Urban Meyer Says Former Florida Gator Percy Harvin Is The Best Player He's Coached

Rarely, if ever, will you see former Vikings and Seahawks wideout Percy Harvin on an all-time players list.

But ask longtime coach Urban Meyer which football player was the best he ever coached and Meyer's got Harvin right at the top.

Percy Harvin, An All-Time Talent

Meyer went on the All Things Covered podcast and discussed former college and NFL players, including his pick for No. 1 overall. Having coached at Florida, OSU and his brief tenure in the NFL, Meyer had a panoply of elite talent to choose from.

In the end, Harvin — once seen as a premier dual-threat WR — won the race.

"Percy Harvin is the best player that I've ever coached to put on a helmet," Meyer said, adding that Harvin's talent stood out over guys like former Buckeyes like Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Thomas and the Bosa brothers.

Meyer coached Harvin during the player's time at Florida. "He had migraine headaches, and he had injuries to his lower legs," Meyer added. "But when he was right I think he was one of the greatest of all-time."

Harvin is perhaps best known for his iconic Super Bowl XLVIII performance, where he redeemed an injury-riddled season by pulling off an 87-yard second-half kickoff return TD to bury Peyton Manning's Broncos. Seattle and Harvin stomped Denver with a 43-8 win. Harvin's kickoff return TD was the 10th in Super Bowl history.

Harvin enjoyed a relatively quiet career as an NFL wideout: playing less than double-digit games in more than half his seasons in the NFL. In 2009 he was selected to the Pro Bowl as part of the Vikings after accruing more than 1,300 scrimmage yards and eight TDs.

After playing eight seasons across four teams, Harvin accrued over 9,080 regular-season yards from scrimmage and 32 total touchdowns. 

A player truly worth his salt, if you ask Meyer. And many will agree.

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Alejandro Avila lives in Southern California and previously covered news for the LA Football Network. Jeopardy expert and grumpy sports fan. Known for having watched every movie and constant craving for dessert. @alejandroaveela (on X)