Percy Harvin

As a junior Harvin led the Landstown basketball team to the state final, and became the first athlete since 1936 to win five gold medals at the state track meet.

William Percival Harvin III (born May 28, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL).

In 2000, at the age of 12, he was a member of the National Champion 4 × 100 m relay team in the Midget (11–12) Age Group.

Harvin was also a standout track athlete at the Landstown High School.

In 2003, during his sophomore year, the Landstown Eagles were the state Group AAA runner-up in football.

A year later, Harvin led the Eagles' football team to a perfect 14–0 record and a Virginia High School League (VHSL) Group AAA Division 6 state championship.

In the title game against James Robinson High School, Harvin accounted for 476 all-purpose yards in rushing, receiving, kick returns, and interception returns, as well as scoring five touchdowns in the 47–20 victory.

He attended and played football for Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, where his team won the high school state championship in 2004.

Harvin was born to William Percival Harvin, Jr. and wife Linda in Chesapeake, Virginia, where after his father's departure, he lived with his mother and his older sister, Lintera.

His mother, Linda, ran a daycare out of their home as Harvin helped with the children.

Harvin's mother ran track at Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach and later coached an AAU track team.

His sister, Lintera, ran track, both at Salem High School in Virginia Beach and at Eastern Michigan University.

As a child, Harvin was a gifted athlete whose prowess was first noted as a six-year-old flag football participant.

At the age of 13, he played for coach Bruce Pearl and the Virginia Beach Mustangs Pop Warner football team, leading the team to a national championship.

At Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, Harvin was noted for his speed (4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash as a freshman) and ability to make people miss in the open field.

He also won the 2004 state title in long jump as a sophomore with a leap of 7.14 meters.

As a result of various incidents, Harvin was suspended from athletic competition by the Virginia High School League (VHSL).

The suspension prevented Harvin from competing in the VHSL Group AAA State Indoor Track Meet at George Mason University that year.

His loss, after becoming the first athlete to win five state track titles in the same meet during his junior year, was a huge blow to his high school track team.

Harvin's personal bests are 10.43 seconds in the 100 meters, 21.19 seconds in the 200 meters, and 7.40 meters in long jump.

In 2005, Landstown finished 13–1 after a 28–7 state championship game upset loss to Oakton High School of Vienna, Virginia.

He also triumphed in basketball, where he helped the team to a 33–6 record and runner-up in the 2005 VHSL AAA state championship game.

After receiving National Junior Player of the Year honors in 2005, Harvin became one of the most highly acclaimed high school football players in the country.

Despite several earlier statements that he would attend Florida State University, on December 19, 2005, Harvin committed to the University of Florida over Florida State, University of Miami (FL), University of Michigan, and University of Southern California.

He became the first athlete in 69 years to capture five state titles at 2005 Virginia Class AAA state meet, winning the 100 meters, with a time of 10.69 seconds, 200 meters, with a time of 21.59 seconds, long jump, with a leap of 7.15 meters, and in triple jump, with a leap of 14.50 meters.

He captured the 2005 Virginia Class AAA indoor title in triple jump, with a leap of 14.70 meters.

He played college football for the Florida Gators, who won the BCS National Championship in 2006 and 2008.

Following his stellar high school career, Harvin participated in the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

As one of the top recruits in the 2006 high school class, Harvin was ranked number one overall by Rivals.com and the number two receiver by Scout.com.

Despite his accomplishments, Harvin's high school athletic career was not without controversy.

He served a one-game suspension early in his junior football season for unsportsmanlike conduct.

As a senior, he was suspended for the final two regular-season games after making contact with an official and using inappropriate language during a game against First Colonial High School.

In basketball, Harvin and a Green Run High School player were involved in a scuffle that prompted referees to stop the game with time remaining on the clock.

As a result of this and prior incidents, Harvin was suspended from athletic competition by the VHSL.

Despite these missteps, Harvin ranks as one of the greatest high school athletes to come out of the Hampton Roads area.

He scored 77 career touchdowns, accounted for more points than any player in South Hampton Roads history, and led Landstown High School to three consecutive Group AAA Division 6 state football championship games.

Harvin accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played on coach Urban Meyer's Florida Gators football team from 2006 to 2008.

A two-time first-team All-American, he was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

Harvin also played for the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.

He was named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2009 and won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks in 2013 over the Denver Broncos.