez played at DeAnza Junior College in

Cupertino, California Cupertino ( ) is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, directly west of San Jose, California, San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The ...

, before finishing his college career at nearby

San José State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public research university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State Universit ...

. It was at San José State that the

staff members took notice of the 6′3″, 205 pound, speedy wide receiver, and the Raiders eventually made Fernandez their 10th round pick in the

1983 NFL draft The 1983 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983, at the New York Sh ...

CFL career

Fernandez spent his entire six-year

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the highest pr ...

career (1982–1986, 1994) with the

. Fernandez joined the Lions in

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

, and made an immediate impact, finishing his rookie season with over 1,000 receiving yards (1,046), and helping his team to 9–7 record. Fernandez won the CFL Western Division Most Outstanding Rookie award, being a finalist for the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie award. After two 1,000-yard seasons, Fernandez was a key component in the

Grey Cup The Grey Cup () is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested between the winners ...

championship season of

. Fernandez finished the season with 95 catches and 1,727 yards for an 18.2 yards per reception average, along with 15 touchdowns. Despite being injured and not playing in the game, following the Lions' 37–24 triumph over the

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home game ...

in the 73rd Grey Cup, Fernandez became the first Lion to win the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award. Fernandez, a two-time CFL All-Star (

) and member of the BC Lions Wall of Fame, was finally persuaded by

Al Davis Allen R. Davis (July 4, 1929 – October 8, 2011) was an American professional football executive and coach. He was the managing general partner, principal owner and ''de facto'' general manager of the National Football League (NFL) Oakland Rai ...

and the Raiders to head south and join the NFL, following the

1986 CFL season The 1986 CFL season is considered to be the 33rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 29th Canadian Football League season. CFL News in 1986 The CFL decided that all nine teams will play 18 games each, in the ...

. In

, Fernandez was voted a member of the BC Lions All-Time Dream Team, at the wide receiver position, as part of the club's 50-year anniversary celebration. In November

, Fernandez was voted one of the CFL's top 50 players (#42) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.

CFL statistics

NFL career

Fernandez spent his entire 6-year

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a 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 Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

career (1987–1992) with one team: the

. During that span, Fernandez played in 86 games and amassed 209 catches for 3,764 yards and 19 touchdowns. While Fernandez never made the

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 ...

, he did leave his mark on the Raiders’ record books. His 209 career catches are 10th most by any receiver in Raiders’ history. His 3,764 career receiving yards ranks him number 8 all-time. His 18.01 average yards per catch for his career is first among any receiver to wear the Raiders' Silver and Black. In

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

, Fernandez led

receivers in average yards per catch (26.0). Arguably, Fernandez's finest year was

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

, when he made 57 catches for 1,069 yards and 9 touchdowns, leading all Raiders’ receivers in almost every major category, and becoming only the sixth Raider to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Post-football life

Fernandez currently lives in

Morgan Hill, California Morgan Hill is a city in Santa Clara County, California, at the southern tip of Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area. Morgan Hill is an affluent residential community, the seat of several high-tech companies, and a dining and recreation ...

and works as a

sales representative Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. A period during which goods are sold for a reduced price may also be referred ...

. He is also an avid sport fisherman. His son, Joe Fernandez, was a wide receiver at

Fresno State University California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers 60 ba ...

, who tried out but failed to make the final roster of the NFL's

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

References

External links

CFL Historical B.C. Lions - Mervyn Fernandez
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez, Mervyn 1959 births Living people Players of Canadian football from California American football wide receivers BC Lions players Canadian football wide receivers Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Player Award winners De Anza Dons football players Los Angeles Raiders players San Jose State Spartans football players Canadian Football League Rookie of the Year Award winners Players of American football from San Jose, California Players of Canadian football from San Jose, California NFL replacement players 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen Players of American football from Merced